I fell in love with a fella,
that was my only crime.
Before my belly swelled,
they had to put me away.
Eleven hours a day
I scrubbed clean
all remnants of my sin.
As tears merged
with murky waters,
sheets of fallen women,
my memories, like the stains
began to fade.
After that day
I pushed him into this world,
I never saw him again.
He had red hair,
just like his da.
©Maeve Heneghan
Maeve Heneghan is a native of County Dublin. She has been writing poetry and short stories for a number of years now and has had some of her work published with First Cut, Verse land, Static Poetry and Every Day Poets.
Magdalene laundry report
