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More poems by Robert LowellRobert Lowell | Print this page.Print | Order a PoetryNotes Analysis of this poem.Analysis | View and Write CommentsComments

Identification In Belfast

Robert Lowell

    (I.R.A. Bombing)

The British Army now carries two rifles,
one with rubber rabbit-pellets for children,
the other's of course for the Provisionals....
'When they first showed me the boy, I thought oh good,
it's not him because he's blonde—
I imagine his hair was singed dark by the bomb.
He had nothing on him to identify him,
except this box of joke trick matches;
he liked to have them on him, even at mass.
The police were unhurried and wonderful,
they let me go on trying to strike a match...
I just wouldn't stop—you cling to anything—
I couldn't believe I couldn't light one match—
only joke matches... Then I knew he was Richard.'


Submitted by Peter Carter

Added: 24 Feb 2003 | Last Read: 5 Sep 2008 11:24 AM | Viewed: 2928 times

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URL: http://plagiarist.com/poetry/8004/ | Viewed on 5 September 2008.
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