St. Patrick's Day Write-Off (3-1-10 to 3-31-10) AnnouncementMar 01 '10 (Updated Mar 21 '10) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Join me in celebrating All Things Irish! February is always a good month for me. My dad and I have birthdays, LOST and American Idol are getting off to new seasons and Valentine's Day is fun even if you've never celebrated it with a date. But I'm not mourning the end of February, for now it's time to switch from red to green. Time to wear my Irish heritage on my sleeve, as if I don't enough already. So for the month of March, I'm hosting a write-off for All Things Irish. It can be whatever you want; the Irish have a hand in pretty much every corner of society, so use your imagination. Anything with some kind of Irish connection is a-okay, and writer's corner stuff is welcome too. And, what the heck, if you just want to review something green that doesn't have any particular connection to Ireland, I'll accept that too. Double-dipping in other Write-Offs is encouraged; the National Week Library Write-Off and Around the World Write-Off are great contenders. I plan to review several Irish books, movies and albums, and maybe post a poem or two after this first one, which I wrote back in high school, when it won first prize in my school's literary magazine. Figured now would be a good time to dust it off. To participate, just include a link at the bottom of your reviews and then drop me a comment, or e-mail if you like, and I'll add links to your reviews. Hope you'll all enjoy painting the town green with me! The Mysterious Song of Trelarney Snuggled safe in the hills of Erin's green Isle Lay the neat little town of Trelarney. Although life never changed, it was borne with a smile And a pint and a wee bit of blarney... The rainbows were dancing the day she was born With eyes like the fresh morning dew. Her heart beat with the spirit of a young unicorn, And she bore the name Shelley McGue. Each day as she grew, she watched the routine. All the menfolk rose early to fish While the lassies stayed home to cook and to clean. Soon adventure was her greatest wish. Then one day in the summer of Shelley's tenth year, She awoke to a mystical sound. Perhaps 'twas the leprechauns, bringing good cheer To this quiet and provincial town. "Ah, Mammy," she cried, "d'ye hear the wee bells Tinkling beautifully over the hills?" "Oh, Shelley," she sighed, "I'm afraid ye're not well. Go to bed, love, before ye are ill." But closer it crept on her listening ears... "Tooraloo, toorala, tooralei..." Enveloping her, it was all she could hear Through the bland monotones of the day. The ruckus of men in the harbor below, The chatter of women at home - All the everyday sounds it was normal to know Became lost in the head-swimming drone. "Tooraloo, toorala, tooralei," the song came And echoed through Shelley's small room. Strange and enchanting, wild yet tame, Its brightness could lift any gloom. But what could it be? wondered the child. What magic had come to this place That would serenade her with the heart of the wild With such dignity, beauty, and grace? "I must see for meself," she made up her mind. And she crept out the window to see If she, all alone, could successfully find The source of the song of the free. "Tooraloo..." Through the heather she gleefully pranced. "Toorala..." 'Cross the bridge made of wood. "Tooralei..." To the woodlands she giddily danced, All the while singing loud as she could. Then, all of the sudden, the world seemed to freeze. The music touched her ears no more. A gaily clad boy emerged from the trees, His cloth shoes grazing the forest floor. His hair and his eyes were a deep chestnut brown. He was dressed in the raiment of kings. Flowers and leaves adorned his humble crown And his robes were like butterfly wings. "So ye're Shelley," he said with a tip of his hat. "I've been wanting to meet ye so long!" "But how d'ye know - " "Ah, ye never mind that. Only wi' ye can I spread me song." And he fingered his flute with hands soft as rain. With a smile, he began to play. All the sudden the forest was alive once again - "Tooraloo, toorala, tooralei!" Shelley's voice rang like a cool crystal stream, Blending perfectly with the boy's tune. And wherever they passed, as if in a dream, Mute birds sang and long-dead flowers bloomed. Down below in the town, the children were still. The men gazed, with silver fish glistening, Toward the women, whose eyes were upturned toward the hills. In silence they stood, simply listening. Then, on the horizon, two figures appeared. Side by side, they made sweet harmonies - So lovely, indeed, that the men shed a tear As the song drifted by on the breeze. It touched not just the ears, but the heart and the soul. Lads and lassies alike heard the call. Their once empty lives had now become whole, For they each had a dream, one and all. Now the bakers could bake and the farmers could farm And the weavers of tales now could write. The mysterious tune, with its musical charm, Was now sung through the day and the night. As for Shelley, she and the mystical boy Spread their song through the Emerald Isle. And wherever they went, what soon followed was joy As folks realized their dreams were worthwhile. Now Ireland's shores have been washed with the tides Of the bittersweet passing of years. The hopes of the dreams of many have died, Washed away by a torrent of tears. But they say that some nights, when the mist fills the air But the moonlight shines bright on the bay, You can still hear the prince and his ladylove fair... "Tooraloo, toorala, tooralei." Entries: Books: The Irish Piper - Jim Latimer (bilbopooh) Real Lace - Stephen Birmingham (gaelkm) The Last Illusion - Rhys Bowen (carstairs38) Kids & Family: Hallmark Doorways Around the World #3 - Ireland (carstairs38) Movies: Treasure Hunt on Raloo Farm (bilbopooh) Music: Starkindler - Michael Card (befus) It's Entertainment - Celtic Thunder (bilbopooh) It's Entertainment DVD - Celtic Thunder (bilbopooh) Restaurants & Gourmet McDonald's (with Shamrock Shakes!) (wlswarts) Writer's Corner: The Mysterious Song of Trelarney (bilbopooh)  |
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