Wales, (contemporary)
they lit fires, moved in close
- dikka kie my carrie come and sit yerself down
- yer look dukkered
- me granny used to sit by the yog all the time
- rubbin’ ‘er ‘ands then movin’ ’em close to the flames
- ‘er skin turned dark and she said that the fire did it
- dark raddi’s with no moon
- only the brightness of the yog
- great aunt bethy tellin’ a story
- the one about ‘er great great granny margret
- who drowned in a ditch drunk as a lord
- ‘er face down in the water
- ‘alf a dozen piglets running around and over ‘er,
- them not seemin’ to notice
- ‘ands ‘oldin’ saucers of mesci with drops of tatti-panni in ’em
- all of the malts slowly gettin’ skimmished
Romani words used above:
• dikka kie – look here;
• dukkered – done in;
• yog – fire;
• raddi’s – nights;
• mesci – tea;
• tatti-panni – brandy;
• malts – women;
• skimmished – drunk.
Raine Geoghegan comments:
I am half Gypsy Romani, a Didikai in the Romani language. My mother’s family are true Romany. I grew up listening to the language, enchanted by its musicality and deep beauty.
Gypsies have been sitting round the fire for hundreds of years. At the end of the day, they would come together, share stories, sing songs and sometimes just sit in the quiet of the night. They carry the fire in their hearts. These monologues, haibun and songs remind us of the power of story, of reflecting on the lives that have been and gone.
About the Poet:
Raine Geoghegan, Wales, (contenporary), is a poet, prose writer, a creative writing tutor, an ex dancer/actor and a performance coach. She is also a peace activist, a mother and grandmother. She is a former actress, dancer, theatre director and choreographer, having worked in the West End and on the London Fringe for many years. Geoghegan was born in the Welsh Valleys. She is half Romany with Welsh and Irish ancestry.
She has a BA Honours Degree in Theatre Practice and English Literature from Roehampton University, a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester, a Diploma in Personal Development, Sexuality Training and Equal Opportunities for Women from Redwood Women’s Training Association, a Diploma in Adult Learning and has received medals and awards for dance.
Geoghegan is a Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net 2018, and a Forward Prize nominee. Her work has been published internationally both online and in print. Her first pamphlet Apple Water: Povel Panni was previewed at the Ledbury Poetry Festival in July 2018, alongside the film A Memory of the Hop Fields in which her poetry and songs were featured. Her latest book, they lit fires: lenti hatch o yog was published in December 2019. [DES-05/22]
Additional information:
- Raine Geoghegan – https://www.rainegeoghegan.co.uk/
- Raine Geoghegan at Twitter – https://twitter.com/rainegeoghegan5
- The Romani Cultural and Arts Company profile of Raine Geoghegan