At The Foot Of Knocknarea

At the foot of Knocknarea I pick up a stone
To carry to the top with all my troubles
I’ll lay it on Maeve’s cairn high upon that mound
Stone upon hard stone I’ll lay it down
I have a man at home who wants more than I can give
And a child who needs at least that much and better
My heart is pulled tight, Maeve
In this home that I have made
At the foot of Knocknarea
I hear a music play as great as any love
I carry for my husband and my daughter
It calls me from their reach, I look back with no ease
Can they stay a while alone and leave me be?
«No,» says the voice that answers in my head
It’s the voice that has been droning on forever
It’s my mother’s music, Maeve
I sing with it always
As I climb up Knocknarea
And the wind, it does rage here on Knocknarea
It’s a rage that I’ve learned all too well
I will speak the truth from now
And show my young girl how
For her voice depends on mine
At the foot of Knocknarea I pick up a stone
To carry to the top with all my troubles
I’ll lay it on Maeve’s cairn high upon that mound
Stone upon hard stone I’ll lay it down
At the foot of Knocknarea I pick up a stone