Who I am

An English head
An Irish heart
That’s what I say I’ve always had
Born in London, brought up from 7
Between Waterford and Cork
Returned to London in the recession at 21
Alone, with family all at home
Anglo Irish
A mix of both
Why should I have to be one or the other
I know the history
It’s not always easy
But I am proud of my heritage
I’ve walked in all of the shoes
I think that’s why I understand the views
I’ve been there
But the thing is
I’ve been persecuted
In Ireland
For my British head and
In England
For my Irish heart
The Landlords, The Famine
The Rising, The Troubles
The British rule
The death and bitterness
The bombs
The feud
The fuel
Always defending one to the other
This blend I won’t give up
Why should I have to
It’s made me part of the melting pot
At times confused, especially growing up
Can nobody see the mix I am, the best of both
Do they have to label me
To put me in a box
Always asking me to choose
By mainly Irish and English men in pubs
I get a rush of blood
A rage inside, I try hard to hide
We should never forget, history
The guilt of those on different sides
The hurt and cruelty
But does that give others, years later the duty to persist
To divide with abuse through names and comments
Picking fights with those who take no part
Staying rooted in the past
Instead of moving on with heads and hearts
Enough have bled
My identity is part of who I am
Why do many find it so hard to accept and understand
Me as I am
Holding on to racist views
Should not be excused, under cover of ignorance and the truth drug “drink”
Because someone is proud of their heritage, the basic ingredients
Their source code
The many strands of colour and light of provenance
The footprint that brought them into being
Their DNA
Is anyone’s genetics just from a single place or race
It’s good to make one think