Cillin near Ballydonegan

Cillin; a grave of a stillborn child usually buried in a pagan ruin or that of a church.

I wrote this poem this summer while studying abroad in the small town of Allihies on Ireland's SW coast. Macallah is the Gaelic name for Allihies which means valley of echoes, or son of a cliff which is what an echo is. You can read more of my stuff on my myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/52558334


Cillin near Ballydonegan

Here's where they did it,
Forbidden the churchyard,
By pale green moonlight,
Seeking the favor
Of one god or many,
In ground that was bless'd
The rough hands of women
Scooped out a cradle,
Flat stone for a marker,
Ringed in by heather,
Cillin, Cillin,
The graves of the stillborn,
Here in Macallah,
The Valley of Echoes.