Wildflower Girl 'Sense Poems'

The Primary 7's have been busy studying the Famine themed book, 'The Wildflower Girl' by Marita Conlon-McKenna. They were asked to write a sense poem based on the character Peggy. Here is a selection of their work!

A sense poem

I see a gloomy wooden house with grimy floors in a gloomy hallway with a red faced woman with greasy coils in her hair opening the door

I hear men shouting and snoring upstairs and loud heavy footsteps of men coming home from work

I smell a strong smell of tobacco coming from the grimy yellow curtains hanging dimply from the dirty window and smell of whiskey coming from Mrs Cavendish’s room

I feel homesick and want to leave this dreadful place and find the captain of the Fortunata and beg him to take me back to Ireland

I taste blood after the wicked mistress punched me across my jaw and a taste of stale tobacco coming from the air

I think I want to go back to Castletaggart and leave this dreadful boarding house for good. I really don’t know what to do.

By Abaigael

Wildflower Girl

A Sense Poem

I see a gloomy wooden house in a narrow, crowded street.

A red faced woman, her hair in two greasy coils at the side of her head.

I hear the heavy footsteps of the working men upstairs. The roaring of men shouting for their dinner.

I smell the stale tobacco which hung limply from the yellow curtains over a closed window. The sweat dripping off the working men, coming in from their work and the whiskey from Mona Cavendish’s breath and room.

I feel sad to be leaving Sarah and my family in Castletaggart. I feel frightened of Mrs Cavendish and what she is going to do next to me. I feel homesick and I really want to go back to Ireland.

I taste the blood from the blood from the tooth that Mrs Cavendish punched out and I also taste the stale tobacco which hung in the air around the old, grimy house.

I think about heading back to Ireland and begging the Captain of The Fortunata to let me go back but I wouldn’t even have the money to pay the passage.  

                                   Caitriona

A Sense Poem

I see a gloomy, wooden, house in a narrow, crowded street and a red faced woman with two greasy coils.

I hear heavy footsteps from the men coming home from work and the loud singing from upstairs.

I smell sweaty, stinking men, stale tobacco from the dirty curtains and whiskey from Mona’s rotten breath.

I feel lonely, sad, homesick and very scared; I feel I didn’t make the right choice.

I taste blood after Mona knocked my tooth out when she was drunk and stale meat and tobacco.

I think this was a bad decision and I should beg the captain to let me sail back to Ireland.

Molly

                                     A Sense Poem

I see a gloomy wooden house when I’m standing in a narrow, mean crowded street. I see a woman with a big red face with greasy coils hanging down from each side of her head.

I hear the hungry men shouting down at me, while I’m trying to make their dinner as fast as I can and I hear the deafening sound of heavy footsteps walking across the grimy floors.

I smell the stale tobacco of the yellow curtains that hung limply at a closed window that overlooked the back yard and the awful smell of whisky from Mona as she was lying in a lump in her bed.

I feel like I want to head home and I am homesick because of this whole gloomy house.

I taste the blood in my mouth after Mrs Cavendish punched me and my gum swells up and my teeth fell out after a painful whack.

Cara

Wildflower girl sense poem

I see a gloomy wooden house in a narrow, crowded street with grimy floors and a narrow hallway. I see a red faced woman with two greasy coils in her hair opening the door.

I hear heavy footsteps coming from the men upstairs banging their cutlery for food.

I smell stale tobacco coming from the yellow curtains hanging limply over the window.

I feel lonely although I am in a crowded house, I am homesick and feel awful for leaving my family behind.

I taste blood in my mouth from Mona Cavendish punching me in the mouth and knocking out my tooth.

I think I made a bad decision coming to America, being a maid was my dream job but has turned out more like a nightmare.

Chloe

I see gloomy wooden house in a narrow mean crowded street and I also see a red faced woman with her hair in two greasy coils at the side of her head opening the door.

I hear heavy footsteps from the men waiting on their tea upstairs.

I smell Mrs Cavendishes stale Tabaco and whisky coming from the men upstairs.

I feel terrible for leaving Castletaggart and my family I want to beg the captain to bring me back home again.

I taste the stale Tabaco hanging from the limp curtains covering a small window on the wall.

I think that I never should of left Castletaggart and leaving my family to start this horrible job in America.

Branan

The Wildflower Girl

I see the gloomy narrow hallway and the grimy floors and standing at the door is a red faced woman with two greasy coils at the side of her head. I can see two weather beaten, tanned workmen.

I hear loud footsteps of a drunken woman and work men snoring from exhaustion.

I smell the strong smell of whisky from Mrs Cavendish and the strong stale tobacco of the limp yellow curtains.

I feel pain from when Mrs Cavendish punched me on the side of my face; I feel home sick and miss my family.

I taste the stale tobacco from the time the work men were playing cards and the baked meat pie.

I think it was a bad idea to come here. I miss Sarah and I miss my family.

Kate.

The Wildflower Girl

I see the grimy floors as I walk into the gloomy wooden house my instincts tell me to run but I don’t.

I hear the men’s heavy footsteps and snoring from upstairs. I tremble in fear as I prepare the food.

I smell the stale tobacco as I walk into the dirty rooms, the yellow curtains hang limply.

I feel homesick and overworked. I feel lonely without Sarah and wonder if she’s found a position.

I taste the blood in my mouth as the crazed Mrs. Cavendish punched me in the side of my mouth.

I think I should have listened to Eily and I should have ran away.

Frances.

The Wildflower Girl

I see a gloomy, wooden house as a red faced woman, her in two greasy coil at the side of her head open the door.

I hear heavy footsteps going up the stairs and loud snoring from the men.

I smell whisky coming from Mrs Cavendish’s breath.

I feel horrible that I left my family back in Ireland, I want to go home.

I taste blood from Mrs Cavendish waking me up in the middle of the night after knocking out my tooth.

I think that I want to go home and that I should have never left them.

Niamh