Emerald, cornflower blue,
Ruby, primrose and white,
In the name of ringlets and curls,
Polka dots, partings and plaits
And double-tied bows . . .
To-day the photographer comes
With his tripod and cowl
And plaited retractable snout,
A five-legged beast
Of gesticulation and blather
They’ll outface together,
Steady and far off and solemn
As orphans posed at a rail
In the last days of sail,
Beyond the pale of the selves
They are due to become,
The one thing immutable still
The roughcast grey of the wall
Of the school, plus
The knitted classic Fair Isle
Patterns, plus their names on the roll
As transcribed on the slats of the bench,
In a copperplate hand –
All that, and the strictly tied bows,
And one right arm and one left,
Each placed to be seen round the other’s
Shoulder, as ordered.
In the name of the colours,Emerald, cornflower blue,Ruby, primrose and white,In the name of ringlets and curls,Polka dots, partings and plaitsAnd double-tied bows . . .To-day the photographer comesWith his tripod and cowlAnd plaited retractable snout,A five-legged beastOf gesticulation and blatherThey’ll outface together,Steady and far off and solemnAs orphans posed at a railIn the last days of sail,Beyond the pale of the selvesThey are due to become,The one thing immutable stillThe roughcast grey of the wallOf the school, plusThe knitted clas
Continue Reading on The Irish Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.