County Armagh, 1976
In January early comes the dark
earlier still amid midwinter rain
Now that our textile factory shift is through
sixteen of us cram in for the ride home
We talk of teams the minibus rolls out
Competing football loyalties support
various clubs & still we’re mates We stop
& four get out in darkness Soon our talk
turns to what happened near here yesterday
six Catholics shot dead three here in Whitecross
Though I’m the only Catholic in the van
as Mowhan Road jostles us side to side
I feel no awkwardness as we discuss
We all agree the Troubles trouble us
Ahead a red lamp swings to signal stop
We’re not surprised security’s grown tight
but as we stop my stomach starts to lurch
The armed men in the rain have faces hid
We’re ordered out lined up along the road
The one of you who’s Catholic step out here
The men on either side, they squeeze my hands
as if to say We’ll not betray you mate
but still the leader figures I’m that one
I step out trembling fearing for my life
Get down the road he barks & don’t look back
In black confusion I begin to run
& I run blindly, stumbling down the road
as automatic rifle blasts explode
I turn to see the bodies on the ground
The gunmen reload for a second round
In this issue:
Closer Look
Connie Wanek
Alan Abrams
Bruce Bennett
Matt Dennison
E.P. Fisher
Frederic Foote
Judith Fox
Peter Grandbois
Carrie Green
Will Greenway
Ted Jean
D.B. Jonas
Michael Lauchlan
Kurt Luchs
D.S. Martin
Wesley McNair
Marjorie Mir
George Moore
Jed Myers
Richard Newman
Angela Patten
Roger Pfingston
Michael Salcman
David Salner
Marjorie Stelmach
Patricia Waters
Erin Wilson
D.S. Martin is Poet-in-Residence at McMaster Divinity College, and the Series Editor for the Poiema Poetry Series from Cascade Books. Angelicus (2021) is now available from Wipf & Stock―a poetry collection written from the point of view of angels. Visit his website, https://dsmartin.ca/.