talking with nuns

thinking about mindsets

the natives were charming said my aunt
by natives I presume you mean the local people said my grandaunt

local people when I was twelve lived in or near Ferbane
they lived on the land and farmed and loved each other
natives went naked and consumed one another
natives lived in hot shining places
full of danger but had no glamour
they were sad and afraid
and fought a lot

charming and foreign is not decent
how could they be local who did did not know camogie
had they ever wielded a hurl or hung out a flag
on all Ireland day

to travel to africa and in all that hunger and pain
in a world of idolatory to find locals
what a journey my grand aunt had made

we all live in the global village now,all us locals
and hurl handfuls of meat to those natives who
huddle on the outskirts