St. Patrick's Day Poem: Bean Sídhe (part 1)

To mark St. Patrick's Day, S P Clark has created a retelling of the folk legend, Bean Sídhe, in poetic form. Here is part 1 to coincide with St. Patrick's Day. Parts 2 and 3 will follow later in the week.

Bean Sídhe (part 1)

S P Clark

Among the hollowed out hills

where summer burns and winter chills,

the Aos Sí beneath the earth;

No home comforts; lights nor hearth.

The Bean Sídhe mourns, it is said,

she’s keening for those not yet dead.

You’ll find out it’s quite the curse

if you continue with this verse.

Ciarán’s mum explained the sounds

From her safety; far from the mounds

“She keens for those who belong…

…in the old way…her eerie song.

There, beside a dying stream

a hawthorn tree lost in a dream.

No one dares approach the tree.”

His mother spake the words so free.

“I’ll tell you”, she said, “the tale

of a man.  You’ll shake and turn pale.

Diarmuid broke the golden rule,

he never listened back at school

and made terrible mistakes;

approached the tree.   Such risks he takes.

He wanted logs for his fire;

mounted his horse, a gentle Shire.

No one ever touched that tree!

The horse turned blind, it couldn’t see.

Two days later it had died.

Diamuid’s son broke down; how he cried.

One week on the child took ill;

for his father a bitter pill.

Perhaps in fear of his lot

Diarmuid grabbed the gun, took the shot.”

This fateful tale all filled with woe

ain’t over yet, there’s far to go.

Ciarán he cooked up a plan

to seek out this tree like a man;

hoping to come face-to-face

with the Bean Sídhe in that cursed place.

“I’ll stride”, he said, “and be brave

TO THE BEAN SÍDHE – the path I’ll pave!”

TO BE CONTINUED....

© S P Clark