When I Returned - Michael Farry

When I Returned

I taught my children
the correct pronunciation:
the slide from the au
to that soft sch,
w pronounced as vh,
and the final tch –
difficult for Irish pupils.

Then I taught them how to spell it:
s-c-h as in school,
w not v
and that final z –
no silent letters.

They practiced it every day
until finally they spoke
and wrote it
like native speakers:

Auschwitz. Auschwitz.

Published in Asking for Directions (Doghouse Books, 2012)