The Voyage of Annie Moore
She stood shivering in the night
Her siblings never far from sight
The fog was hanging thick in the air
As they stood waiting saying a silent prayer
Tonight the journey will be across the ocean
On the high seas a future, stirring emotion
A new country lured them away from gloom
A place of adventure with more than enough room
The possibilities she could no longer ignore
For these were the dreams of Annie Moore
This was the night she would bid farewell
to the old country, but feelings she could not quell
Just a seventeen-year old girl with young brothers at her side
Courage she would need to project and never hide
This Irish girl from a riparian village on the river Lee
Called County Cork her home but yearned to be free
Blessed with the gift of the fight
She would survive this journey in her own right
Fearless and free her future had called
Not thinking twice, her confidence unequalled
The voyage would be long and Christmas spent at sea
But soon to be reunited with her family
She did not need any holiday feast
Intent on battling the hunger beast
She counted four long years since her parents emigrated
Leaving a very young Annie and her little brothers truncated
After twelve erratic days at sea their incredible journey was complete
Their energy low and almost deplete
The arrival was memorable as they stepped onshore
The cheering crowd at Ellis Island did welcome Annie Moore
Christine Bolton – Poetry for Healing ©
Word Prompts:
Annie Moore, from Ireland, departed what is now Cobh, in County Cork by steamship on December 20, 1891. She was the first immigrant processed through the new Immigration Building, Ellis Island, New York on January 1, 1892. Twin statues like the one pictured here have been erected in Cobh and Ellis Island.
For more information on Annie Moore’s immigration CLICK HERE