Our Mum Rye
Mum was born Annie Maria Reidy in 1926,
Second youngest to join that ten strong Irish mix!
Her beautiful hair the colour of red,
Was a sight to behold many a person said!
Though shorter in stature was big sister Winnie,
Both were blessed with being fashion model skinny!
The sisters went to Bangour laundry to work,
Never missed a shift, just like clockwork!
At weekends it was the Palais de Dance,
Where both would go to seek romance!
Dancing , I think was their favourite passion,
To watch them, you’d think it was going out of fashion!
Raised in the small village of Deans,
Rye would be there beyond her late teens!
It was there she met Jim, the love of her life,
But it would be 10 years later he’d make her his wife!
In those days, she was Catholic and he was not,
And that surely delayed them tying the knot!
But, in every situation, there is a silver lining,
I’d be ten years older, so I’ll just stop whining!
Jim was a hard worker and great fixer to boot,
And Rye looked after him hand and foot!
Jim was an extremely talented engineer,
And in this county, he had no peer!
Rye loved her family more than life itself,
She put each of them up there on the mantel shelf!
James, Angela, Stephen and Laurence made the fab’ four,
But no one was really keeping the score!
Who would look after Mum and Dad in their time of need,
To be close enough, and ready to do a good deed!
Two out of the four were living abroad,
So it’s Angela and Stephen we must applaud!
Rye has always been a disciple of God,
And her well-laden shoulders were ever so broad!
Mum almost reached the grand old age of 97,
Yes, now it’s her turn to go up to Heaven!
by James Mallace Jnr.
James Mallace Jnr.
24/01/2024
