Comrades in Arms

Comrades in Arms


Nature playing the role
Of some devil may care
Dressed up for some other
Non local affair
With destiny settled
For certainty those
Who chose to accept
The conditions imposed
And practiced his art
With such consummate skill
That he only just made it
With time left to kill.

Photograph: Plaque outside
ledwidge Cottage
Slane County Meath.
Summer 2007.

Carpetbags

Carpetbags

Carpetbags

are different now.

Only a few loose ends

and the colours change.

In the marketplace

it's all up for grabs.

Dealers holding

a watching brief,

and the new order's in

hawking its wares.

Attache cases.

And the rules the same,

buy cheap, sell dear,

and no compartment now

for missing files,

not like the old ones.

Everything carefully stitched

except a few pockets

of resistance

taking a morality cheque

just for the present.

And everyone's waiting

for a White Christmas.

Photograph: Homeplace of Francis Ledwidge

Slane Co.Meath. Born 1887

Died France 1917.