Writen for Lynn's Take My Phrase, Please Contest, using her prompt as a title. |
IRISH IMMIGRANTS My great grandparents came to America on a ship filled with folks from the old sod, not knowing what future awaited them but having great hopes and trust in God. They brought what little they had with them for the famine in Ireland had taken a toll; starvation had claimed the lives of many without a pittance of sweet bread or roll. They arrived amid a hustle and bustle of a world that was growing too fast but they found a piece of land to work and prayed that hard times wouldn't last. In the evening, music echoed in the hills, the songs that we all remember so well, of green fields, shamrocks and the lovers whose sad stories they often would tell. Lullabies sung as the cradle was rocked and the storms of life seemed to pass by; children grew up reading the good Book and worked hard without once asking why. It's thanks to the brave Irish immigrants who journeyed over the ocean to see a future that they might not yet imagine yet having that strong desire to be free. The faith, hope and love they shared will continue on in lives yet to come, that Irish heritage never will be lost and cherished most dearly by some. When I wear green on St. Patrick's Day and a three-leafed Shamrock I hold, there will be celebrating of Ireland's kin who love the Emerald Isle more than gold. Country-McMom 1/20/07 Dedicated to the family Carroll |