Patrick Henry Pearse was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist and political activist. He is considered by many to be the essence and soul of The Easter Rising of 1916. He loved Ireland and died fighting for its freedom.
The Mother
I do not grudge them: Lord, I do not grudge
My two strong sons that I have seen go out
To break their strength and die, they and a few,
In bloody protest for a glorious thing,
They shall be spoken of among their people,
The generations shall remember them,
And call them blessed;
But I will speak their names to my own heart
In the long nights;
The little names that were familiar once
Round my dead hearth.
Lord, thou art hard on mothers:
We suffer in their coming and their going;
And tho’ I grudge them not, I weary, weary
Of the long sorrow-And yet I have my joy:
My sons were faithful, and they fought.
Patrick Henry Pearse
On The Road Book Club 
So glad I’ve found this – and now I’ve found this poet… what lovely dancing rhythms and and poignant words.. ringing with that stately cadence and echo of Biblical verses in the Old translation.Thank you Rebecca
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How wonderful to have you visit my “book” place. There have been so many books that I read over the years; it has been hard to keep track of them all. In fact, I keep purchasing books only to discover that I have already read them. Which suggests that I still have the same likes in reading. But it always suggests that I should keep track of what I read along with how I felt at the time I read a novel, poem, etc. So OTR is my way of recording my “adventures in reading.” The part I like most is that feedback and comments. It adds so much to my understanding and broadens my perspective.
I am truly enjoying our dialogue…
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What a beautiful, thoughtful poem. It tugs to my heart every time I read it. What an intense story of a mother’s heart, “weary, weary”
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I must confess, I felt the tears come…
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Happy Easter and Happy Passover!
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Happy Easter and Chag Sameach, my dear friend! Thank you for stopping by for a visit!
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What a beautiful poem. You’re introducing me to new poets these days, it is quite wonderful!
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You always make my day full of sunshine. I’m learning as I go along and it is wonderful to have a kindred spirit to share ideas and thoughts….
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I have a book of Irish poetry, I love it!
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There is a lilt to their phrasing. Perhaps it is the influence of the Gaelic language. The poetry book I have on hand is “Voices & Poetry of Ireland” that came with a “free Audio CD” (I love when they say things are free.) Thank you for stopping by – I look forward to your visits.
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