why I love ireland

I got home from the pub 
With clays dinner and mine 
They were starving 
And ate the whole burger 

Without encouragement 
Doesn’t always happen 
They finished and asked 
Where’s my brownie bowl 

They forgot the brownie bowl 
This is crushing 
As she eats her meal 
Only for dessert 

I will go back I said 
“U r 2 kind” was her reply 
Followed by 
“When r u going to go”

And so I did 
Across the street in this magical village 
To the local pub 
Where the waitress apologized 

And had the ice cream brownie 
In five minutes 
On the way out 
I saw a stunning woman 

In a beautiful flowered white jacket 
We walked past each other 
I said I love ur coat 
She said thank u Rosie 

Being recognized here
Always surprises me 
We chatted a bit 
Her name is Maeve 

Spelled the Irish way 
Something like xmcd
Its a hard language to learn 
Looks like gibberish 

But its not 
Its the original language 
Of this beautiful nation 
Gaelic or simply Irish 

Only 20 percent speak it fluently 
I hear it in pubs often 
Its melodic and guttural 
And so ancient 

There is something extraordinary 
To listening to a group of friends 
Chatting each other up and laughing 
As the rest of us watch in awe 

So Maeve told me about her jacket 
Worried about the cost 
How she wanted it but couldn’t 
And weeks later got it 

In county Kerry 
As it had sold out the small sizes 
While she waited 
She walked me outside 

And showed me the store 
Where there was one left 
That would fit me 
Tomorrow I will go and try it on 

She told me she was a retired journalist 
And saw me on Irish tv 
She offered to take me for a walk 
Or a cup of tea 

I took down her number 
And wrote her when I got home 
The gentle kindness I have found 
Fills me with nostalgic joy 

Its how I remember Long Island 
Pre 73 - a space where people 
Looked out for each other 
Reached out - cared 

I feel like I have come home 
To a place I once was 
A familiar feeling 
Being a part of something real 

We have moved away from that as a nation 
As we were numbed by media and materialism 
By fame and fortune 
By lies told over and over again 

Til some believed them as true 
And we lost our way 
Criminals should not be president 
Yet we have one now 

Who is the opposite of every man 
Who ever held the office 
A moraless man 
Who craves cruelty 

A convicted felon 
Adjudicated rapist 
A liar 
A creep 

And half the voters said yes 
Unbelievable to me 
A symptom of disease 
The lack of gods grace 

I am going to church next Sunday 
With my child clay 
To see how it feels 
I have made room in my heart 

To allow miracles 
To embrace the teachings 
To slow my brain down
To sit and pray 

And I assume it will remind me 
Of life before my mom left 
When Sunday was about church 
Community caring commitment 

I will go and see 
Feel all the feels 
Ask for help 
My quiet constant prayer 

To be still 
So calm my soul 
To be present in the moment 
Not dissociating 

It is my dream 
My wish 
To be here now 
Always and forever