a poem about the mass grave at Tuam
I’m the local schoolmistress
who worked hard to know
the zilch I knew about this.
I’m the Department Inspector
who remembered
the questions not to ask.
I’m the concerned citizen who never
heard their heavy clogs go,
by forced marches, up the Dublin Road.
I’m the editor of the Tuam Herald,
who talked instead about
the Pope’s visit.
I’m the Government Minister whose pink skull
baldly admired the particular yellow
of the roses by the newly whitewashed wall,
and thanked the nuns for their work.
I’m the County Councillor concerned
about the cost to the ratepayer
-per skeleton- of piling that many small ones
of whom no one had ever heard,
into a disused hole in the ground
–one big concrete sarcophagus–
no one knew anything about.
KEVIN HIGGINS
2 comments:
Really Good Poem, You sound just as annoyed as I am.
Drawing conclusions. As an atheist and revolutionary socialist I oppose the Catholic Church. it is the main church of capitalism. At present the Francis character at its head sees the extreme crisis of capitalism and is worried the Catholic church might go down with the ship. So he makes statements about the need for capitalism to be more fair, more responsible, more environmentally conscious etc. But he never makes a statement for the end of capitalism. This is because the Catholic church is rooted in the capitalism system, its gigantic property holdings and its whole top down method of controlling and lying. Along with that its belief that women are not equal to men. But this is just by way of introduction to my main remarks. That is what conclusions should we draw from the monstrous events once again demonstrated by the mass deaths of the Tuam babies. For me the conclusion is clear. People should have nothing to do with the Catholic church. They should not be a member of that church or not that matter any organized religion. What is going to happen when they dig up the remains of these poor babies who died? Are they going to be buried? And if so is some Catholic priest going to be allowed to whine over the children who died in such circumstances because of his church. No these terrible events should lead to only one conclusion. The Catholic church is rotten. People should not join it, take part in its rituals or allow it to preside over their own or family members births or weddings or deaths. Cut it out of their lives. Now i understand this outfit has had centuries to indoctrinate and terrorize people. If you do not toe the line you go to hell and burn for ever. This is terrorism.Then there is also all the drama and tradition. So as a result of this I know that many people will not be able to cut themselves off from the Catholic church. Well if they are not at the very least then organize within it to make it democratic, to force it to accept that women are equal to men, to get it to oppose capitalism. At least do this. Do not sit with your mouth shut. That is what this poem is about. People sitting with their mouth shut when this was going on. How about as a start for those of you who cannot bring yourself to leave the Catholic church at the very least demanding that church services are democratic and all who want can state their views in the gatherings and services. Why should one man, always a man, be the only one allowed to speak.. But in saying this about organizing an opposition i must be responsible and warn any who do so in advance. If you try to organize you will meet ferocious opposition. This Francis man is not even advancing any of these ideas, just wants capitalism to be a bit less vicious and he is facing ferocious opposition in the Catholic hierarchy. Posters are being put up in Rome against him. When the liberation theology rose in the 1970's inside the Catholic church it was put down with the help of US imperialism. Many of its members were murdered and with the compliance of the Catholic hierarchy. Including this Francis boy. The whole institution is rotten. All who think they are for a decent life, who think they are for honesty and decency, all who think they are for science , all who think they are against capitalism should have nothing to do with the Catholic church or any of the organized religions. A new scandal has just erupted about the sadistic role played by a leading member of the Anglican church. This like the abuse crimes in the Catholic hierarchy was covered up by the rest of the Anglican hierarchy. The main thug who did it was sent off to indoctrinate and abuse in Africa. Sean O'Torain.
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