The School Gate

The Creaky Gate

Master Fleming sat on a high stool overlooking the classes of the 5th and 6th. Over the blackboard hung a big map of Ireland and Master Fleming using a pointer was explaining in detail the seaports and the rivers and their importance to the welfare of the state.
We were all listening except one boy who was busy writing in his copy. The Master asked s him what he was doing. The pupil didn’t answer but covered his copy book with his hands. “Bring the copy book up to me,” the mastered ordered. The boy was turning all kinds of colours. He had his head down on his hands and was no doubt wishing the ground would open and swallow him.
But Master Fleming was having none of it and insisted the boy bring up the copy. Slowly, the boy dragged himself out of the seat and handed up the copy.
Now, the boy had a very soft spot for one of the girls.
The master opened the copy boob and hand on his heart, with great dramatic gestures began to real aloud what the boy had written

My love is like a cabbage
Easily split in two
The leaves I give too many
But the Heart…
I give to you
Pandemonium broke as the class fell about laughing while the poor boy almost died with embarrassment.
We were coming to the end of our National school education and an awareness of our growing up and the lovely lasting friendships we had formed. We were facing a new phase in our live; wondering if there would be exciting times ahead.
Life was stretching out before us like a long road leading to our destinies.
Master Fleming – rest in peace – and the boy who wrote the poem are now gone to their graves.
So to the teachers and past pupils of Murlog School who have departed this life may their lovely souls rest in peace.
Author Maeve Lavelle nee Kelly

Poem GC Hill 2020

Life stretched out before us
As we said our last good-byes to the
Old classrooms, the ‘burn’ and the school
That had been our life since
Clinging to our brother or sister’s hand
We’d passed through the same creaking gate
From which we were about to depart

Some jumped with joy
The challenge to embrace or endure
Others flung the schoolbag in the burn
Watched gleefully their schooldays float away.
Others steps faltered
Wondering what life had in store for them.
Factory, .farm or servant to fetch and carry
Perhaps like generations gone
They’d take the boat and emigrate
And build new live new friendships
In places with foreign names
Master Fleming’s pointer never encountered

Education is easy carried
Teachers told us every day
To get on in this world you need to attend
To learn, to listen and obey

Now the time had come
To test the 3’Rs and see
See what pearls of wisdom we had stored
How they worked in the big wide world

As the school gate clanged behind us
We took the road to life
Like the Master reciting the poem from the copy book
We hoped love would find us
That the cabbage leaves would be for the many
But the Heart would bind us to The One
As the journey from school gate to the unknown began

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