The Wedding of Jenny McGill

About the stupidity behind religious doctrine.

There were red roses, and white roses

At the wedding of Jenny McGill,

For she was a Roman Catholic,

And he of the other ilk,

But the priest had refused the Catholic Church

In the way that it was, back then,

For she was a Roman Catholic,

And he Presbyterian.

 

But her love had bloomed like a red, red rose

And his love had bloomed as well,

For love is the great uniting force

Of the Lord, this side of hell.

So she baked the bread with her loving hands

And he broke the bread with his,

The love shone out of his Protestant eyes

At the thought of wedded bliss.

 

Now she'd been raised in West Belfast

And he on the Shankill Road,

They were never supposed to fall in love

Like this, so they'd been told,

For the Orange Lord is an English Lord

And shunned, in the Irish way,

While the Lord of the Green is an Irish Lord,

So said the I.R.A.

 

They warned her once, they warned her twice

This wedding could never be,

For he was a Presbyterian

This John McGonachy,

And children had to be brought up right,

Believe in the Catholic scene,

And fight to unite dear Ireland

For St. Patrick and the Green.

 

McGonachy was told as well,

No good would come of this,

For he was a Presbyterian

And Jenny a Catholic.

His parents threatened to cut him off,

His friends just said: 'We'll see!'

He even got a visit at work

From the uniformed R.U.C.

 

But love should break down barriers,

And love should reign supreme,

They looked for a church to wed them both,

The Presbyterian.

She looked a picture when down the aisle

She walked, like an Angel queen,

He wore an Orange buttonhole,

And she a spray of Green.

 

The vicar read the service as

They gazed in each other's eyes,

Her love had bloomed as a red, red rose,

And his as a white surprise,

They made their vows so tenderly

Her dress, so white, so pale,

And then 'twas time to kiss the bride,

She lifted up her veil.

 

The stained glass window by the nave

That showed our Lord in grace,

Had lost some of the coloured glass

Around the Saviour's face,

Two shots rang out, and then two more,

The air was very still,

When red, red roses bloomed once more

On the dress of Jenny McGill.

 

The lovers died in each other's arms

And love died too, that day,

They carried them out of the chapel door

As some others turned to pray,

And some prayed to the Orange Lord

And some to the Green Lord still,

The Lord in the stained glass window wept

At the wedding of Jenny McGill.

 

They buried her down in a Catholic row,

And him by the Shankill Road,

Even in death they'd be kept apart

By the Green and the Orange code.

But the Lord is love, and he lifted them up

To a dwelling all white and cream,

Where the roses bloom in the wintertime,

And there's neither Orange nor Green.

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[ANTO]

"When red, red roses bloomed once more
On the dress of Jenny McGill." - breathtaking David - I'd forgotten how much I liked this poem.
"The Lord in the stained glass window wept" - the true God

"Even in death they'd be kept apart
By the Green and the Orange code." - sadly this was so true but not so much nowadays. In fact David,
in my local cemetary, in the old days there actually was a wall built that divides the dead of the two faiths. Not a wall that goes up but one that goes down too - down about 3 metres into the soil. It was to ensure that no (Catholic) holy water touched or sunk through the soil into Protestant dead.The holy water is used by the Catholic Bishops who go round the cemetaries once a year, on what is known as Cemetary Sunday and bless the dead with the holy water - and to consecrate the ground.

A classic David - it should be taught in our schools at an early age to educate the young before they get the sectarian infection in their heads.

Thanks for sharing this - I enjoyed it but with a heavy heart for my people.

[Pauline Marie Daley]

A truly amazing piece. Narrative poetry is one of my favorite forms, and a story like this, two people sharing something so pure, only to be shattered by the world's distorted views on how the world should be. Peace can never really exist, when love is destroyed in such a cruel way. I especially love the way you described the blood on Jenny's dress as roses. Very unique vision. Wonderful poem. :-)

[K. Aurora]

Oh this was a tragic tale with a glorious union at the end above.
You, my favorite master of stories, have once again written something wonderful!

It truly is sad that religion (The man made concoction that it is) Can be such a pain in the arse, when it comes to true love.

Brilliantly crafted!
Kansas

[darkgurl]

Emotional write here, very well written beautifully written as well.

[Rylan Batten]

this was very well written. I liked the imagery and symbolism a lot. good job, and keep it up!

--Rylan

[Valentine]

David..I think this is very well written and the fued of the Irish brought out plainly..In my family my mom did not talk to my brother for 5 years for turning Catholic..yet she attended the wedding with my dad..Later when she saw them pushing a baby in a buggy mom's heart melted and she could not resist the child..It all worked out then.Differences in religion destroyed my only chance at real happiness and it is sad when people cannot compromise and have outsiders leave them alone. Here in the states there are so many different denominations I wonder sometimes why the Muslims who worship the same way cannot get along..heck who knows what religion anyone is in a large apartment complex..You wrote a superb piece as always..God bless..Valentine

[C.T. Bailey]

Wow. Folly indeed in MAN made doctrine. The problem has always been MAN made. God is not the author of confusion and neither are you David. This write cuts to the quik of the problem in a sobering yet humerous way. I wonder why there is only one Bible and 4000 interpertations of it? Catholic..no. Presbyterian...no. Obediance..yes. Well done and well wrought.
Todd

[Norma J. Jessee]

David, you have brought tears to my eyes once again. You have a way of writing that can touch the deepest parts of the human heart. Love, cannot be forbidden. The more that flame is covered up, the hotter it burns. Also love can always find a way, for even in death these two lovers would not be kept apart.
I love the way you have brought this out. The fact that true love will not be denied.
I Love this.

[Ari]

I like the concept of this a lot. I have a bit of trouble with the meter, though. It settles into a nice rhythm here and there, and then it disappears, which makes this a little difficult to read. Overall, quite enjoyable, and a welcome change from the topics I normally read on here.