Martyn in Europe

2


Tell her this is a photo of Uncle Jack, Auntie Maude, John and me.
Tell her that her Uncle has a house in the Holy Land.
Don't tell her they also have a house in Dénia, as well.

Tell her they were honest traders.
Don't tell her there's a bwci-bo.
Tell her that her grandmother was honest, hard working and generous.

Don't tell her they said we were thieves, oh sod it! Tell her anyway.
Tell her she was brave and strong, a servant of a questionable God, a hero of a revolution that never happened, and a feminist deaf to her cause.

Tell her she taught me how to make bread, perfume from roses, and wine from water and blackberries.
Don't tell her what they did to the Irish, don't tell her about the potatoes, the guns, the black and tan nutters.

Tell her she's a Celt, go on! Tell her what they did to the Irish, Jews, Communists and Gypsies, the shy boys, the gay boys, the slow boys and girls, and everyone else the nasty people hated. Go on, tell … tell her. 

Tell her more before she's older, tell her more when she is older.
Tell her there were people who lived on the other side of the tump.
Don't tell her, those people are now long gone.

Tell her they've gone to another Wales, sunny, warm, and far away, further away than even Aberystwyth.
Tell her that stories about people hating us are all fibs.
Tell her there are people who love us, just because.

Don't tell her to think of us and them.
Tell her about mining, pit ponies and canaries, tell her before she's older.
Tell her about how many mines that were closed before she's older.

Tell her it was before she was born, in the days when we beat Seland Newydd.
Don't tell her there's any question of losing to England.
Tell her we that love her, and we always will.

Tell her that her family all care for her.
Tell her that her Gran would love her to bits and give her a cwtch. Tell her that. Tell her.

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Part 1 - http://www.itsmarty.com/archive/2009/06/07/kids_valleys_1_7.aspx
Part 2 - http://www.itsmarty.com/archive/2009/06/07/kids_valleys_2_7.aspx
Part 3 - http://www.itsmarty.com/archive/2009/06/07/kids_valleys_3_7.aspx
Part 4 - http://www.itsmarty.com/archive/2009/06/07/kids_valleys_4_7.aspx
Part 5 - http://www.itsmarty.com/archive/2009/06/07/kids_valleys_5_7.aspx
Part 6 - http://www.itsmarty.com/archive/2009/06/07/kids_valleys_6_7.aspx
Part 7 - http://www.itsmarty.com/archive/2009/06/07/kids_valleys_7_7.aspx