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Image by Magdalena Smolnicka

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.

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