I like to do something different when an opportunity presents itself, so when my friend asked me to go on a creative writing day with her, I went along and last week I was quite excited when it recently appeared in the local (Duddingston Matters) kirk news. Not quite The Scotsman, but as we all know little steps……….

By special request, here it is:

Belfast Boys

Another day with a plight ahead

I have a stretch and get out of bed

There are places to go and things to see

Then I remember, “Why not me?”

At last weeks march there was a fight

A lot of blood, an awful sight

The noise of laughter then a gun

It was all supposed to be so much fun

But the bombs explode

And the panic sets in

What happened to the party?

This is all a big din

The police rush in, who do they seek?

Oh no it’s Claire – I spoke to her just last week

Batons wielding and fists are fighting

How hard it is to do this writing

“Make room please” he said

One guy’s bad – he may be dead

As the reality of the day sets in

I spoke to Claire – you could hear a pin

You see her brother Jake was the one

And so for him, there will be no more sun

We hugged and cried and wondered why

Is this our life, our world, God how we try?

The fights go on through the hours ahead

For a victory – does someone really need to be dead?

I looked at Jake as he lay so still

A son, a dad and a husband gone

And is the world a better place?

Who did this – do they still have grace?

As the tears run down my face

I think of the loss in my own place

Gone are so many friends and family and foes

What for – no-one really knows?

As the sun goes down for another night

For some reason the sky’s less bright

There’s more and more heartache and fears

And as I pull the covers up over my ears

I whisper

Tell me please, how can we stop all these tears?

Jane Quinn

21.11.09