A very touching poem. I spent too many of my young adult years fighting for something I didn't know about. I just followed orders until I went to Afghanistan in 2002. Living with these wonderful people and learning about their peaceful culture and the poverty they endure without much complaint was an eye opener and changed me dramatically. I returned home and reevaluated my values on life and I have been working on that ever since. I am a very different person than the soldier who went off to fight another war in a foreign country again (this was my eighth and last before I retired). I grew up on the old stories of our family and the myths of Cu Chulainn, Fionn mac Cumhaill and the fae. I also got into trouble with the American authorities for supporting the Sinn Féin back in the early 1980's when they were considered part of a terrorist organization. Now I openly support them with donations and support whenever I can. I have seen apartheid and what it does to people. I have been to Israel and left with a serious bad taste for the arrogant Zionists. Now, I fight for peace and equality as I can until the Americans come for me for supporting terrorists. Given the new bill working its way to the senate, and the fever over anti-Semitism, it may not be too long.
Regarding Sinn Féin, oh boy, this is going to be long, but I have to say it out loud. I'm afraid SF isn't the party you believe them to be, and most certainly not the party they used to be in the 80s. I'm a former SF voter myself. Like most Irish nationalists, once upon a time I believed in their commitment to deliver a united and fairer Ireland. Unfortunately, I and thousands others were wrong and SF has completely betrayed us. They're now firmly imperialist lackeys who value the US more than Ireland.
SF is doing absolutely nothing in our northern parliament - they're very comfortable operating within the occupier's system. Over the years they have steadily shown that their main principle in collecting American investments and since the latest onslaught on Gaza started, they've reinforced this. They aligned themselves with Biden, blocked several motions to vote for a ceasefire in Irish councils, strolled around with the Zionist Joe Kennedy III, talked about "Ireland being open for business" with American blood money, had meetings with Caterpillar and other complicit companies. Marching on the streets of Ireland, for almost 5 months we've called for SF to stop their annual tradition of visiting the White House for St. Patrick's Day. The BDS movement asked them the same. They refused and they're actively trying to silence us. Furthermore, as a party they support a "two state solution" for Palestine, giving themselves the right to think they know what Palestine needs better than the Palestinians themselves. They went so far they've kicked Palestinian members out of the party and also physically threw them out of their "solidarity" event.
SF is but a shadow of the party they once were. They've completely abandoned their original socialist principles and ditched any notion of international solidarity and collective liberation. Right now here in Ireland, no self-respecting Irish nationalists supports SF. I'll gladly talk to you about this more if you want, it's important to bring these facts to light in the Irish American circles! I urge you not to give a dime to SF ever again and crucially, I urge you to tell their American branch why. Send a clear message that they've abandoned the people of Ireland and the republican cause. I now dread to think what sort of a United Ireland would SF deliver... An Ireland that would be an imperial hub for American interests, I'm afraid.
That is quite a revelation considering the media campaign they have been putting on over here. My support does go back to the old days when Gerry Adams was in charge, sort of. I had no idea that Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill were like that. I wondered a little after reading some recent news from Ireland in the last couple of months. I am not one to rely on just one source for my news of the world, and in Ireland. Now, I will be even more watchful with this new information. Thank you for that. If you have any suggestions for local news in Ulster and the republic to the south, I will be in your debt. I do pick up stories from the RTE now and again, The Guardian UK and one other, the name escapes me now, but I could always read more.
As for the future, I would be honored to make your acquaintance through Substack. I have always had a desire to learn more about the old sod. I supposedly have some distant cousins in a small village in County Cork, according to my late Daideo. When I do finally make the trip, I plan to go on the hunt for them. I also want to travel up north to County Donegal to see the old remnants of the hill fort up on the northwest coast where my ancient ancestors were supposedly routed out during Cromwell's invasion. It is supposed to be some sort of national landmark, so I was told. The English spelling of my surname is O'Donal.
I look forward to becoming your penpal, of sorts here, if you like? Maybe we can become good friends and share a cuppa tea someday when I eventually make the trip. As I am a sean-athair myself now, I can share some of my adventures from my younger days traveling the world. If your wee ones like stories, play my other podcast for them as I work very hard to only read stories and poems that are family friendly. I like to think I am the old one sitting around the peat fire reading stories to the littles, while their mums and da's hang around smiling in the background.
Meanwhile, keep up the fight for the injustices, both at home and abroad and I will be right there with you from across the pond. Slán
Terrance, I love this. I've heard similar from several soldiers already, how they worldview changed and their eyes opened to the lies they've been sold. It's great to see American veterans now fighting against the empire.
Once upon a time I almost ended up becoming a soldier myself - at 18 I signed up for the army because poverty and desperation. It was an opportunity for the army to pay for my studies and on top of that, I was severely depressed and wanted to die. Fortunately I didn't go through with it in the end! It's a story I will tell here one day.
And you're so right, we're all at risk of being deemed terrorists at this point. Some countries in Europe are no better than the US in this regard, Germany is particularly bad at the moment. Let's hope we can tear the system down before it tears us down!
Now that sounds like a proper anarchist. I think we would have been very good comrades in arms back in the old days. Me with a Murphy bonnet and you with a beret looking like a couple of poster children for Irish nationalism.
Unfortunately, I was born on the wrong side of the Atlantic Ocean and got caught up in life here but my heart and soul have been with the fight for a united Ireland since 1983. Something I still strongly support, but now with a different perspective, thanks to you. I look forward to more conversations about that in the future. Someday, I will pass on my personal histories with a couple of Irish and Scottish lads in the Royal Navy and Army that I was stationed with overseas in 1991 and my not so good times with their English counterparts.
Let's try and change the world together a little bit at a time.
As to your poem, there is a bittersweetness to it. But an honesty. While my family lives is comfort and safety here in Toronto, the people of Gaza have warplanes, and weapons of murder directed at them. How does anyone make sense of it?
How does one respond?
Well, you did, and the only response is one of love and community.
Oh Perry, your last sentence made me tear up! You're getting it, completely and thoroughly. Thank you for that. Sometimes it feels like talking to a void, but then a person comes and recognises the need for community and care for each other I'm talking about. So many people approached me after the reading on Friday and said they were touched by the poem. It gave me hope.
The poem is quietly powerful, with just the right tone. I often have felt alone in my sentiments for peace, community, harmony with Nature, but I have found a caring community of beautiful and loving people here on Substack.
Much appreciated Melissa! Both the poem and the intro were very heavy words to ponder about, write and say out loud. It required a lot of self-reflection, but these months I keep telling myself one thing - growth and change can only ever come from discomfort. I MUST sit with my discomfort.
“Palestinian poet Marwan Makhoul wrote the now famous words “In order for me to write poetry that isn't political, I must listen to the birds and in order to hear the birds the warplanes must be silent.”
Yes. This is one good reason I have been against violence & war ever since I could remember. Not only does war kill humans, it kills our non-human companions, including birds. This is all too much. We humans need to stop this madness.
Indeed, it's crucial to bring to attention how a massacre against humans is inevitably an attack on our natural world too. A genodice is always an ecocide. On a massive scale: starving and killing birds and other animals, uprooting trees, poisoning the underground waters, saturating everything with heavy, toxic particles from bombs.
When the bombs stop, the consequences for human health won't stop for many decades. I noticed one thing that broke my heart, how many Gazan families that lost their children spoke of trying to conceive for many, many years. 5, 9, even 15 years in some cases... So clearly the pollution from constant bombing, every few years, already did its foul magic. It will only get worse in the years to come, every aspect of Gazan life will be affected, from fertility to agriculture on poisoned soil.
Exactly and truly heartbreaking in its devastation and unbounded cruelty; the soil, the air, the earth, the circle of life are all affected by the planned genocide in a War of Vengeance. I wish the U.S. and Britain, in particular, would see what it is enabling and supporting.
A very touching poem. I spent too many of my young adult years fighting for something I didn't know about. I just followed orders until I went to Afghanistan in 2002. Living with these wonderful people and learning about their peaceful culture and the poverty they endure without much complaint was an eye opener and changed me dramatically. I returned home and reevaluated my values on life and I have been working on that ever since. I am a very different person than the soldier who went off to fight another war in a foreign country again (this was my eighth and last before I retired). I grew up on the old stories of our family and the myths of Cu Chulainn, Fionn mac Cumhaill and the fae. I also got into trouble with the American authorities for supporting the Sinn Féin back in the early 1980's when they were considered part of a terrorist organization. Now I openly support them with donations and support whenever I can. I have seen apartheid and what it does to people. I have been to Israel and left with a serious bad taste for the arrogant Zionists. Now, I fight for peace and equality as I can until the Americans come for me for supporting terrorists. Given the new bill working its way to the senate, and the fever over anti-Semitism, it may not be too long.
Regarding Sinn Féin, oh boy, this is going to be long, but I have to say it out loud. I'm afraid SF isn't the party you believe them to be, and most certainly not the party they used to be in the 80s. I'm a former SF voter myself. Like most Irish nationalists, once upon a time I believed in their commitment to deliver a united and fairer Ireland. Unfortunately, I and thousands others were wrong and SF has completely betrayed us. They're now firmly imperialist lackeys who value the US more than Ireland.
SF is doing absolutely nothing in our northern parliament - they're very comfortable operating within the occupier's system. Over the years they have steadily shown that their main principle in collecting American investments and since the latest onslaught on Gaza started, they've reinforced this. They aligned themselves with Biden, blocked several motions to vote for a ceasefire in Irish councils, strolled around with the Zionist Joe Kennedy III, talked about "Ireland being open for business" with American blood money, had meetings with Caterpillar and other complicit companies. Marching on the streets of Ireland, for almost 5 months we've called for SF to stop their annual tradition of visiting the White House for St. Patrick's Day. The BDS movement asked them the same. They refused and they're actively trying to silence us. Furthermore, as a party they support a "two state solution" for Palestine, giving themselves the right to think they know what Palestine needs better than the Palestinians themselves. They went so far they've kicked Palestinian members out of the party and also physically threw them out of their "solidarity" event.
SF is but a shadow of the party they once were. They've completely abandoned their original socialist principles and ditched any notion of international solidarity and collective liberation. Right now here in Ireland, no self-respecting Irish nationalists supports SF. I'll gladly talk to you about this more if you want, it's important to bring these facts to light in the Irish American circles! I urge you not to give a dime to SF ever again and crucially, I urge you to tell their American branch why. Send a clear message that they've abandoned the people of Ireland and the republican cause. I now dread to think what sort of a United Ireland would SF deliver... An Ireland that would be an imperial hub for American interests, I'm afraid.
It's a sad, sad situation.
That is quite a revelation considering the media campaign they have been putting on over here. My support does go back to the old days when Gerry Adams was in charge, sort of. I had no idea that Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill were like that. I wondered a little after reading some recent news from Ireland in the last couple of months. I am not one to rely on just one source for my news of the world, and in Ireland. Now, I will be even more watchful with this new information. Thank you for that. If you have any suggestions for local news in Ulster and the republic to the south, I will be in your debt. I do pick up stories from the RTE now and again, The Guardian UK and one other, the name escapes me now, but I could always read more.
As for the future, I would be honored to make your acquaintance through Substack. I have always had a desire to learn more about the old sod. I supposedly have some distant cousins in a small village in County Cork, according to my late Daideo. When I do finally make the trip, I plan to go on the hunt for them. I also want to travel up north to County Donegal to see the old remnants of the hill fort up on the northwest coast where my ancient ancestors were supposedly routed out during Cromwell's invasion. It is supposed to be some sort of national landmark, so I was told. The English spelling of my surname is O'Donal.
I look forward to becoming your penpal, of sorts here, if you like? Maybe we can become good friends and share a cuppa tea someday when I eventually make the trip. As I am a sean-athair myself now, I can share some of my adventures from my younger days traveling the world. If your wee ones like stories, play my other podcast for them as I work very hard to only read stories and poems that are family friendly. I like to think I am the old one sitting around the peat fire reading stories to the littles, while their mums and da's hang around smiling in the background.
Meanwhile, keep up the fight for the injustices, both at home and abroad and I will be right there with you from across the pond. Slán
Terrance, I love this. I've heard similar from several soldiers already, how they worldview changed and their eyes opened to the lies they've been sold. It's great to see American veterans now fighting against the empire.
Once upon a time I almost ended up becoming a soldier myself - at 18 I signed up for the army because poverty and desperation. It was an opportunity for the army to pay for my studies and on top of that, I was severely depressed and wanted to die. Fortunately I didn't go through with it in the end! It's a story I will tell here one day.
And you're so right, we're all at risk of being deemed terrorists at this point. Some countries in Europe are no better than the US in this regard, Germany is particularly bad at the moment. Let's hope we can tear the system down before it tears us down!
Now that sounds like a proper anarchist. I think we would have been very good comrades in arms back in the old days. Me with a Murphy bonnet and you with a beret looking like a couple of poster children for Irish nationalism.
Unfortunately, I was born on the wrong side of the Atlantic Ocean and got caught up in life here but my heart and soul have been with the fight for a united Ireland since 1983. Something I still strongly support, but now with a different perspective, thanks to you. I look forward to more conversations about that in the future. Someday, I will pass on my personal histories with a couple of Irish and Scottish lads in the Royal Navy and Army that I was stationed with overseas in 1991 and my not so good times with their English counterparts.
Let's try and change the world together a little bit at a time.
As to your poem, there is a bittersweetness to it. But an honesty. While my family lives is comfort and safety here in Toronto, the people of Gaza have warplanes, and weapons of murder directed at them. How does anyone make sense of it?
How does one respond?
Well, you did, and the only response is one of love and community.
Oh Perry, your last sentence made me tear up! You're getting it, completely and thoroughly. Thank you for that. Sometimes it feels like talking to a void, but then a person comes and recognises the need for community and care for each other I'm talking about. So many people approached me after the reading on Friday and said they were touched by the poem. It gave me hope.
The poem is quietly powerful, with just the right tone. I often have felt alone in my sentiments for peace, community, harmony with Nature, but I have found a caring community of beautiful and loving people here on Substack.
Beautiful in every way. And not a word of the intro was spilled. Thank you for your voice and your clarity.
Much appreciated Melissa! Both the poem and the intro were very heavy words to ponder about, write and say out loud. It required a lot of self-reflection, but these months I keep telling myself one thing - growth and change can only ever come from discomfort. I MUST sit with my discomfort.
“Palestinian poet Marwan Makhoul wrote the now famous words “In order for me to write poetry that isn't political, I must listen to the birds and in order to hear the birds the warplanes must be silent.”
Yes. This is one good reason I have been against violence & war ever since I could remember. Not only does war kill humans, it kills our non-human companions, including birds. This is all too much. We humans need to stop this madness.
Indeed, it's crucial to bring to attention how a massacre against humans is inevitably an attack on our natural world too. A genodice is always an ecocide. On a massive scale: starving and killing birds and other animals, uprooting trees, poisoning the underground waters, saturating everything with heavy, toxic particles from bombs.
When the bombs stop, the consequences for human health won't stop for many decades. I noticed one thing that broke my heart, how many Gazan families that lost their children spoke of trying to conceive for many, many years. 5, 9, even 15 years in some cases... So clearly the pollution from constant bombing, every few years, already did its foul magic. It will only get worse in the years to come, every aspect of Gazan life will be affected, from fertility to agriculture on poisoned soil.
Exactly and truly heartbreaking in its devastation and unbounded cruelty; the soil, the air, the earth, the circle of life are all affected by the planned genocide in a War of Vengeance. I wish the U.S. and Britain, in particular, would see what it is enabling and supporting.