CHRISTMAS IN BELFAST
On Falls Road tinsel drapes,
cloth hunger-strikers embolden,
Bobby Sands beams for a metre and pipes,
“Our revenge will be the laughter of our children.”
On Shankill Road baubles shine,
rifles glare among red-hatted jollity,
brick coats of arms cheer and complain,
“The cause of the conflict in Ulster is Nationality.”
Times change. There should be a mural
of cash in a briefcase, cocaine in a barrel.
Comments
galeforce7 | August 5, 2012 - 12:50
This is brill - similar things struck me when I visited Belfast recently. Superbly conveyed!!!!
Parson Thru | August 5, 2012 - 12:59
Like it Archie. It's called moving to normality. The innocent only get hurt in the crossfire of drug turf-wars. A long time coming.
Archie_Macjoyce | August 5, 2012 - 13:34
Thanks for stopping by, chaps.
I'm not sure that Northern Ireland could ever be a "normal" place...
scarletpimpernel | August 5, 2012 - 13:39
Nice one. Times are changing but it might be a while before we see a mural celebrating the financial benefits of cocaine. Both loyalist and nationalist groups are targeting dealers and giving them a swift couple to the knees.
Linda Wigzell Cress | August 5, 2012 - 13:41
Belfast is a very special place. The great people there will no doubt ensure lessons are learned but the history will be remembered. A great poem.
Linda
Archie_Macjoyce | August 5, 2012 - 14:28
Cheers, guys. I did like Belfast, a truly fascinating and surprisingly welcoming place.
I was under the impression that the paramilitary groups were themselves the dealers. That the Catholic-Protestant conflicts nowadays are just about rival drug gangs. No?
Durand | August 14, 2012 - 04:30
Stopped for the title, stayed for the poem. I'm a sucker for all things Irish. Concise, witty, spare.
Durand
Archie_Macjoyce | August 15, 2012 - 19:25
Thanks, Durand. I was going for concise.