{"id":363,"date":"2013-08-18T23:05:02","date_gmt":"2013-08-18T23:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=363"},"modified":"2014-08-18T23:06:17","modified_gmt":"2014-08-18T23:06:17","slug":"walking-the-bog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/walking-the-bog\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking the Bog"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>When young, or younger for I still am young
\nI thought that my future it was to be
\nAs it was then for my father
\nUpon the bog, working, laying rails like he<\/p>\n

For locos of peat going to power the station
\nSummer after summer in the searing heat
\nSundays and all, overtime and comradery
\nIn Killeens Bar after work friends would meet<\/p>\n

Every man must “change the cheque” by the way
\nTo have a drink with friends seized any excuse
\nFor that is life, and a good life it was
\nIf not to enjoy life, what for is works use?<\/p>\n

Men paid mortgages, for them the company
\nBuilt houses, estates, gave life to towns
\nSuchlike two way loyalty is not seen now
\nGlobalisationist capitalism on it frowns<\/p>\n

And for it for all they said, we are all the poorer
\nThe factories proved to be a false dream
\nThat lured the farmers from the land
\nTo an illusion where all not what it does seem<\/p>\n

Yes the money may have been more at times
\nBut of work no man was to be sure
\nAnd when the factories left for Eastern Europe
\nWe, who made them profitable, the workers were left poor,<\/p>\n

The lucky ones sported what little they had
\nThe fools invested in mortgages and homes
\nAnd the workers desperate scramble to survive
\nEnsued, as the bosses lined their thrones<\/p>\n

On slave labour of ex-communist workers
\nWho temporarily thought themselves rich
\nUntil prices rose outstripping their wages
\nAnd Goddess Capitalism shrugged: “Lifes a Bitch!”<\/p>\n

Now, as a parkland is the bog, now cutaway
\nAnd with an entire way of life is gone
\nWhen without grants, through work and sacrifice we survived
\nThough there was not work for everyone<\/p>\n

Few were in debt, and you could emigrate
\nAs much as for work, to see the world wide
\nBefore coming home, building a home, your dream
\nTo retire when old, at your own fireside<\/p>\n

Modern reality now says gone are those days
\nThe IMF our future dictates
\nAnd the EU, on whom we’re made dependant
\nThat rules for the stronger states<\/p>\n

Who fund it all, and when we are down
\nLike now, tell us what to do
\nFir their benefit, not for our citizens
\nOur rights in our own land now are few<\/p>\n

Environmental laws from Europe
\nReason behind which we cant understand
\nMeans that we are not allowed
\nAutomatically by ownership to build on our own land<\/p>\n

But we have to ask permission
\nLike from the Landlords, now gone, of old
\nWho’d automatically have approved, but now
\nThat were denied the right were often told.<\/p>\n

Its a changing world, in which man is smaller
\nAnd an Irishman in his own land smallest of all
\nJust get on with it, we are told by the system
\nWho bring American presidents to lead the call.<\/p>\n

Will our grandchildren, in their time
\nTour an industrial estate as I the bog
\nPreserved as the peat is for the partridge
\nBy the EU for a snail, bird or frog?<\/p>\n

And when all the bogs and farms and factories are gone
\nWhat at will they work at to live?
\nAnd feed their offspring with decreasing dole?
\nWhat future for them does Globalisation give?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When young, or younger for I still am young I thought that my future it was to be As it was then for my father Upon the bog, working, laying rails like he For locos of peat going to power the station Summer after summer in the searing heat Sundays …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[571,109],"tags":[585,586,584,587,12,583,582],"class_list":["post-363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-austerity","category-environment","tag-conservation","tag-eu","tag-irish-bogs","tag-luke-ming-flanagan","tag-nature","tag-turf","tag-turf-cutting","column","twocol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-5R","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3677,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/long-walk-in-edenmore-bog\/","url_meta":{"origin":363,"position":0},"title":"Long Walk in Edenmore Bog","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"21st April 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Walking the bog in Longford brought this reflection on life to mind - a rare nonrhyming poem from me! Walking the long way home Brought me to a beauty That I had not seen for years... Having not walked this path Meaning to do so later When weathers better... or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Environment","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Stack of turf in Edenmore Bog with Cairn Hill in background in North Longford","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Stack-of-turf-in-Edenmore-Bog-with-Cairn-Hill-in-background-in-North-Longford.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2181,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/dark-brown-turf\/","url_meta":{"origin":363,"position":1},"title":"Dark Brown Turf","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"11th August 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"In solidarity with the turf cutters. The latest of the poems restored to the website, this one was written a few years back. By hand it was cut, the dark brown turf Donkey and ass dew it by cart home Hands hard from work tossed it to the fire Neath\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Environment","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dark Brown Turf","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Dark-Brown-Turf-300x73.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Dark-Brown-Turf-300x73.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Dark-Brown-Turf-300x73.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2597,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/plain-of-the-kings-of-irelands-past\/","url_meta":{"origin":363,"position":2},"title":"Plain of the Kings of Irelands Past","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"13th March 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Some people wonder why I am so into supporting the turf cutters rights. My dad worked Blackwater Bog, where the order came through to work on through and ignore the stone and iron age roads and weapons that were found in a cultural massacre to rival Wood Quay. No fan\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Current Affairs in Ireland"","block_context":{"text":"Current Affairs in Ireland","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/ireland\/current-affairs-in-ireland\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"My father worked Blackwater Bog where many stone age and prehistoric items and roads were found. \"Work on, if the archaeologists come it will be shut down and you will all be out wages\" came the order - not in writing of cource - from the offices of a semi state agency, a compatriot of which hyprocritically is stopping private people cutting bogs \"to save our culture\" ignorant or silent of the history that was willingly destroyed for profit a mere 30 years before...","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Blackwater-Bog-in-Shannonbridge-during-the-1980s.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Blackwater-Bog-in-Shannonbridge-during-the-1980s.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Blackwater-Bog-in-Shannonbridge-during-the-1980s.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Blackwater-Bog-in-Shannonbridge-during-the-1980s.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Blackwater-Bog-in-Shannonbridge-during-the-1980s.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4621,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/remembering-ballinamuck-and-the-rebels-who-died\/","url_meta":{"origin":363,"position":3},"title":"Remembering Ballinamuck and the Rebels Who Died","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"26th February 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Remembering the Irish who died at the Battle of Ballinamuck","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Stack of turf in Edenmore Bog with Cairn Hill in background in North Longford","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Stack-of-turf-in-Edenmore-Bog-with-Cairn-Hill-in-background-in-North-Longford.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2116,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/strangers-scorn-us-for-being-what-we-are\/","url_meta":{"origin":363,"position":4},"title":"Strangers Scorn Us For Being What We Are","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"29th July 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"For the strangers came and tried to teach us their way. They scorned us just for bein' what we are. But they might as well go chasin' after moon beams Or light a penny candle from a star. \"Galway Bay\" ~ by Arthur Colahan The strangers came in suits Shiney\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Banagher"","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"We will always cut our turf!","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Edenmore-Bog-in-Longford.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Edenmore-Bog-in-Longford.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Edenmore-Bog-in-Longford.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Edenmore-Bog-in-Longford.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Edenmore-Bog-in-Longford.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1125,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/i-have-not-seen-what-my-father-saw\/","url_meta":{"origin":363,"position":5},"title":"I Have Not Seen What My Father Saw","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"15th November 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I have seen not what my father saw I have not ploughed the land Or made a ruin into a home With mortar mixed by hand. I have not herded beasts through fields I have not built stone walls Or drew turf from peat bogs And listened to curlews calls.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family Stories"","block_context":{"text":"Family Stories","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/family-stories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mam and dad in the last photo we have of them together in 2006. ","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/dadnmam.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=363"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":364,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363\/revisions\/364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}