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| © John Mayer |
Those Irish Eyes were Smiling..
Bridget and Susie were saying farewell,
heading to far off lands
Though I doubt their parents were smiling
More likely wringing their hands.
Three brothers had already left the farm
A sister, Molly, had followed them there
But John had died in Australia
A heartache they all had to bare.
Boarding the ship was an effort
For Bridget no longer walked straight
But Susie was there to help her
And no-one had noticed her gait.
The known port of call in Auckland
Was where Susie decided to stay
With brother James who’d settled before them
Leaving Bridget to continue her way.
She was greeted by Michael and Molly
But soon it was only just two
For Michael returned to auld Ireland
There was farming he’d been called back to do.
Biddy soon married her sweetheart
A strapping young man called Roy
They went on to have four children
Three girls followed after the boy.
’Tis all a brief story of Dillons
Who lived in the far away county of Clare
How I’d love to visit their homeland
And meet all the family that still abide there.
© Crissouli 10th Aug 2021
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| Roy & Biddy (Bridget Teresa Dillon) Swadling |
| Photo of Dillon family home ©John Mayer |
Great poem and rhyme. Talented lady
ReplyDeleteThank you, Flissie...
DeleteThat’s beautiful Chris.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jennifer...
DeleteYes indeed I would be wringing my hands if my children left for far away lands. I am lucky to have them so close by. What a talent you have dear Chris !
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words, Alex. Both of ours have lived overseas, for years at a time...I was happy for them, but your heart aches when they are so far away. I'm so glad they are back now, even if we don't see them a lot.
ReplyDeleteIt is all too easy to put ourselves in the hearts and minds of their parents. Not so easy to imagine where the sons and daughters got the courage and determination to travel across the globe.
ReplyDeleteI guess that with so many in the family and maybe poor crops at the time, it was a way of 'lightening the load' as it were, off their parents. Maybe it was easier knowing for the second and third lot to leave as their siblings were already in Australia and one in New Zealand.
DeleteThanks for your comment.