Quincy R. Lehr
The Land of Scholars and Saints
I
Land of the SUV and Merc,
the civil servant late for work,
offshore funds they'll never tax,
and fake tan on the ladies' backs,
where young men woo the roisin dubhs
to late-night drinks and one-night loves.
Ignoring mortgages and debt,
They suck up to the smarter set
with loaded bags from duty free,
till life becomes a shopping spree.
London, Paris, and New York
strut their stuff in downtown Cork,
Galway, Dublin, County Clare--
we could be damn near anywhere.
II
But let's admit at the very least
the land of the censor and the priest
was no great shakes, and all were sick
of words exchanged by Dev and Mick.
It's mostly gone and half forgotten
like something in the fridge gone rotten,
'traditions' of a starving nation
queuing up for emigration,
a decade of a rosary,
a song of loves across the sea,
another's heartache, another's fight,
'But now, thank Christ, we've put it right!'
But one still hums an old lament,
despite the piles of money spent
as rain clouds gather on the bay,
never very far away.
I
Land of the SUV and Merc,
the civil servant late for work,
offshore funds they'll never tax,
and fake tan on the ladies' backs,
where young men woo the roisin dubhs
to late-night drinks and one-night loves.
Ignoring mortgages and debt,
They suck up to the smarter set
with loaded bags from duty free,
till life becomes a shopping spree.
London, Paris, and New York
strut their stuff in downtown Cork,
Galway, Dublin, County Clare--
we could be damn near anywhere.
II
But let's admit at the very least
the land of the censor and the priest
was no great shakes, and all were sick
of words exchanged by Dev and Mick.
It's mostly gone and half forgotten
like something in the fridge gone rotten,
'traditions' of a starving nation
queuing up for emigration,
a decade of a rosary,
a song of loves across the sea,
another's heartache, another's fight,
'But now, thank Christ, we've put it right!'
But one still hums an old lament,
despite the piles of money spent
as rain clouds gather on the bay,
never very far away.
Quincy Lehr was raised in Norman, Oklahoma and presently lives in Brooklyn, having returned to the U.S.
after two years in Ireland. His work has appeared in venues in the United States, Britain, Ireland, and
Australia, including Cadenza, The Chimaera, Crannog, Iambs & Trochees, The Dark Horse, The Raintown Review,
The Shit Creek Review, and WOW! Magazine. His first book of poetry, "Across the Grid of Streets", was
published by Seven Towers in April 2008. With R. Nemo Hill, he co-edits the Modern Metrics chapbook series,
and used to host an associated reading. He is the Associate Editor of the Raintown Review.
after two years in Ireland. His work has appeared in venues in the United States, Britain, Ireland, and
Australia, including Cadenza, The Chimaera, Crannog, Iambs & Trochees, The Dark Horse, The Raintown Review,
The Shit Creek Review, and WOW! Magazine. His first book of poetry, "Across the Grid of Streets", was
published by Seven Towers in April 2008. With R. Nemo Hill, he co-edits the Modern Metrics chapbook series,
and used to host an associated reading. He is the Associate Editor of the Raintown Review.