AN AITIUIL: AN ANTHOLOGY
with the martello journal
Méabh + Ailill
by christina carty
Nach rachaidh fir chun cogaidh Won’t men go to war
in ionad caoin a ligeadh instead of shed a tear
Níos éasca gortú a dhéanamh Easier make a wound
ná gortú a mhothú than feel one
Bhím i ngrá leí I loved her
Ba sise mo dhomhan She was my world
Mo fhuil, mo fhírrine My blood, my truth
M’ bhean chéile fhocáilte My well-fucked wife
Buachaillí tógadh chun an domhan a cheannach Boys built to buy the world ar nós go mbeadh sé
le díol as if it’s for sale
Is fuath liom í I hate her
Maróidh mé í I’ll kill her
A sine goirt Her salty nipple
Loiscfidh mé an spéir I’ll burn up the sky
‘s tarraingeoidh mé é síos ar a cloigeann bréagach and pull it down on her lying head
Troidim I fight Troidim nó titim faoin mbúireach na buile Fight or fall under the freight train of
rage Agus níl móran meas a’m And I don’t much respect for d’ceart na mairbh uaisle the dead
martyr’s crown
Tóg gach uile píosa uaithi Take every man from her
agus bain amárach astu and tomorrow from them
Dá ndéarfá If he’d say ‘tá croí briste agam the heart’s broke on me’ B’fheidir go ndéarfainn I
might say
Ná teigh scriosadh d’chroí Ailill Don’t go smashing your heart Ailill le guí mise a ghearradh
imagining it’ll cut me
Imithe nó is liomsa é Gone, or mine
Cé go bhfuil trua a’m don tragóid atá ag bualadh isteach sa chliabhrach m’fhear cheile While
I’ve some pity for the blunt trauma that’s thumping away in my husband’s chest Nílim ar tí
m’bhrollach a thabhairt dó I amn’t about to offer him my breast Ní Máthair na mBrón mé I’m
not The Mother of Sorrows
Bríd McGinley writes short fiction and creative non-fiction. Her work has appeared in The Bangor Literary Journal, Sonder Magazine, The Honest Ulsterman, The Bramley FlashFlood, and Splonk among others. She lives by the sea in Co Donegal.