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At this point in time, Bealtaine Writers are involved in a project with the Irish Writers Centre and the Dublin Adult Learning Centre. It is being facilitated by the poet Nessa O’Mahony and the general theme is Journeying. There will be a reading of the work that comes out of it at the end of November and there will also be a printed version.

During the course of the sessions, I was drawn back to a time in the 1950s which caused a stir on our road.

The illustration is a cheat because I find myself drawn to photos of my grandchildren and keep wanting to use them.

I hope you like the writing. As usual, read, enjoy, share and give me some feedback.

Turas of the Very Young

Cuid a hAon

Cá bhfuil tú ag dul?
I’m off to find me Nana

Cé tá ag dul leat?
Me brudder in his pram

Conas a rachaidh sibh?
We will walk and sing and look for her

Cén fhaid a bheidh tú imithe?
It’s only a few minutes to the Village

Cad a bhfaighidh tú?
Me Nana and her shopping

Cuid a Dó

Cá ndeachaigh tú?
We ended up in Ranelagh

Conas ar thaisteal sibh?
We walked till I nearly fell down

Cad a aimsigh tú?
The fla’ we lived in til I was six

Is ansin?
The man in the fla’ above give me thrupence?
But nothing to eat

Cén chaoi a ndeachaigh tú abhaile?
Trudged up the canal to the 83 bustop
Persuaded the conductor to let me on for threepence

Cad a aimsigh tú ansin?
A flurry of neighbours flapping

Cad dúirt said?
Asked questions with worried looks

Cad a bhí á cheapadh agat?
I kept wondering what all the fuss was about

Cad a duirt tú?
I only went looking for Nana

Cén fhad a raibh tú imithe?
I was only gone eight hours
and I was nine*

*Journey
Part One
Where are you going?
Who will go with you?
How will you go?
How long will you be a way?
What will you find?

Part Two
Where did you go?
How did you get there?
What did you find?
Then what?
How did you get home?
What did you find?
What did they say?
What were you thinking?
What did you say?
How long were you gone?

Peter Clarke
October 2018

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