Complete Works of Judi Donnelly

Air

Follow me
Sweet destiny
Be my friend
Through all eternity
Lift me up
Beyond my humble place
And carry me over
The mountains of life
That I may stand
Tall upon the peaks
And look out with freedom
At all the earth
At all my past
At all my future
That I may be
Gently guided by thy hand

Into my place
Sweet Destiny.

(1973)  This peom won a National 'Poetry' contest award

The soldiers came into the dirt packed courtyard looking fine and haughty in their light tan shirts and berets of black velvet.  there were six of them smiling and joking about.  My father who had just come in from rabbit hunting turned white as a cloud.  His light blue eyes always twinkling and merry had a haunting fear I had only before seen on my brother Patrick's face. His lips, thin and straight, took on a great rosy color compared to his facial palor and I knew he expected this instant to die by the hands o f these men.  we heard them joking and talking in the court.

"Hello the house!'

My father looked me in the eye as I stood there leaning on my broom and than turned and resolutely walked into the court.  At that instant a great chill came over me as though an icy winter wind had blown through our cozy cabin.  I could not move or breath and yet the breathing came so fast in me I thought i should certainly die if I could not scream out and exhale this evil wind.

I heard the soldier's voices say to my father as he appeared, 'Man, we've come to see if  there's any guns on the place.'

My father said naught. Sweat lined the palms of my hands and I felt I could feel droplets of water running down the breoom handle and wetting the earth beneith me.

'Do you have weapons here?' the inquiry was made.

'None.' ,my father replied.

'None. man! there were reports that shots have been heard in the vacinity. We are assigned to check this.

Where do you keep these weopons, Shea is it? Tom Shea?'

"Yes, that's our name', my father replied.

'How many sons ,Shea?'

'There are five.'

'Five sons, quite a sum.'

'Are they gone hunting now?'

My father did not speak. I could not see him standing there but my ears heard movement amongst the soldiers as the sound of leather on horses and metal of rifles being readied to shoot.