The Bull Wall

The Bull Wall took her

Dublin Bay’s great protector

It gave us Dollymount Strand

But stole a life

Frozen legs up

Purple, woollen coat

Ahh the eyes

I covered her up

Fat man father ran the Bull Wall

No dad can see this

Rugby tackled a whaling man

Too much for him

Too much for all

Why and why an why

They never end

What ifs and coulds and shoulds

From Bull Wall to Ballygarrett

Fresh grave dug

She had been the first

Now there are four

The name that bore ache

Of a young life lost

A soul to beautiful for this realm

Quiet

Kind

Expected nothing

Except maybe small kindnesses returned

The peat fire burns in The Anchor Bar

Stories told

Sullen eyes

Quiet nods

The end is empty

It was all those years ago

There’s moss on her grave

The sea has forgotten

I cannot

I walk the Bull Wall from time to time

And look at the vastness of the sea

And always I ask

Why