My Silent Neighbour

In silence we pass each other by in the park or on the street
And though he just lives across the road from me we are strangers when we meet
I said hello to him a couple of times but he did not reply
Each to their own one must suppose and to all that does apply
He seems a harmless sort of bloke perhaps in some ways kind
But he must see a strangeness in me and the courage he cannot find
To even nod or say hello him I may never get to know
Though any form of dislike between us does not seem to grow
Since on the feelings of others we have no right to intrude
For to keep on saying hello to him on my part would seem rude
To me my silent neighbour as a stranger will remain
Of him I'll never make a foe or a friend I will not gain
I often meet him on the street or in the park nearby
And why he never even looks my way I never will know why.

Hooded Dotterel Or Hooded Plover

With dark brown head light brown wings and unders gray
Birds I see often though not every day
They stop to eat marine insects on the beach as they run along
Once seen small shore birds one cannot get wrong
Hooded dotterel or hooded plover for them another name
Though not too shy of humans still wary of us just the same
When you get close to them low along the beach they do fly
I've yet to see them flying high in the sky
Just above the high tide line on the sand the female lay
Two to three pale dark freckled eggs from water not far away
They often search around where tiny marine life hide
Amongst the kelp and seaweed washed in by the tide
The adults with pink feet black and red bills and red ring around either eye
Of human kind though wary they are not too shy.

A Human Being Without Some Flaw

A human being without some flaw is not possible 'twould seem
Some suffer of conceit and arrogance some of low self esteem
Some of us deceitful trying to make crime pay
For us to be flawed only natural it is Nature's way
The best person you know is not without a flaw
To be perfect for a human being not in Nature's law
A cynical sort of saying from my school going days I recall
Everyone for themselves and God for us all
That may not be entirely truthful but none ought to deny
That even in such a saying some truth does apply
Since humans are part of Nature it does seem to me
For us to be flawed only natural would you not agree
Between arrogance, selfishness, deceitfulness and self conceit
A near perfect human being is one that's hard to meet.

Who Is Or Is Not A Poet

In all sorts of writing our feelings we show
But who is or is not a poet I wouldn't know
For such poetry critics are well paid to judge
Though their task of them I could never begrudge
Those who know of poetry say poets are few
One might say to that tell us something that's new
And though writers are many few do make the grade
Though everyone welcome in the Wordsmith Trade
So many poetical forms in the Human World of today
And that everyone have their own preference seems the human way
On any one subject few seem to agree
And what is poetry to you may not be so to me
And though with words I am one who does like to play
What is or is not poetry is not for me to say.

Prayers Will Not Save you

Though the religious and well intended for your salvation pray
'Tis you and you only for your sins will pay
All the prayers of your friends will not save you from Hell
If at the expense of others in life you've done well
What goes around comes around life is this way
For our wrongs against others our price huge to pay
Our assets in money over time may grow
But like 'tis said of Karma we reap what we sow
If there's a hereafter no need for her or him for to pray
If in life they have treated all others okay
But if they have lived by deception prayers them from Hell will not save
That is if there is a life beyond the grave
If you've treated others badly though you've done financially well
Prayers will not save you from the supposed after life Hell.

It Has Been Raining

It has been raining for two days and two nights but of that we ought not to complain
For the long drought may well not be over and we do need every drop of rain
The farm dams they were almost empty and still under half full 'twould appear
In the last forty eight hours more rainfall than we have had for a whole year
The long dry spell well may be over but the heavy rainfall overdue
The farmer is looking quite happy the rain to him a dream come true
He has lived through many dry Seasons the rain is so welcome he say
El Nino has gone back to the ocean though he may return one day
The river flowing bank high in the paddocks it has been awhile since this we've seen
The rain inspires growth re-generation in a few weeks the landscape will look green
But rain around here always welcome the wind and sun sucks the moisture from the ground
On the roofs the pitter patter of cloud release is always a welcome sound
'Tis nice to hear the storm water gurgling in the up to now dry roadside drain
For the past few days it has been raining though of that we ought not complain.

My Only Claim To Renown

To be born and raised in Claraghatlea close to Millstreet Town
Does remain as my only claim to renown
Though from Clara Mountain I live far away
And time has left me looking older and gray.

In Duhallow now the birds sing all the day
And the hawthorns are in their white blooms of the May
And Nature's wildflowers bloom in fields lush and green
And bluebells are on the ditch of the bohreen.

In far fields I grew to love Nature as a young schoolboy
And walks in her quiet places I still do enjoy
Though my better years to the forever gone
And the clock on my life it does tick on and on.

On looking back the Seasons time seemed to go fast
And only the memories remain of the past
But in my mind I can hear the male robin sing
On a leafy birch tree in the prime of the Spring.

He Is A Survivor

His better days in life to the forever gone
But he is a survivor he keeps on keeping on
With the battle of life he's seven times a grand dad
He will tell you his hardest times were not so bad
Last year for him the hardest year of his life
To cancer he lost his dear soulmate his wife
She suffered for months her end painful and slow
Of heartache and sorrow he is one who know
He feels happy in one way that she is at peace
That from suffering death for her a welcome release
Life can be a battle he is known to say
But one can only hope for a better day
In his early seventies one must go back in time
To the nineteen sixties when he was in his prime.

For The Crimes Of The Parents

For the crimes of the parents the child should not have to pay
Though the judgemental on them they do have their say
And though the child of the criminal as a person not bad
Is often judged on the record of mum and of dad.

Life can be so hard never easy to win
The child should not wear the taint of the parent's sin
The judgemental of the Human World in their ways so small
They do not believe on a fair go for all.

To be judged for the sins of the parents seems all wrong to me
Each child is an individual would you not agree
Different from their parents born with his or her own mind
To judge one on their parents to me seems unkind.

The judgemental of the Human world to be found everywhere
Far too many of them in the big World out there
In every city and village and town
Looking for any excuse for to put someone down.

On Pale Eyed Crows

They are very clever ornithologists say
These birds I see often and hear every day
Yet little about them I can claim to know
The familiar Australian the black pale eyed crow
Like all corvids not born with a memorable song
Yet by their long drawn out cawing one should not get them wrong
They build a nest of sticks high on branch of tree
Lined with feathers and wool from the ground not hard to see
Four to five pale green blotched eggs the female does lay
And out of breeding Season they are often seen in flocks most corvids live this way
In all sorts of environments they are known to thrive
the aussie pale eyed crow as a species will survive
As long as there is food on the ground to be found
The dark pale eyed corvids in large numbers will abound.

All Alone Whilst I Sleep

I just want to die all alone whilst I sleep
With no one near my bed to grieve and to weep
Don't waste your prayers on me for your own souls pray
Leave my remains with Nature that will be okay.

It has been awhile now since I was a schoolboy
But I've had a good innings life I did enjoy
My life well may end far from where it began
From my early home where I grew to a man.

I grew to love Nature in fields far away
Far north even by sky from where I live today
And though my wonder of her only does seem to grow
So little about her I can claim to know.

As human years go I've enjoyed a good span
Still I want to live for as long as I can
And die in my sleep alone and without pain
For tears for the dead I feel are tears in vain.

I'd Love To Be Young Again

I too like all others feel the wear of time
I'd love to be young again in my life's prime
The biological clock on me ticking away
I do fear the thought of the last night and day
Us humans no different to the leaves of the Fall
Since we too have to die death is for us all
Since Nature is the only immortal 'twould seem
The dream of immortality is just that a dream
The years and the Seasons so quickly go by
And on looking back the decades time does seem to fly
Yes time on our lives does keep ticking away
And best for to make the most of every day
The longest human life in time not a long span
So make the very most of it whilst you can.

In May In The Northlands

The woodcock to breed are back on the old hill
And wildflowers bloom on the grassy green banks of the rill
That to the big river goes babbling along
By hedgerows and groves where nesting birds are on song
The hawthorns are in their blooms of white to gray
And the old fields resplendent in their wildflowers of May
And bluebells on the mossy ditch of the bohreen
And everywhere looking so lush and so green
And everywhere I turn to look I can see
The beauty of Nature is all around me
Nature's feathered minstrels delightful to hear
In May in the Northlands a lovely time of year
The skylark above the rank bracken does rise
And up to the cloud World he sings as he flies.

We All Have

We all have our phobias and we all have our fears
And we do have our moments of laughter and tears
Before the babe walks the babe learns how to crawl
And that from life we learn till we die does apply to us all
Of life it is said in each loss there's a win
And though I've yet to meet one untainted by sin
The good in humanity outweighs the bad
And for our gift of life we ought to feel glad
The good times we've known we do like to recall
That applies to everyone and everyone is all
And though some wish for death in their Earthly Hell
So sad sounds the tolling of the funeral bell
The longest human life in time is not a lengthy span
So hang on to it for as long as you can.

I Hope For To Live

I hope for to live for as long as I can
And die without pain in my sleep as a very old man
And though respect for the religious beliefs of others I show
Of a life after death I cannot say I do know
Though each to their own beliefs to all does apply
I cannot say I believe in a World ruled by a God in the sky
Though billions of people of different religions to their God do pray
Suppose each to their own as some do like to say
The Goddess I know of I see every day
Her perfume I scent in newly mown Summer hay
And the pleasant aroma of her blossoming trees
That wafts in the air of the freshening breeze
The songs of her birds so appealing to me
The only God that I know of is a she.

'Tis Not Out Of Love

'Tis not out of love that male songbird does sing
But to proclaim his territory in the prime of the Spring
In his musical notes that we love to hear
To males of his own kind a message of fear
Birds sing on the ground, bush, tree and on the wing
And to them song is a territorial thing
I used to think when I was a schoolgoing boy
That they only sung out of love and of joy
Till later I learned from a woman quite knowledgeable and wise
That birdsong inspired by aggression much to my surprise
Between most life forms and humans similarities abound
Birds too go to war for mating rights and for their patch of ground
And the male only sings to proclaim territory
Nature has her own language would you not agree?

The Best Of Goods

The best of goods in small parcels as some like to say
Small people can surprise life can be this way
Maureen Connolly a sporting legend compared to most physically small
But in the sport of tennis one of the greatest of all
When it comes to the mind physicality does not count
In a science lab human physical bulk to nothing does amount
I've known brilliant small people more than a few
You might say to that tell us something that's new
Genius and champions come in every shape and size
When it comes to human beings nothing does surprise
The best of good comes in small parcels in some cases apply
The one determined to succeed of success hard to deny
The best of goods in small parcels no need to tell me
For nothing surprises when it comes to humanity.

The Merri Forever

Home to the aussie magpie and the pale eyed crow
The green countryside where the old Merri flow
Slowly on to Warrnambool to Lady Bay
Long before it was named the Merri an old waterway
Four to five miles from the City of Warrnambool
The water hens cry in a dark river pool
On warm Summer evenings centuries ago in the shade of the trees
The Indigenous people danced their corroborees
For the river now known as the Merri they had their own name
But time with it brings change and nothing stays the same
An old river that has inspired story and rhyme
That was very old even in the Dreamtime
The Merri forever is flowing night and day
To Warrnambool to the sea at Lady Bay.

One Might Say I Have Known

One might say I have known a far better day
The passing of time has left me looking gray
In this big Southern Country my remains may lay
But I'll always be one from a place far away
Though little of what I was in me remain
Some of the accent I was born into I do retain
And suppose till be with me till my last night and day
Something from the past with every migrant that stay
In my old homeplace the fields in their wildflowers of May
And the hawthorns are cloaked in their blooms white to gray
And the nesting birds singing on bushes and trees
Their music is carrying in the freshening breeze
Here the brown leaves are falling in the Southern Fall
And the dark birds of rain the pied currawongs call.

Do You Feel The Powers That Be

Do you feel the powers that be are against you and of happiness you've been denied
And your better years are behind you and lady luck not on your side
Your son and daughter in their early twenties live far from you though they phone occasionally
And your wife has left you for another how very unfair life can be
She left you although you did love her and you always treated her well
Life has been so hard on you lately you know how it is Earthly Hell
There was a time when you were happy and life to you did seem quite fair
This the toughest year you do remember as you battle your dogs of despair
Yet you never do complain to others of the tough and sad times you have known
You realize which is insightful of you that they have worries of their own
That life is not meant to be easy to many that well may apply
Though you have your beautiful memories of happier Seasons gone by
Of late you've been burdened by worries and life's cares are getting you down
Yet you try to appear to look happy when walking the streets of the town.

Go Sing Me A Song

Go sing me a song of the birds and the bees
Whose songs and buzzings are carrying in the freshening breeze
On a sunny Spring morning of twenty degrees
When pink blossoms are blooming on the fruit bearing trees.

Go sing me a song of the silver tongued rill
That babbles to the river from the field by the hill
That flows to saltwater towards the coast far away
In a voice never silent by night or by day.

Go sing me a song of Nature's wildflowers
That bloom midst the grass after Summer thunder showers
When Nature is looking resplendent and green
And her unrivalled beauty is everywhere to be seen.

Go sing of Nature's Seasons Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall
A song that the memory will wish to recall
A beautiful song with memorable rhyme
Destined to live on through the decades of time.

What's Life about One Has To Ask

What's life about one has to ask since we are born to die
The same for the monarch and president as the likes of you and I
The Reaper of lives is not one to respect money or fame
The lives of the paupers and the billionaires he does treat as the same.

We are born as mere mortals why otherwise pretend
The life journey for everyone has one day got to end
In death everyone becomes equal that's how 'twill always be
And time does not wait for anyone like it does not wait for me.

Our biological clocks are ticking and they tick and tick away
And every day we wake to see is one nearer our last day
Like all other life forms of the World from the great to the small
The last night and the last day has to be lived by all.

So many for money and fame and material gain with each other compete
And success can inflate the ego and give rise to self conceit
But it all does come to nothing or so 'twould seem to me
For like every other life form we are born to mortality.

The Flute Of The Aussie Magpie

Their flute like notes one so often does hear
The aussie magpies sing every day of the year
In the last month of Winter and the first month of Spring
In their breeding Season at night they do sing
At the fringe of his borders on a moonlit tree
The male magpie sings to proclaim territory
In his breeding Season he sings night and day
A warning to males of his kind for to keep away
From the stick nest high on the tree where his magpie wife
Is hatching the eggs that bear their young to life
With his very life the nest he'll defend
In the breeding Season his own kind not even a friend
The flute of the aussie magpie melodious to hear
Though he uses it as a weapon of fear.

Lost In The Huge Waves

Lost in the huge waves of the white surfing bay
So tragic to lose their only child in this way
Their beautiful dark haired daughter she was only nineteen
Her best days in life she had not even seen
She had been surfing in waters where predators abound
'Tis said she was taken by a shark her remains were not found
Though four years in time since that day have gone
For her grieving parents the heartache lives on
The beautiful young woman whose grave is the sea
Today is her birthday she would be twenty three
One who loved surfing she died doing what she liked best
When the sun o'er the bay was setting in the west
The grief with her parents till death will remain
Of the daughter in the flesh they will not see again.

Do You Feel That Lady Luck

Do you feel that lady luck is not on your side
And that by the Gods that be of a fair go you are denied?
Yet there are many worse off than you doing it more tough
Homeless and hungry and sleeping rough
Compared to them in life you are doing okay
You have a home to go to after your working day
And a devoted wife and young son and daughter who love and look up to their dad
Compared to them you are not doing it too bad
Though you have living bills and a huge mortgage to pay
Thing could be far worse as some are known to say
You could be worse off than you are would you not agree
In a refugee camp a Stateless refugee
Though financially struggling your worries not small
Compared to some you are not doing too badly at all.

Of My Limitations

I've never referred to myself as a poet
Nor am I one seen to be worthy of note
Of my limitations I am quite aware
An ordinary rhymer my type are not rare
People such as I to be found everywhere
There are millions of them in the big World out there
I've loved listening to old songs and ballads since I was a boy
And making up rhymes is a thing I enjoy
In a World of millions of writers only few can be great
And become famous for the beauty in words they create
Though few out of many are known to make the grade
Every writer is needed in the wordsmith trade
And when I say rhymers are many and poets are few
You may add to that tell us something that's new.

I Live Many Miles

I live many miles south of my own birthplace
Where mine nowadays might well be a stranger's face
Where I grew to love Nature in fields far away
The birds sing and whistle there now it is May
Though not that melodious familiar and clear
In fancy the song of the dipper in the river I do hear
And the call of the cuckoo in the woodland nearby
A voice to imitate children often do try
Nature's wildflowers in bloom in Duhallow today
And the hawthorns resplendent in their blooms white to gray
Old memories return when one does visualize
And the little brown lark from the rushes does rise
And like a musical speck in the gray morning sky
He carols so sweetly as upwards he does fly.

You Have Your Human Frailties

Despite courses on building of self confidence it does seem to me
Of our inhibitions we never will be free
Even those into self promotion despite what they appear to be
At times must struggle with the frailties of their humanity
The one with the big ego swollen by self conceit
You can bet your money on it is not the most popular one on the Street
But having said that after all too much humility
Can lead you down the pathway to anonymity
Yet we have our human frailties that fact with us does remain
Right up until we breathe our last mental baggage we do retain
The frailties that were in us before we even learned how to crawl
And this applies to everyone and everyone means all
You may have a big ego and your own praises you may sing
But you have your human frailties that despite everything.

For Years They've Been Together

For years they've been together they seem to get along
And enjoy each others company music and dance and song
They make so many happy bring a smile to every face
And without them the World to live in would be a much sadder place
They do not have a Nationality and they are known Worldwide
And they are not confined by borders they cross the cultural divide
Your party would be boring if them you did not invite
A source of pleasure and enjoyment and people they unite
A better World because of them to live in is all that one can say
They compliment each other in such a joyful way
Music makes people happy and happy people dance and sing
We really ought to thank them for the joy to us they bring
They bring people together of every clan and race
And without them the World to live in would be a much sadder place.

To Maf

Thank you for your letter Maf our dear friend
Though good times for you seem at an end
Sad to read life not going well for you of late
It must be true all things have a use by date.

How can Karen and Peta do this to you
When to them you have been so true
They have demoted you to the backyard
Life at times can be so very hard.

You've lost out on their affections to Thomas the cat
Nowadays you they do not even pat
But Maf Dear girl no need for you to fret
Their oversight they will come to regret.

For when he fails to catch a mouse or rat
They will grow tired of Thomas the cat
And they will come to realize
That to demote you for him not at all wise.

So you have best hang in there Maf
And your sad bark will fade to a dog laugh
For keeping their house burglar free Karen and Peta have you to thank
Light and love to you from your mates Janice and Frank.

Life Is For Winners

Not everyone can be the best in the town
And few even do know of local renown
But you can only live as good as you can
And that goes for every woman and for every man.
For success people with each other always compete
To be best in the neighbourhood or best on the street
And though winning above losing everybody would choose
That is how it is and it always will be
With such an assumption few would disagree

To the winner the glory and to the winner the fame
And the loser tomorrow the forgotten name
And winning inflationary to the ego 'twould seem
And surely a huge boost to one's self esteem
Though few ever do see their great dreams come true
The dream of life's success billions do pursue
Winning is all that matters as some like to say
And life is for winners it does seem that way.

We Are Very Different

We are very different would you not agree
And it does matter little what you think of me
And it does matter little what I think of you
I only say here what I know to be true
We do look at life in a different way
But of so many others the same one can say
Your views on most matters are different to mine
But you have your opinions and that suits me fine
Quite different in our ways that much I can tell
But you seem a good person one who does mean well
Yet we share little in common why otherwise pretend
That you could never look on me as a dear friend
We do look at life one might say differently
No two quite the same that's how it seems to be.

On Hearing Magpie Larks

In the gathering gloam of a cool Autumn day
In the park from where I am a stone throw away
The dainty pied magpie larks call out pee wee
Voices familiar to many and familiar to me
Their familiar pee wee song one often does hear
Birds I hear and see often every day of the year
Their cup shaped mud nest a work of art to see
Often wedged in a fork of low branch of a tree
I have once seen their eggs pale with small spots of brown
Close to where I live in one of the parks of the town
So easy to recognize by sight or by song
You hear and see them once you cannot get them wrong
They sing out pee wee in hail, rain or sunshine
The dainty magpie larks favourite birds of mine.

In The Old Fields Of Claraghatlea

In the old fields of Claraghatlea from here far away
The nesting birds sing at the dawn of the day
And the swallows quite close to the rank rushes fly
As the rain drizzles down from the overcast sky
In only two sleeps from the birth of the May
The hawthorns are cloaked in their blooms white to gray
And the dipper does sing in the silver tongued rill
That babbles downland from the field by the hill
O'er the bracken clad slopes of Clara the brown lark carolling
Lost to view in the gray clouds a voice of the Spring
And the dark faced mountain lambs around their mothers do frolic and play
Youth must have it's fling as some do like to say
And the thin billed male dunnock in feathers of mottled brown
Sings on a leafy hedgerow near old Millstreet Town.

An Army Deserter

At his gravesite a bugler the Last Post will never play
But he doesn't care he is living today
In a foreign city under an assumed name
He does not feel unhappy and he doesn't feel any shame
That he deserted the army when he was twenty one
But he cannot see wrong in what he has done
He did not fight in the war where so many died
And his true identity from others he hide
But it will not be in war he will draw his last breath
The one who choose life not a glorious death
Quite happily married a grandfather of three
At the war parades he is one you will not see
Of any acts of bravery he cannot tell
But he is alive and quite happy as well.

God's Not For Everyone

If a God does exist God's not for everyone
Maybe for the billionaire and the billionaire's daughter and son
And the billionaire's close friends and relatives and the billionaire's wife
The one with heaps of money has God in her or his life

But the children of God you surely will not meet
On the cold and gray sidewalks of Poverty Street
From that part of the town God is far away
God does not love everyone that does seem sad to say.

The Supreme Being only loves the select few or so it does appear
To the refugee camps of the World God's not anywhere near
God only does care about the privileged few
Some may say that has often been said tell us something that's new.

Some say God loves all shades of people black and white and brown
But God does not live on the poor side of the town
I can only believe how it does seem to me
That God does not love those in dire poverty.

Like The Bird

Like the bird has it's first and it's last song to sing
For all forms of life there's a first and last Spring
And to the human kind this does also apply
The facts tell us so and facts we cannot deny
On the whims of the Reaper we do not have a say
For the monarch like the pauper a last night and day
The great tree of the forest eventually does fall
What applies to the tree does apply to us all
The president's may be a World known name
But mortality also does apply to fame
In three thousand years from now none will know or care
Of the present day's moneyed billionaire
That's how life is and was and always will be
For life forms of all sorts as well as you and me.

A Day To Remember

A day to remember the lives that were lost
In wars that did come at such a huge cost
The young men who died in Lands far away
For the love of a flag with their lives they did pay.

The young men who died in the bloom of their life's prime
Stories of their courage in battle have lived on in time
The war supposed to end all wars may belong to the past
And only the sad stories of it did last.

In the twenty first century more wars are fought than ever before
And the lessons of conflicts we seem to ignore
For the love of power ageing men start wars for young men to die
No fool like an old fool is surely not a lie.

At the war memorial the speeches are made after the parade
And by a lone bugler the last post is played
And schoolboys in attendance wish that they too one day
Will fight and if necessary die for their flag in a Land far away.

When No Sign Of Life

When no sign of life in my body is to be found
Doesn't matter if I am cremated or put in the ground
Since the dead past all feelings should it matter to me anyway
If my remains are cremated or in a grave lay
My faults and my human frailties I do own
And my good days and bad days in life I have known
Now into my sixties my best years long gone
But for as long as I can I will keep living on
I've made a few friends and I've made a few foes
But life like this for many as one would suppose
I've been luckier than most are of that much I'm aware
The poor and the homeless of the World are not rare
So I hope to live for as long as I can
And to die without pain as a very old man.

Some Tell You In Life

Some tell you in life you can be what you choose
Still for one for to win another has to lose
That is how it is and it will always be
Though many with what I say may not agree
The child born to poor parents in the poor side of the town
Is one not destined to wear the monarch's crown
By circumstance of birth it does seem he or she
Must struggle for to rise above poverty
From life it is said we receive what's our due
But that as we know is quite often not true
The child born of poor parents has a tough life's journey ahead
From Poverty Street few success stories we've read
And the stories of heartbreak have never been few
You may say to that tell us something that's new.

Executed By Firing Squad

Executed by firing squad in the dawn of the day
'Tis said 'twas his wish for to die in this way
For the most serious of crimes with his life he did pay
In this a free Country as many like to say
He had broken Moses Fifth Commandment so he had to die
Are they trying to tell us that Moses did lie
In his Fifth Commandment which states 'thou shalt not kill'
That the right to life only belong to those of good will?
Many who profess to believe in their God's Law their God's wishes deny
When they say that a life for a life does apply
That the murderers and serious offenders have broken all trust
And life in reality only belong to the just
Though little about him that one could admire
He did not deserve to die under gunfire.

Though In Fancy

From Millstreet in Duhallow I live far away
Though in fancy I've been back there many a day
'Tis late April there now in the prime of the Spring
And in the groves and on hedgerows the nesting birds sing
And amongst the rank rushes the male pheasant crow
In a riverside field where Finnow waters flow
The old fields lush and green after recent showers
Are looking resplendent in their Nature's flowers
And the hawthorns cloaked in their blossoms of white to light gray
They do look their finest in the first two weeks of May
In those old fields I grew to love Nature when I was a boy
And my walks in her quiet places I still do enjoy
And in my flights of fancy I hear the silver tongued rill
By ditch and by hedgerow babbling down the hill.

By Cashman's High Field

By Cashman's high field from here far away
In St Mary's of Millstreet the Parish dead lay
Some of them I knew well in decades gone by
But on looking back the years time does seem to fly
For as long as the gift of memory we retain
Fond memories of them with us will remain
The breath of life from them may forever be gone
But mental pictures of them in our minds living on
Many of their descendants are living in the Millstreet of today
Life it does go on as some are known to say
The past is behind us the future ahead
And we live in the now as has often been said
The Reaper swings his scythe of death with a will
And each week more laid to rest by Cashman's old hill.

A Rainy Day In April

The rain coming down from rain clouds gloomy gray
We may not see blue sky or sunshine today
But the rain it is welcome quite welcome indeed
And of more much more of it we are in need
On the galvanize roof the welcome pattering of rain
And the gurgling sound in the spout to the stormwater drain
Yet the weather is mild though the Winter is near
It has been a very warm April this year
His black and white feathers as wet as can be
The magpie he flutes on the black wattle tree
His familiar warbling so flute like and clear
The silver billed bird who sings all through the year
In the wind from deciduous trees yellow leaves drifting down
To Mother Earth's bosom in the park of the town.

Well Done To The Rhymer

The rhymers do never have a rhyming prime
But only in death do they run out of rhyme
Most of them not seen to be worthy of literary note
Few rhymers accorded the status of poet
There's a well known rhymer in every village and town
One who basks in the glory of local renown
Of locals and local successes he or she does write
For others to read and enjoy and recite
The local rhymer may never know of Worldwide renown
But he or she amongst the best known in their town
Every local success in rhyme they celebrate
And in so doing parochial pride they create
So well done to the rhymer the he or the she
They do serve their purpose would you not agree.

Though The Prosaic Writers

Though the prosaic writers are known to succeed
The poet without music a poor one indeed
Without rhyme no music or memorable song
The rhyme in the words to the music belong
The long dead rhyming poets and poetesses their poems live today
In their Nature poems one can scent Summer hay
And in leafy groves hear the wild-born birds sing
Their words of great beauty joy to readers bring
Each to his or her own a truism I recall
Though a poem without rhyme does not interest me at all
And though with what I say here many may not agree
I look at the World as the World seems to me
And we all look at things in a different way
I suppose that does seem quite a fair thing to say.

Most Politicians Are

Most politicians are crooks in disguise
And they even believe their own lies
Their word not worth one piece of dust
You just cannot take them on trust
For themselves they do quite okay
Yet hard to believe anything they do say
To promote themselves they are not shy
And their promises they often deny
Their political opponents they like to run down
As the most unworthy people of the town
But like true political opponents to their calling they are true
In their put down words repay to them their due
Most politicians are for me, myself and I
And to them it comes easy to lie.

In This Human World

In this Human World we live in of so much suffering, tears and sorrow
Enjoy yourself if you can, live in the now for you there may not be tomorrow
The Reaper who claims every life claims the lives of the young and healthy
The poor the ageing and the frail as well as the very wealthy,
Enjoy yourself whilst you still may life is not worth the worry
On the Reaper's list you may well be next and time is on the hurry
At any time Nature's Reaper the life from you can sever
People like all life forms to life come and go but Nature lives forever
Nobody will live forever more at least I don't know of any,
Tomorrow will not dawn for everyone though it will dawn for many
Some people not happy with sunshine or not happy when it's raining
You are not poor your health is good then why are you complaining?
The happy one be it he or she does spread joy in their greeting
And most people will tell you that such people are worth meeting.

Of Life We Only Have A Temporary Lease

Of life we only have a temporary lease
And of what time I have left I just wish to live in peace
And hang on to life for as long as I can
And die in my sleep as a very old man
As on our great journey through life we do go
We do make some friends and few without a foe
I only wish now for to live and let live
And any perceived wrongs against me I wish to forgive
The clock on my life it is ticking on fast
And all I can do now is to learn from the past
Of any successes in my life I do not have to tell
And all I can do now is to wish others well
And from now on make the most of every day
For the clock on my life it is ticking away.

The Day It Is Sunny

The day it is sunny and breezy and clear
The weather so lovely for April in the Fall of the year
The deciduous trees in the parkland turning yellow and reddish brown
And their leaves in their many are gently drifting down

To Mother Earth who receives them the one who never grieves
For even her dead life forms never mind her dead leaves
In her World the cycle of life does go on
The one who will be here when I am long gone

A forgotten memory in the passage of time
Our Seasons not many and short our life's prime
Am I any different to the leaves of the Fall?
There is a time limit for me and for all

The silver billed magpie is fluting on a wattle tree
And the familiar call of the dainty pee wee
Echoes in the parkland on this beautiful day
And in the blue sunny sky just a few clouds of gray.

So Little For My Years

So little for my years I have for to show
And so little about life I can claim to know
But from living we learn something new every day
We learn as we live as some are known to say
I have loved Mother Nature since I was a boy
And walks in her quiet places I still do enjoy
Her joys they are many though her secrets not few
One might say to that tell us something that's new
My journey in life commenced near Millstreet Town
And it has been awhile now since my hair was dark brown
And it's been years since I've seen Hibernia's shore
And walked on the high fields of old Claramore
But the longer one lives the sooner one does die
An old saying I remember and that's not a lie.

A Passed Down Thing

The bird born and raised in an enclosure if you set it free
It well may return to it's cage or aviary
For outside of it's enclosure no welcome for it anywhere
Even it's own kind may reject it in the big World out there
And it is a known fact and facts never lie
If others birds would not kill it of hunger it may die
Since it may not be able to find enough of food to keep itself alive
Without food being provided for it then it may not survive,
To learn of it then I was not surprised
That birds and animals like people become institutionalized
Though the bird in a cage like it's wild kin bird the same song does sing
Survival in the wild state is a passed down thing
The parents of the wild born they teach their young brood
The skills of survival and on how to find food.

One Of The Lucky

Only the good memories I like to recall
But compared to many my worries do seem rather small
I was not born as one destined to be a refugee
The good Lady of Luck has been so kind to me
I'm lucky yes lucky as the word can be
I've never known of homelessness or poverty
I've a comfortable home to live in and enough to eat
Of bread fruit and vegetables and fish and meat
Though they have a home and a job and never suffer ache or pain
Some without a reason to like to complain
Why they are not happy one must wonder why?
Some people are not easy to satisfy
Compared to millions of poor people in the World of today
I am one of the lucky I do feel that way.

If You Haven't Something Good To Say

If you haven't something good to say of one best say nothing at all
The judgemental and the arrogant in their ways are so small
Words can be so hurtful when used to cause offense
Some derive their sadistic pleasure at others expense
Never belittle anyone and give credit where it is due
What I say here is a known fact and happens to be true
The jealous and offensive do live in every town
In their cruel words they do find their warped enjoyment on putting others down
Respect to the feelings of others a good person always does pay
Such kind and caring people I meet with every day
People who only look for the good in others and live and let live
'Tis true in return we receive from life what to life we do give
The words 'a fair go to all' to all ought to apply
And those who disrespect others feelings respect of themselves deny.

A Man Of Many Talents

A singer and a musician and a writer of poetry and song
At the pub the one who leads in the sing along
The gifts he possess with others he does share
A man of many talents his type are so rare
The encores ring out sing and play it again
One might say of him born to entertain
A multi talented person one of a rare breed
Of more of his kind the Human World is in need
A musician and dancer and one who loves to write and sing
He makes people happy and that's a great thing
A musician and dancer and a singer and poet
And surely a person well worthy of note
Well known and well loved far from his Hometown
To be born to entertain is his claim to renown.

Most People Can Tell You

Most people can tell you a cow from moose
Or a hen from a rooster or a duck from a goose
These are things of Nature everyone should know
But the more we learn of her the more our wonder grow
Of the ways of her workings her marvels not few
And everyday from her we learn something new
But her secrets from us she keeps hidden away
And is there one person in truth who could say
That of Nature he or she does know everything
Of her flora and fauna and her life forms of water and wing?
The one we live off of that would be fair to say
And from her we do learn something new every day
Her beauty we do not have to pay to see
Yet she remains a mystery to many and a mystery to me.

Louisa Lawson's Son Henry

Louisa Lawson's son Henry could have had a great literary career
For he wrote great poems and stories but he was too fond of the beer
He died poor and lonely when his marriage did break down
Henry Lawson the great writer paid a huge price for renown
In Australia Henry Lawson's is a legendary name
And he is justifiably honoured in the Literary Hall Of Fame
Writers such as Henry Lawson in the literary World quite rare
But his crosses in life were heavy far too heavy for him to bear
He had his human frailties and in life he suffered his own share
But as a poet and writer of stories few with him to compare
Born in the New South Wales goldfields to a woman who became of literary note
And her son Henry Lawson became famous as a writer and a poet
An ear infection left him short of hearing and in his fifty fifth year he died
Yet despite his human frailties of greatness he could not be denied.

Sometimes What I Think Of Others

Sometimes what we think of others a distortion of mind
For if you only look for flaws then flaws you will find
Sometimes our eyes only tell us what they want us to see
That's how 'tis with some and that's how 'tis with me
Of being guilty of such I know I'm not alone
Let the one without sin come and cast the first stone
A justice of the law court for passing judgements receive a huge salary
That's part of his or her job description would you not agree?
Just because you do not like one doesn't mean in words you should put that person down
Since she or he too has to live in the town
Live and let live are wise words worthy of recall
And there is such a thing as a fair go for all
And most of us can be judgemental in our own way
Do you not agree that's a fair thing to say?

The Sea Is At Ease

The sea is at ease in the calm twilight gray
As the sun is going down o'er the western bay
At the end of what has been a near perfect day
So good to be living is all I can say.

The weather is good for mid April of the Fall
And with nothing of which to complain of at all
Utopia it does not seem that far from me
Here on a quiet beach where the land meets the sea.

A beautiful place with few people around
The waves roll up the beach with a soft splashing sound
As the shades of darkness are crossing the sky
The silver gulls and the bigger black back gulls cry.

Near to perfect weather with a gentle breeze
One ought to be grateful for evenings such as these
Such beautiful weather for the time of year
And the softer sounds of Nature so pleasant to hear.

An Irrepressible Thing

I'm happy where I am the migrant may say
And I never think of my Hometown far away
But with a few beers in a song of the Homeland he does sing
Nostalgia it is an irrepressible thing
In truth his thoughts often go to the Hometown
And to the old streets he often did walk up and down
When he was a young man many Seasons ago
The years go so quickly and time is our foe
An ageing grandfather his hair silver gray
The migrant he has known a far better day
In a two bedroom brick home he lives with his ageing wife
And he feels contented with his lot in life
But he is in denial when you hear him say
That he never thinks of his Hometown far away.

You May Be The One

You may be the one many do celebrate
But there's always one better though you may be great
The number one as number one does not stay
To the winner the glory as some like to say
The champion eventually bound to be beat
But only the great are graceful in defeat
Since for one to win someone else has to lose
'Tis not really true that you can be what you choose,
The winner the prize and the glory does take
And for the loser there's disappointment and heartache
For the winner the glory the praise and esteem
And winners are all that matter or so it does seem
But what I've said before I will say again
You may be number one but there you won't remain.

A Successful Person

On what constitutes a successful person why do you ask me
Since with what I have to say you may not agree
I do not look up to one because of his or her uni degree
But the one who lives good as good as can be
The praises of the president or prime minister many well may sing
But their sort of achievement to me does not mean a thing
I only admire those with compassion though I am all too aware
That compassionate people as ever are rare
Not for me those with big egos born of self conceit
The sort of people I do rather not meet
I like those who do their good deeds every day
And to help those in need of helping go out of their way
Your ideas of what constitutes a successful person are so different to mine
Though each to their own views and that suits me fine.

Some people Advise Me To

Some people advise me to give rhyming away
That 'tis about time that I called it a day
On what is not their business they will have their say
But that is their opinion and with me that's okay
For me to quit rhyming not in my future plan
I hope to keep penning for as long as I can
Those who tell me to quit writing I don't heed their advice
What I do for a hobby remains as my own choice
I never refer to myself as a poet
Nor am I seen to be worthy of literary note
Though penning of doggerel joy to me does bring
'Tis not of my own praises I ever do sing
I write for the love of it and nothing more
I say that again I have said it before.

From The Birth Pains Of A Woman

From the birth pains of a woman our life's journey began
And three score and ten years the average human life span
Till to the scythe of the Reaper we eventually do fall
There is a last day and last night for us all
Like the Seasons of Nature to life we come to and from go
And of Karma we always do reap what we sow
Or what goes around comes around as some like to say
Life pays us our dues for life is that way
There is an old saying 'it is nice to be nice'
On how we treat others we do have a choice
In a World in the sky far from this Earthly Shore
Many believe the soul will live forever more
But the facts tell us so and facts do never lie
From the birth pains of a woman we were born and in our own pain we will die.

Their Right To A Fair Go

In Australia for political gain politicians politicize boat refugees
People who arrive in boats of people smugglers from Lands overseas
Without documentation or any form of identity to show
Every day the numbers of the misplaced and the Stateles does grow
Though with what I say many may well disagree
To politicize refugees does seem all wrong to me
But this is twenty ten another Federal Election year
And more about asylum seekers from politicians we do hear
With political point scoring over the plight of the misplaced I could never agree
Elections should not be fought on Stateless people's misery
The fair go to all to everyone ought to apply
And their right to a fair go to none we ought to deny
And 'tis sad to think that the Stateless from a distant shore
In Australia are becoming an Election issue once more.

Memories Of The Silver Back Crow

The voice of a bird that I used to know
In fancy I hear the loud cawing of the silver back crow
in the fading twilight on a sycamore tree
Our past seems to follow us would you not agree?

In the higher fields in the wood by the hill
The weaker young lambs the black and gray bird do kill
No mercy to them the sheep farmers do show
They do hate the sight of the black and gray crow.

In rural areas classified as a pest
To rid the landscape of them the farmers try their best
But generations of farmers have come and have gone
And despite persecution the gray crows live on.

In the fading twilight just after sundown
In the high mountain field overlooking the town
In fancy the loud cawing of the silver back crow I do hear
The memories of what was to me ever near.

There Are Good And Tainted People

There are good and tainted people in every Creed and Race
Make yourself a better person make the World to live in a better place
I am not saying what's original only what is known and true
In life we receive the Karma that happens to be our due
Wrongs done to you on purpose you may find hard to forgive
An old saying I do remember is to live and to let live
And for wrongs we do to others in Karma we must pay
What goes around always comes around as some are known to say
Racism is born of ignorance and the ignorant are too blind
To see the goodness in others who are not of their own kind
You only look for flaws in others and good you will not see
That is how it always has been and that is how 'twill always be
There are good and tainted people in every Race and Creed
And of racism and xenophobia humanity is not in need.

The Poor Poet Of Dublin

A high place in literature he does command
His name lives as the National Bard of Ireland
In his forty sixth year he died in poverty
Though his poems were not born to mortality
The poor poet of Dublin of the famine years
When Eire was Land of death, suffering and tears
In life the poor National Bard of Ireland did suffer his share
Though poets of his calibre even then rare
Poor James Clarence Mangan such beauty did create
In Ireland his name lives as a poetic great
Born at the wrong time as some do like to say
A much better Ireland to live in today
In his lifetime great suffering he had known of and seen
The author of the renowned poem 'Dark Rosaleen'.

A Joy For To Meet

In the park or the pub the shopping centre or on the street
One with a happy smiling face is a joy for to meet
Where-ever they are at joy is to be found
As they bring it with them and spread it around
With a cheerful hello when passing your way
The happy smiling stranger brings joy to your day
Some of the happiness that is in them with others they share
They are lucky to be blessed with a gift that's so rare
One might say of them of happiness they plant the seed
Of more of their kind the Human World is in need
You feel out of sorts as you walk in the town
And lots of unsmiling faces pass you up and down
But a happy stranger on passing you by
Gives your spirits a big lift with a friendly hi.

On Moses Fifth Commandment

To some 'tis mythology though many say 'tis God's will
Moses Fifth Commandment states 'Thou Shalt Not Kill'
Does this apply to humans only or life forms of all kind
The true answer to such in books you will not find
Since us humans do kill other life forms to eat
And I'm one who enjoy the taste of fish and meat
Does this make an accomplice to murder out of me?
With what I say here many may not agree
'Thou Shalt Not Kill' the Fifth Commandment does state
And though most do say to humans this only relate
Yet since the Fifth Commandment humans only does not specify
To every life form it well may apply
If this be so all of us flesh eaters are destined for Hell
And the souls of the life forms we've eaten with God's Angels will dwell.

In Nature No Shortage Of Things

As a writer I am not seen as worthy of note
And I never refer to myself as a poet
Though all of the stuff through the years I did write
You can see on many an internet literary site
To pen rhymes to Nature I am often inspired
And of singing her praises I've never grown tired
For many years of her I have been in awe
Our marvellous Earth Mother lives by her own law
Her secrets from us she keeps hidden away
Though from her we do learn something new every day
Her beauty is unrivalled it does seem to me
And something that one need not pay for to see
Though my worth as a rhymer I always do doubt
In Nature no shortage of things for to write about.

Kolor In April

Home to wallaby and gray roo and weerloo and pale eyed crow
Between the volcanic rocks of Kolor thistles, scutch grass and bracken grow
Down the stony face of Kolor red hot lava it did flow
To the amazement of the first Australians thousands of centuries ago
They must have thought the mountain God was angry as they watched in fear and awe
And that their World was ending so frightened at what they saw
That this was an act of Nature something they were not to know
Now on the stony slopes of Kolor only bracken and thistles grow
High above the hill of Kolor two wedge tailed eagles soar and fly
Scanning the ground for prey movement monarchs of the southern sky
For them to exist in Kolor smaller creatures have to die
This is just a fact of Nature and Nature's facts do never lie
On the stunted trees of Kolor on this April evening in mid Fall
The black pale eyed crows are cawing and the dark brown weerloos call.

A Bully Is Always A coward

It takes a coward to be a bully and a bully is always a coward
And by instilling fear in the non aggressive the bully feels greatly empowered
But when the bully is stood up to he is not slow for to sense defeat
To save himself from a deserved beating he is very quick to retreat.

In the World there are too many bullies they are to be found everywhere
And every day good and nice people are bullied in the bigger World out there
Bullies are mostly males but also some females and all bullies one thing in common share
That of low self esteem they do suffer though of such they are not aware.

There are bullies in every school yard and in every workplace of them nothing good one can say
Some who are bullied do commit suicide such stories we hear of and read of every day
But when the bullies are stood up to they are very quick to back down
And it goes without saying that the bully is never the bravest one in the town.

There ought to be a law against adult bullying it is an obnoxious crime
Those who are found to be guilty of it ought to serve out some prison time
As well as being cowardly bullies are cruel hearted they instill in their victims fear
Of a brave act of one known to be a bully is something you never do hear.

We Are All Co-dependent

That anyone is entirely independent why even pretend
On others in some way we always depend
The billionaire boss depends on his employees out of them his billions he has made
And out of the work that they do on him they depend to be paid
Despite what the majority do have to say
We are all co-dependent in some sort of a way
And though credit is not always given to where it is due
That to live we all depend on each other happens to be true
Though most others with what I say may not agree
We are all co dependent it does seem to me
And whether you live in an Earthly Utopia or in an Earthly Hell
No man is an island or no woman as well
And though many may disagree with what I do say
We are all co-dependent in some sort of a way.

The Man Who Has Beaten Cancer

His best days one might say to the forever gone
But his great love of life helps him for to live on
The man who has just beaten cancer has turned eighty three
And few of his age are as lively as he
By ten years already he has outlived his wife
Still happy go lucky and he still loves life
Three generations of his descendants he has seen
His oldest great grandchild a girl has just turned nineteen
He hopes for to live for as long as he can
And die in his sleep as a very old man
A life member of the Local Football Club
On saturday nights with his younger mates at the pub
The great games of the past he's happy to recall
The man who loves socializing and life and football.

I've loved Mother Nature

I've loved Mother Nature since I was a boy
And learning about her is a thing I enjoy
Yet the more one learn of her the more one realize
That there is more to her than does meet the eyes
And every day of her we do learn something new
And her wonders are many and her secrets not few
The one true immortal I see her that way
And of her we learn something new every day
In Spring her wild birds sing on bush and on tree
And in her hosts of multicoloured flowers her great beauty I see
My wonder of her only does seem to grow
Yet little so little of her ways I do know
Like all of her life forms I will return to her one day
And in her earthy bosom my remains will lay.

As Good As You Possibly Can Be

You may not be at the top of the social tree
But you are as good as you possibly can be
To be good as you can be your best you do try
And your worth as a person none ought to deny
You mind your own business and work hard for your pay
And of anyone you never have ill to say
Not the best known or most famous one in the town
To be a nice person seldom wins one renown
Though respect for the feelings of others you've shown
In your local community not even well known
You do not crave recognition for your every good deed
The World of more of your kind is sadly in need
A very good person that's what you really are
And for to find your equal one would have to go far.

That By Life You've been Hard Done By

That by life you've been hard done by you like to make it known
Though others do tell you they've got worries of their own
To anyone willing to listen to you your sad stories you tell
How lady luck is not with you and you are not feeling well
And most out of politeness to you say that is sad
Of late it does seem times for you have been very bad
Whilst some of the less compassionate to you do say
Your life story not that sad I've heard a few far worse today
Though of your own worries you only seem aware
Most people do have their life crosses to bear
And though they may be burdened by sadness and care
Their sad stories with strangers they never do share
To anyone willing to listen you do like to tell
That living life for you is an Earthly Hell.

In The World Far Too Many People

In the World far too many people of that there's little doubt
And with the increase in the human population wildlife is losing out
The Amazon rainforest trees being removed for crop growing at an alarming rate
Leaving bird and animal and insect life forms to face an uncertain fate
More creatures and insects added to the endangered list we hear of and we read
Could our extinction of other life forms to our own extinction lead?
What we do unto others to our own selves we do
This does not apply to other humans alone but to other life forms too
The human population numbers growing and other life forms becoming rare
With others creatures of the World we've not learned how to share
This World is their's to live in too though many of us do not see it that way
Extinction is forever and 'tis happening every day
A wise woman told me years ago when I was a young boy
That the World is ours to live in and not for to destroy.