The Tea Chest

Publication Instance Details #2159

Publication Overview

Translation	Is Multilingual	Explicit Irish Context?	Ekphrasis	Has Paratext?	Reference to News, Media or Technology
No	No	Yes	No	No	No

Details

Human Rights Issues	War Poverty/Deprivation/Lack of Sustenance HR Activism/Humanitarian Work
Irish Context	HR-related International Involvement (Ireland)
Languages	English
Genre	Short Lyric
Medium	Print Collection
Notes	This poem displays awareness of how Irish peacekeeping soldiers might be perceived as an invading force by those they are protecting. The speaker of the poem describes the interior of a house in which the peacekeepers are standing, or taking refuge. The baby of the home is malnourished and hungry, which the speaker of the poem realizes when she is placed into his arms. The tea chest of the home, holding baby milk powder, is empty, and everyone sleeps on the floor. Thinking back, the speaker wishes that this young child has survived, 17 years later.