The Women Made the Tea

by Teresa O’Mahony

The women made the tea,

fed the babies 

and kept the house going.

While the men marched,

they found their voice,

joined the Mná in their stiff uniforms,

belted and hatted,

fit for the cause.

When the men wore the medals

they cleared to starch aprons

back to the kitchen

with a badge on the mantel.

Reproduced with kind permission of the author. Teresa O’Mahony is a member of the Fatima Poetry Vigilantes. This poem was composed in a Poetry as Commemoration workshop led by Catherine Ann Cullen in July 2022.