TEORAINN
Dánta le Caitríona Ní Chléirchín
le haistriúcháin Peter Fallon
TEORAINN
Iarrann sé uirthi seasamh amach ón ghluaisteán
le go gcuirfidh sé ceisteanna uirthi.
Féachann a triúr iníonacha amach an fhuinneog ar a máthair
agus ar ghunnaí na saighdiúirí.
Cá bhfuil do thriall?
Cad as a bhfuil sibh ag teacht?
Agus cén fáth?
a fhiafraíonn an saighdiúr di go borb,
Cad is ainm duit? Cá bhfuil cónaí ort?
Níor fhreagair mo mháthair aon rud chomh ciúin cúramach
na saol
roimhe sin nó ina dhiaidh.
Tá mé díreach i ndiaidh cuairt a thabhairt ar mo mháthair,
deir sí,
seanmháthair na gcailíní i dTír Eoghain.
Agus anois tá mé ag dul thar an teorainn
go Scairbh na gCaorach.
Níos déanaí suíonn sí sa chistin ag caitheamh fiche Silk Cut
ag déanamh buairimh is machnaimh
agus ag iarraidh an eagla roimh an Shed mór a chur di.
BORDER (THE LIMIT)
He asks her to step out of the car
for a moment — just a few questions.
Her three little angels stare
at their mother through the window,
at the soldiers’ sub-machine guns.
Where are you coming from?
Where are you going?
And why? And to what end?
The pup of a squaddie demands,
What’s your name? Where do you call home?
In all her days my mother had never
so quietly and carefully responded.
I’m after seeing my mother, said she,
the wee ones’ granny in County Tyrone.
Now I’m crossing the border
for Emyvale, heading home.
Later she sits in the kitchen,
working her way through twenty Silk Cut,
a huddle of worry, a bundle of bother,
and struggling to banish the dread
of the ‘Big Shed’ at the border.