Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 60
Dear and loving son John
Your good friend and schoolmaster
Pat McNamara's so good as to write these words down
Your brothers have all gone
to find work in England,
the house is so empty and sad.
The crop of potatoes is sorely infected.
A third to a half of them bad.
And your sister, Brigid
and Patrick O'Donnell
are going to be married in June.
Your mother says not to work on the railroad
and be sure to come on home soon.
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 70
my dear and loving son John
Hello to your Mrs. and your 4 children
may they grow up healthy and strong.
Michael has got in a wee bit of trouble
I guess he never will learn
Because of the dampness there's no turf to speak of
and now we have nothing to burn.
And Brigid is happy, you named a child for her
and now she has six of her own.
You say you found work
but you don't say what kind
or when you will be coming home.
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 80,
dear Michael and John, my sons.
I'm sorry to give you the very sad news
that your dear old mother has gone.
We buried her down at the church in Kilkelly,
your brothers and Brigid were there.
You don't have to worry
she died very quickly,
remember her in your prayers.
And it's so good to hear that Michael's returning
with money he's sure to buy land.
For the crop has been poor
and the people are selling
at any price that they can.
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 90,
my dear and loving son John
I guess that I must be close on to eighty,
it's been 30 years since you've gone.
Because of all the money you've sent me
I'm still living out on my own.
Michael has built himself a fine house
and Brigids daughters have grown.
Thank you for sending your family picture
They're lovely young women and men.
You say that you mighteven come for a visit
What joy to see you again.
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 92,
my dear brother John
I'm sorry I didn't write sooner to tell you
that father passed on.
He was living with Brigid, she said he was cheerful
and healthy right down to the end.
Ah, you should have seen him playing
with the grandchildren
of Pat McNamara, your friend.
And we buried him alongside of mother
gown at the the Kilkelly church yard.
He was a strong and a fiesty old man
considering his life was so hard.
And it's funny the way he kept
talking about you
he caled for you at the end.
Oh, why don't you think about
coming to visit,
we'd all love to see you again.

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