IRISH IMMIGRANTS

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