{"id":2089,"date":"2015-07-26T00:10:21","date_gmt":"2015-07-26T00:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=2089"},"modified":"2015-07-26T00:10:21","modified_gmt":"2015-07-26T00:10:21","slug":"wake-at-birr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wake-at-birr\/","title":{"rendered":"Wake at Birr"},"content":{"rendered":"

The true and humorous tale, though shocking at the time, of the fiasco of my mothers coffin, at her wake in Birr…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As was tradition, to her home brought
\nFirst night alone, for family alone saught
\nSecond night was open, to all to pay respect
\nThat was our tradition, what we deemed correct.
\nThe third night to the chapel, to the house of God
\nThe fourth to join her husband beneath the sod…<\/p>\n

First night family the coffin gathered round
\nDecades of the rosary given out in turn, mumbled chorus resound
\nSomeone scratched at a handle, is seemed odd, looked tarnished
\nInspected the coffin, the rest appeared well and varnished
\nTill almost all along with one said the handles were green
\nThe wash was washed off, its likes before on a coffin not seen
\nHow could this happen, were they over reacting, what would all do?
\nWe will get new handles from the undertaker, it was decided over a brew.<\/p>\n

Its a simple job with a screwdriver, all inspecting reasoned
\nThe undertaker was a sensible sort, many years seasoned
\nUnwelcome, unexpected, this was, but not a big deal
\nWere sure she’s looking down laughing, one their thoughts did reveal.<\/p>\n

The undertaker next morning on the phone was all apologies
\nGave the corpses embalming and preparation chronologies
\nSeems the coffin she was taken from the home to be embalmed
\nWas not the one she was to be buried in, he said, our worries calmed.
\nHe will be by later on, the guaranteed, and all will be well
\nThis will be a funny story someday, we joked to each other, for all to tell.<\/p>\n

He came later on, as true as his word, much later in fact,
\nWhat he brought caused all there in surprise to react:
\nNot a new set of handles he brought, but a whole new coffin:
\nNow there is a scene not seen around too often!<\/p>\n

The neighbours came running to the house to help in fright
\nThinking a SECOND person had died during the night
\nAs the friends started arriving, they had to be to the kitchen deflected
\nAs our options to move the corpse by the undertaker was inspected.
\nJust to change the handles with a screwdriver the suggestion was made
\nDismissed with a wave of the hand: to help a few they were bade
\nAnd so lifted she was, from one coffin to the other
\nNot just one coffin would be good enough, we joked, for our mother!<\/p>\n

The screwdriver came out for the lid on the floor
\nAs the nameplate was screwed off to be screwed on once more
\nAlong with the crucifix onto the second lid…
\nSwiftly,and as if this was normal, farewell till later was bid
\nBy the undertaker who the first coffin loaded calmly and drove away
\nBemused we admitted the neighbours around the corpse for to pray.<\/p>\n

If it was seen on television one would say it stretched reality:
\nBut we would expect nothing less from us: our weird family!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The true and humorous tale, though shocking at the time, of the fiasco of my mothers coffin, at her wake in Birr… As was tradition, to her home brought First night alone, for family alone saught Second night was open, to all to pay respect That was our tradition, what …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[155,22,89],"tags":[2353,156,2261,2263,918],"class_list":["post-2089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-death","category-family-stories","category-funny-poems","tag-birr","tag-family","tag-funeral","tag-irish-family-funerals","tag-offaly","column","twocol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-xH","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1366,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/walking-past-adamnans-church-in-birr\/","url_meta":{"origin":2089,"position":0},"title":"Walking Past Adamnans Church in Birr","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"17th December 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Its just another ruined church to some, but St Brendans Old Church in Birr is where a little known Irish saint wrote modern Europes first rules of war, and womens rights in battle, and not to fight in war, which is being eroded today. 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