A Short History of ”The Troubles”

Jack held his da’s old black revolver
high in his hand, even with his face.
His fingers barely reached the trigger.
In time, it would be an easy squeeze,
a proper squeeze for a proper Doherty,
but for now, he would wipe its barrel
across his face like a fillum gangster.
The soot of coal and Sperrin spit clung 
to Jack’s face, becoming a freckle.

When he fired his first bullet, his da and 
his fair-haired sister, Grace gathered behind.
The revolver backfired, blowing the 
tip of his right thumb off,reopening 
his da’s old black scarred chin and 
creating a red freckle on Grace’s cheek. 
Jack stumbled back against the wall,
creating a crack in the red house door. 
He never felt more a proper Doherty. 


fillum- Irish pronunciation for film
Sperrin spit- gravel dirt from the Sperrin mountain range  located in the upland region of Northern Ireland.