EDENDERRY                           

 by Helen Long

Edenderry,

Calm retreat,

Far from busy

Bustling streets…

 

…Your allotments,

Vibrant, green—

Cabbages,

And runner beans.

 

Children’s playground—

Happy, bright—

Guarantees

The tots’ delight.

 

Edenderry—

Oaken ridge—

Lagan flows

Beneath your bridge…

 

…Linen shaped you,

Long ago—

Built your homes

In serried rows…

 

…Terraces,

Still on parade,

Where the damask

Once was made…

 

Weaving on

The loud machines,

Textiles for

Luxury’s dreams…

 

…Finest patterns,

Woven well,

All across

The world to sell…

 

…Heralding

Our city’s fame

Made us proud

Of Belfast’s name…

 

…Clatter of

The linen mill

Vanished now,

And all is still…

 

…Reinvented

As a Close,

But Ruby Terrace

Keeps her pose…

 

…Long may charm

And quaintness last—

And make us thankful

For our past!!

 

Helen Long,  resident of Carryduff, visitor to Edenderry