Belfast Hope The city enthralled with An enticement of opportunities. An embrace of welcome, Heartfelt and kind. We were not foreigners. We were not outsiders. We were not visitors. Only friends. Smiles at every turn, Soft voices in the late autumn sun, Each thinking of what lay ahead Not that which scarred a past. Eyes that flickered in the now And flashed with hope. Welcome they said, Welcome to today. And our better tomorrows _____________________________ Last month my wife and I visited Northern Ireland. We travelled around the beautiful coast and countryside and spent the last day in Belfast. It has taken a while to write this poem. But I wanted to. A poem to Belfast, to the people of Northern Ireland. Stoical, welcoming, resilient, kind, trying to embrace today and the hopes for tomorrow and future generations. A time for peace. My father was in the British Army and Northern Ireland and Belfast in particular was a place 'off limits' during the Troubles. But I had long wished to visit. Knowing that people and not politics are the lifeblood of a country. What we found was a country rich in beauty, peace and kindness. The people genuine, warm, funny, welcoming and friendly. All looking forward into a future bright with opportunity and blessed with peaceful community. Let not the politics of division and hatred demean and sully the innate kindness and friendship we all possess. Belfast
Northern Ireland.
Thank you.
