An Irish Lullaby | Teen Ink

An Irish Lullaby

May 18, 2022
By william-mcgonagle BRONZE, Bridgeport, Connecticut
william-mcgonagle BRONZE, Bridgeport, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

He said he wants to fly. All she asks is how high. He says to the moon. All she says is soon. But all the days have died, and now the morning is here. Because of this, he sees Eirinn in bed, “dia duit mo ghrá gasur”. Oh mamma, oh mother, why did you call me? Cillian’s got school and Claire- the flu. “Go luath, mo gasur, tá mé imithe” He stops. But what she means he can’t understand. “Mo soicind deireanach a chaitheamh liom” And all at once it hits him, like a brick thrown to his gut. He asks, “was I a good son?”- “is fearr” she responds. He asks, “what do I tell my kids”- “do chroí, cosúil leis Dé”. Finally, he says to her, “Mo ghrá thú”. She replies, “Hush now don't you cry”, and drifts to sleep. “Is breá liom tú mháthair, tá tú mo gach rud, éirinn go brách.” His mother's face loses its last hint of color, a minute longer, he has not. He hugs Eirinn one last time but she is just still. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral. Too-ra-loo-ra-li.

 

He said he wants to fly. All she asks is how high. He says to the moon. All she says is soon. But all the days have died, and now the morning is here. Because of this, he sees Eirinn in bed, “hello my dear boy”. Oh mamma, oh mother, why did you call me? Cillian’s got school and Claire- the flu. “Soon, my boy, I am gone” He stops. But what she means he can’t understand. “Spend my last seconds with me” And all at once it hits him, like a brick thrown to his gut. He asks, “was I a good son?”- “the best” she responds. He asks, “what do I tell my kids”- “your heart, like god”. Finally, he says to her, “I love you”. She replies, “Hush now don't you cry”, and drifts to sleep. “I love you mother, you are my everything, Eirinn until the end of time.” His mother's face loses its last hint of color, a minute longer, he has not. He hugs Eirinn one last time but she is just still. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral. Too-ra-loo-ra-li.


The author's comments:

Hi, I'm William McGonagle, and I really like to write poetry and fiction. I don't have too much to say about myself besides that. 


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