Carpetbags

Carpetbags

Carpetbags

are different now.

Only a few loose ends

and the colours change.

In the marketplace

it's all up for grabs.

Dealers holding

a watching brief,

and the new order's in

hawking its wares.

Attache cases.

And the rules the same,

buy cheap, sell dear,

and no compartment now

for missing files,

not like the old ones.

Everything carefully stitched

except a few pockets

of resistance

taking a morality cheque

just for the present.

And everyone's waiting

for a White Christmas.

Photograph: Homeplace of Francis Ledwidge

Slane Co.Meath. Born 1887

Died France 1917.