You Get To Know Birds

You get to know birds you do not get them wrong
The most of them distinctive in their chirps or their song
The most of them familiarized with you do know by sight
And they are quite recognizable even whilst in flight
A World without birds one dare not visualize
The enjoyment they give worth more to us than we realize
Sometimes we take them for granted and it does seem sad to say
That many species are facing extinction in the World of today
Some of them beautiful to look at others are songsters supreme
One of our gifts from Goddess Nature are birds it does seem
To get to know birds is a privilege indeed
In our woods, parks, backyards and gardens them we surely do need
For their beautiful songs and for keeping plague insects at bay
We love them and see them and hear them every day.

A Story Of Denny Penny Kelleher

The fields decked with wildflowers on that sunny sunday
And the hawthorns were cloaked in their white blossoms of May
The countryside lush and green Nature in her Spring bloom
On either side of the by road between Kilnamartyra and Macroom

A huge crowd had assembled for the road bowling score
For to watch Denny Penny Kelleher of Millstreet from the road to Rathmore
In a winner take all bets take on Muskerry's best
Both men in short shirt sleeves were prepared for the test

The Muskerry champion a strapping young man
In the prime of his life full of youthful elan
Gave his backers some confidence that he would beat
The great Denny who had pedalled his bike from Millstreet

Stocky Denny Penny his once brown hair then silver gray
Was clearly one who had known a far better day
Many present thought that to beat one more than twenty years his junior a bit much of him to ask
Though the ice cool Claraghatlea fellow undaunted by the task

But by three bowls of odds in a one sided score
Denny Penny had done what he had often done before
He had humbled one far younger in another great road bowling display
The old dog for the long road as some like to say

That evening in the Kilnamartyra Pub his fans lauded the Claraghatlea great
Denny Penny Kelleher who with them did celebrate
One who could drink all through the evening and remain on his feet
A legendary character the best of Millstreet

He left the Kilnamartyra pub just before sundown
And pedalled on his bike on the narrow road towards Millstreet Town
Into the freshening wind in the Spring moonlight
He reached his home in Claraghatlea after midnight

I tell you the story as it was told to me
Of a man who created his own history
A champion road bowler when in his life's prime
Though that is going back many decades in time.

For Our Own Survival

Due to habitat destruction and climate change their numbers do shrink
Many species of wildlife at extinction's brink
As dead as the dodo you hear people say
For many rare species things are looking that way
A sad World in the future for every girl and boy
They will not enjoy the things we used to enjoy
For them to view less of the wildborn and free
Will be a much more boring World to live in would you not agree?
What we do to other creatures we do unto our-selves in some sort of a way
More life species becoming endangered or extinct with every passing day
Many creatures that have brought us great pleasure future generations may not see
Their World a different World to live in than that enjoyed by you and me
The creatures we need for our own survival for us is all that seems to count
And all other things to us to nothing does amount.

Have You Ever Struggled

Have you ever struggled to choke back the tears
That yearned to flow for the long gone happy years
When you were fitter, healthier and younger and of life's worries free
Life never returns to what it used to be

Age has brought to you some wisdom but also self doubt
And you now worry of things you used not to worry about
The fear that comes with ageing of growing senile and death
For each one of us of air a final breath

Time eventually does become everyone's foe
You are not the person you were years ago
Anti ageing creams and hair dyes may help to cloak time's decay
But they will not lengthen your life span not even by a day

Your best years behind you and old age is ahead
Our life span in time seems short we will be forever dead
We worry about ageing and dementia and losing our mind
But happiness once lost few ever again seem to find.

The Land Of

The Land of great rivers and clear flowing streams
Her unrivalled beauty i see in my dreams
Her mountains and woodlands her fields evergreen
I wish i could write of the beauty i've seen
Of beautiful things like the lake by the hill
The birthplace of the ever babbling silver tongued rill
That flows to the river non-stop twenty four hours a day
To the distant ocean many miles away
The land of O Neill and the dauntless Red Hugh
And of Maeve of Connacht and Brian Boru
And Cuchullain and Ferdi going away back in time
The heroes of folklore and story and rhyme
The Romans named it Hibernia Land of Winter so historians say
The Country that is known as Ireland today.

Hannie Murphy

Cockhill's Hannie Murphy is at rest to day
Her remains in Drishane not far from the Finnow lay
Perhaps she is playing cards in Heaven from Earth far away
In forty five drives with Millstreet's best card players she did hold sway
A wonderful person as i do recall
Her lot will be my lot since death is for us all
I went to school with and played football with her only son Dan
And he like his mother a true gentleman
A kind and compassionate person and a pleasure to meet
And one who was never tainted by conceit
A huge loss to her family and many friends in Millstreet
Yet to live a good life is an honorable feat
In Cockhill in the flesh never to be seen again
But good memories of her with us will remain.

The Journey Too Daunting

Life is hard for most amateur writers they can only dream of wealth and fame
They are almost unknown on their own streets where few would even know them by name
And yet they do never stop writing their dreams in life they pursue
They live with publisher rejection dreams in life seldom come true
Literature is like life in general many must lose for one for to win
Though to try hard without being successful should never be deemed as a sin
In literature so many failures and only the successful few
You may add to that if you so wish go tell us something that is new
In human life few winners and so many losers that has always been the case
But to try hard without being successful ought never to be your disgrace
Those who give up on their dream admit to failure those who try hardest eventually succeed
For to become a successful writer patience and perserverance you do need
Not too many successful writers though all things in life are the same
For many the journey too daunting to wealth and to glory and fame.

Misplaced In Your Mind

Are you one of those who came here from elsewhere
But you feel that nowadays you'd be a stranger there?
Yet you feel that to here you will never belong
In your way of thinking with you nothing wrong
A voluntary migrant yet Misplaced in your mind
People who feel like you are not that hard to find
Since you never did feel at home there anyway
And you do not feel at home where you are living today
Perhaps you are one who will never settle down
In life in any village or city or town
For your first homeplace you have never shed tears
And you've not been back since you left there going back ten years
And you feel a stranger where you live today
But you are not alone on feeling this way.

In His Prime Humphrey Kelleher

The strong boy of the class room as i do recall
He later became a legend of Gaelic Football
In Cork's All Ireland nineteen seventy three winning team the stalwart full back
In his prime Humphrey Kelleher was a hard nut to crack

Even as a boy he was as strong as a man
Full of the joys of life and of youthful elan
And what a great character he grew into be
The likeable fellow he did seem carefree

The great games for the Millstreet Club that he did play
For him there was many a rapturous hooray
Michael O Hehir once said a monument should be built to him in Millstreet Town
It would be a fitting way to honour his renown

Though from his first home in the Tanyard not that far away
It is not by Cashman's Hill his last remains lay
He died in his late fifties but the memory
Lives on of the mighty man he used to be

From the strong boy of the class room to enduring fame
The Humphrey Kelleher Cup in Millstreet for under age players to honour his name
A man amongst men when in his glorious prime
And his legend lives on through the Seasons of time.

I Would Not Go That Far

To say i dislike you i would not go that far
Since i only dislike the person that you are
With your ideas on life i could never agree
You see things one might say quite different to me
You have yourself convinced that all atheists are bad
That is rather poor thinking for one who is a grand-dad
But of wisdom with age there is no guarantee
At least anyhow that's how it seems to me
Though well educated you lack in common sense
And though in what i do say you do take offense
Amongst the World's great thinkers you will never belong
That you condemn people for a non aggressive belief to me seems all wrong
I do not dislike you that is not my way
But i sure do not like some things i hear you say.

The War To End All Wars

The war to end all wars of course is a lie
How many more people in conflicts will die
Before the war hungry leaders may even slightly realize
That on their behalf warring is not very wise
Wars and rumors of wars we read of and hear of every day
And from nuclear war only one mistake away
Far too many National leaders with nuclear weapons at their disposal and with big egos at stake
One misunderstanding is all that it would take
For the war to end all wars for to begin
With nuclear bombs being dropped a war none could hope to win
A war to humanity that would come at an unthinkable cost
Where millions if not billions of human lives would be lost
The war supposed to end all wars was fought almost a century ago
But many wars since and the war dead numbers do grow.

You Tried Your Best

You tried your best to be the winner though for you it was to no avail
And though this time you were not successful of you it should not be said you did fail
For you surely gave it your best try and though this time your best not good enough
Eventually you will be successful you do not quit when the going gets tough
Your life dream you will not give up on all things come to those who do wait
Success comes to those who most need it your dream come true you will celebrate
Sometime in the not distant future you will achieve what is your due
Eventually success you will know of some dreams have been known to come true
You did congratulate the winner and you were graceful in defeat
But you are determined to do better and the next time you will not be beat
'Tis better to try hard and to fail than never for to try at all
For every winner there has to be losers a fact of life i do recall
You have the courage of conviction to you that's an asset indeed
And the next time you may be the winner those who do try hardest succeed.

Not Always A Popular Thing

To speak your mind is not always a popular thing
The wrath of another on you it can bring
What is true to you to all may not be so
And your truth for you of a friend can make a foe
What is true to me may not be so to you
And to our own selves we can only be true
Some times to speak your mind is not very wise
Like 'tis said a shut mouth never swallows flies
Words spoken as your truth can sometimes cause offense
Discretions at times seems to make better sense
Than speaking your truth as critical advice
At times silence can prove a far better choice
For you than giving words to the thoughts in your mind
In discretion can be the better side of valour some truth you will find.

There Will Be Many New Faces

There will be many new faces in Ireland's thirty first Dail
As Irish political reputations like dominos fall
Some have already opted for their huge parliamentary pensions and from politics walked away
To save themselves further bruising to their monster egos they have called it a day

That love of self to them comes before love of Country they do not leave us in any doubt
Retirement on a lavish pension for them seems the easy way out
The thought of voter rejection they could not bring themselves to face
When big political egos are at stake for courage and principle there does not seem a place

That the E U is propping up the Irish economy disappointing to say the least
The once proud and healthy Celtic Tiger is now an ailing beast
There will be many new faces in Ireland's thirty first Dail
Suppose any small change is better than no change at all

But in Ireland they will still be ruled by the same old parties they have been ruled by for years
The pride of old Irish patriots and old irish dears
Whilst the gap between the haves and the have nots keeps on growing ever wide
There is some price to pay for patriotic pride.

I Miss My Child Within

I miss my child within since from me he went away
He left me long before my hair turned to gray
And that is going back quite a few years in time
Perhaps before i even reached my life's prime
He did not like the man i had grown into be
Perhaps that is the reason he did forsake me
So lucky are they though they've grown old and gray
That their child within with them has chosen to stay
Though physically fragile life they do enjoy
As much as when they were a girl or a boy
Despite failing health happiness they do know
Whilst more cynical with age i only seem to grow
Since my child within left me life is not the same
But for that i only have myself to blame.

The Winds Of Change

The winds of change keep blowing and time is ticking fast
And the Millstreet i was raised in is a memory of the past
The boys and girls i went to school with like me well past their prime
We all share one thing in common we do lose out to time
'Tis cold back there at present in the Town and countryside by Clara Hill
The cold winds from the Northlands blow with an icy chill
And cattle in the farm sheds bellow for silage or hay
Where i live the sun is shining on a warm Summer's day
I used to be homesick for Ireland but that was years ago
And most things have their use by date i know that to be so
I feel happy in the present though to time like all i bow
And life goes on as usual in the Town by the Finnow
Though sometimes in my flights of fancy i hear the robin sing
In a leafy grove in Claraghatlea in the prime of the Spring.

I Long For A Place

I long for a place by a river away from the streets of the town
Where musical shrike thrush is whistling in his feathers of light gray to brown
Away from the noise created by humans where the water goes gurgling along
And where gray butcherbird he is piping he has such a beautiful song

I long for a place in the country away from the loud city street
A small bungalow off of a by road near where a creek and a river do meet
Of such a place i often daydream and in fancy i often visualize
The birds of Nature chirping and singing in the gray dawn just before sunrise

I recall i've been in love with Nature ever since i was a young boy
And a walk in a quiet place on my own is something i thoroughly enjoy
I feel us humans are part of Nature though on that some with me may not agree
Though sometimes we take her for granted she is quite amazing to me

Were i a poet to the Mother of Nature a beautiful poem i would write
A poem that would make people happy to read to others and recite
The silver billed magpie is fluting on high branch of a sunlit tree
And wafting in the soft breeze of Summer i hear the song of the pee wee.

A Word Often Abused

The word known as loser one often abused
When to demean other people by the ignorant 'tis used
Their chance to put down others such people never miss
'Tis true about ignorance that it can be bliss
By their poor way of thinking it obviously does seem
That they are afflicted by low self esteem
Judge not and thou shalt not be judged words that ring ever true
The Karma we warrant does become our due
The word loser when used in the proper context is obviously quite okay
Though some choose to use it in a derogatory way
That such people do exist does seem sad to say
But respect they will not receive if such they do not pay
They are in every city and village and town
Those who in their words like to put others down.

So Little Of Life's Ways

So little of life's ways i can claim to know
But my wonder of knowledge only seems to grow
We never stop learning as some like to say
And from living i am learning a little each day
To be born without flaws is not our natural way
And for our every mistake there is some price to pay
Your life aim as a member of the human race
Should be to make the World we live in for others a much better place
Some of the wealth you accumulate with others feel happy to share
There is nothing great at all about the greedy billionaire
From life it is said we receive what we give
And 'tis true indeed that we do learn as we live
And something i learned from life going back decades ago
Is to cherish your friend and to respect your foe.

In Life There Is

In life there is joy and there is also heartache
And in life we do pay for our every mistake
And our acquaintances many and our friends are few
You may say to that tell us something that's new
If respect to others we refuse for to show
Then like it is said we will reap what we sow
That Karma is real i believe to be true
And from life what we receive in some cases our due
The journey through life for some does prove a hard journey to make
To hang in there through the hard times great courage does take
For the victims of poverty and loneliness
Survival in itself a form of success
Life is not meant to be easy not for some anyway
Their survival struggle goes on every day.

In A World Of His own

To himself he only has words for to say
The old bloke i meet often though not every day
To him i said hello a few times but he did not reply
He merely talked to himself as by me he walked by
By others 'twould seem he does not wish to be known
One must say he lives in a World of his own
The years have left him looking fragile and gray
This odd sort of a fellow in his own strange way
Yet the strangeness we see in others in our own selves we do see
At least anyhow that's how it seems to me
His huge cross in life on his own he does bear
With others his worries he never will share
Too busy talking to himself to notice me whenever we meet
And that is quite often in the park or on the street.

The Unwritten Commandment

Man take care of thyself and woman do likewise
Is the Unwritten Commandment and i've come to realize
That this is the one that most people live by
Why this has to be is there need to ask why?
Since survival of self is our most important thing
Though of heroes and celebrities the praises we do sing
Most people determined their genes to pass on
So their seed will survive when the life from them has gone
The person you are you don't travel to find
You need not look further than your own mind
I have walked in crowded places and on many a street
But even the near to perfect person i have yet to meet
Man take care of thyself and woman as well
In your own Earthly Worlds of heaven and hell.

Most Of Us Have Our Addictions

Most of us have our addictions as some like to say
The rhymes do keep coming to me every day
And in a pocket notebook i pen my thoughts down
But not for financial gain or for literary renown
I email my stuff to an internet site
So others if they so wish to can read what i write
For many years now i have been a rhyme buff
And i am always happy when i am penning stuff
My worth as a rhymer i have reason to doubt
But always there's something for to write about
And to rhyme is so easy as easy can be
At least anyhow that's how it seems to me
And though anything i have written will not live on in time
For as long as i live i will be penning rhyme.

I Have Seen The Sunset Of Many A Day

I have seen the sunset of many a day
Since i left my first homeplace from here far away
Claraghatlea about a mile west of Millstreet Town
Since then on many roads i've driven up and down

For my years of life materially i do not have much to show
And by such things one is judged by i have come to know
And though my best years in physical terms to the forever gone
I too do love life and i want to live on

Yet my thoughts often return to the Claraghatlea Spring
When nesting birds in the leafy groves whistle and sing
And cattle on lush grass from long months in sheds on silage and hay
And hawthorns covered in their beautiful white blooms of May

In my first home-place i believe change is happening there
But then one can say that about anywhere
And only the memories with me do remain
Of what has been but never can be again.

Some Boys Never Grow Into Men

Some boys never grow into men they remain as naughty boys
Though they have outgrown the stage of playing with toys
But with a few beers in at the pub they create lots of noise
Though grown into manhood they have not grown wise

Not gentle in their ways in fact unrefined
With one too many beers in they seem too inclined
To sort out their differences in the roughest possible way
In every pub brawl there is hell for to pay

The school yard bully has grown into a man but he's still a bully today
The leopard does not change his spots as some are known to say
You do not become a man by having big shoulders and a broad hairy chest
Of manhood in most cases such things are not part of the test

Some physically look like men but as boys they do stay
And they behave as naughty boys long beyond their prime day
They drink with their boyish mates at the local pub
And only boys to be found in the boys club.

In Nature

Pink roses in bloom on their thorny mother tree
In Nature there is always great beauty to see
And crimson rosellas chirping in the sunlight
To look at one can say a beautiful sight

The artists and writers to sketch and to write Nature does inspire
And of singing her praises one never could tire
And though we learn something new about her every day
Her secrets from us she keeps hidden away

The pleasant aroma that wafts in the breeze
In the sunlit park from the peppercorn trees
The memory of such in your senses does stay
And you hope that from you it will not fade away

I have been in love with Nature since i was a young boy
And learning about her i still do enjoy
Yet of her so little i know i do know
Though my wonder of her never ceases to grow

The only immortal far greater than great
An abundance of beauty Nature does create
Yet the one who can create a beautiful flower
Has lurking within her fierce destructive power.

A Trendy Town By The Sea

A very nice place to visit for a day
But accomodation is dear there for an overnight stay
What is known as a trendy sea side town
But not for one who is financially down
The poorer sort of people you will never see there
From their poor streets too poor for to travel to elsewhere
You never will see them sunning on beaches by the sea
Or in a cafe with cake enjoying coffee or tea
So many seem to lose out in the social divide
As the gap between the haves and the have nots keeps growing ever wide
The most of the World's material wealth is owned by too few
You may say to that tell us something that's new
The trendy town by the sea is not for life's downtrod
The poor hungry souls forsaken by God.

The Brits Are Our Neighbours

We admired our heroes martyrs such as Pearse
And of anything British our hatred was fierce
But as the years went on we came to realize
That when we were younger we were far from wise

The Brits are our neighbours and 'twould seem fair to say
That to them we are similar in most every way
There are good and bad in them like us and every other Race
And that applies to all people in every place

Though the past is a memory to the forever gone
Old hatreds between people for centuries live on
But the Brits are our neighbours and the facts do remain
That any dislike of your neighbour is not to your gain

So many brave young men for Ireland have died
And courage of them never could be denied
But we live in the now and time ticking on fast
And we only have the memories good or bad of the past

The Brits are our neighbours why otherwise pretend
And we need every neighbour we have as a friend
We live in the now and the future ahead
And apart from the memories the past it is dead.

His Legend Will Outlive Him

The great Olympic Champion of six decades ago
Time as we know becomes everyone's foe
But in centuries from now his fame will live on
Long after the breath of life from him has gone
He did prove his greatness when put to the test
One of the World's greatest athletes when he was at his best
At the World Championships and Olympics the winner of Gold
But the years have left him looking weary and old
Six decades of years in time quite a span
Since he was the pride of his Nation as a handsome young man
He now walks so slowly he once could run fast
His legend will outlive him of his glorious past
What hair he has left on his head it is now white as snow
In his eighty ninth year he can only walk slow.

May The Journey To Better Things

May joy travel with you to where-ever you go
And may your best ever friend never become your foe
And may the journey to better things for you begin
That will take you to a huge lotto first division win
Life for you is not easy you are doing it tough
But you are not one to say of it i've had enough
With the toughest of situations you have proved you can cope
And you will not end your life at the end of a rope
Or by any other way in which many have died
When they gave up on life in an act of suicide
No you will not give your great gift of life away
On that you will leave the Reaper have the say
Like the positive optimistic person that you are
You feel that the good times from you are not far.

A Different World

A different World to the Human world i grew up in the World of today
With many Governments with nuclear weapons at their disposal the price we do pay
For the advancement of human technology we must live with the fear
That the war to end all wars to us may be near
In a World where even democratically elected Governments use terrorism as an excuse
To condone the worst acts of human rights abuse
Such as water boarding and strip searching and without any hope of bail
For years without trial some are behind bars in jail
In a Human World where hundreds grow poorer for every new millionaire
Many do seem entitled to say life on them is not fair
All people are supposed to be equal but it is fair to say
When one looks at the increasing gap between the haves and the have nots it does not seem this way
Those who applaud war on terror are not very wise
Since war creates more terrorists they do not seem to realize.

Whilst You Slept

The tops of some of your tomato plants chomped on overnight
By a wallaby or a possum look an ugly sight
Due to the furry nocturnal marsupial it is obviously clear
That your tomato crop will be a poor one this year
Like snails do nocturnal creatures like young plants to eat
And unsprayed tomato plants to them a tasty treat
Whilst you slept of your plants they enjoyed a good feed
Though them in your garden you sure do not need
And though for ruining some of your plants them you cannot forgive
The creatures of Nature must eat for to live
This morning in your garden for you quite a bad surprise
The tops eaten of some of your young tomato plants a sight for sore eyes
By a wallaby or a possum or even a rabbit or a hare
Nature's creatures of wrongdoing are never aware.

Ageing Denis The Croatian

Ageing Denis the Croatian pride of his Melbourne clan
In his young years a Croat freedom fighter he was a rebel man
At the pub old stories of his youth he does love to recall
But the years now telling on him the years tell on us all
Ageing Denis of Croatia has seen the Seasons come and go
And in life he has made many a friend though he is one not without a foe
He has a fiery temper but his heart's in the right place
And when he has something to say to you it will be to your face
And to those he like and care about he can be a good friend
In your moment of greatest need on him you could depend
On saturday night down at the pub Croatian songs he does sing
The undying love of Homeland is an amazing thing
Ageing Denis from Croatia the years have left him gray
He was a freedom fighter years ago and far away.

Good Luck To The U L A

Good luck to the United Left Alliance Party in Ireland they do give people choice
If they could hold the balnce of power they would give to the forgotten a voice
Labour and Sinn Fein and the civil war parties Fianna Fail and Fine Gael
Have been around for far too long and in their thinking gone stale
Sad to think that the Governments of the E U have to come to Ireland's financial aid
When ex Politicians and T D's and Government Ministers of Dail Eireann are grossly overpaid
The news out of Ireland is not good news to read
It is not by good example that Irish Politicians do lead
The Irish Economy is in financial strife
Whilst the Politicians of Ireland do lead the good life
But all of this for them must come to an end
Since the Celtic Tiger is ailing why otherwise pretend
And lets hope the U L A get a few seats in the Oireachtais and a few seats in the Dail
For even a small change better than no change at all.

As The Rain Drizzles Down

The Koroit farmer has reason to complain
Four acres of unbaled hay in one of his paddocks rotting in the rain
An unusually wet Summer in South West Victoria this year
Climate Change has many sides to it or so it does appear
The long drought is over well and truly one might say
But for all extremes of weather the farmer some price must pay
In drought nothing grows in too much rain crops are lost
Extreme weather to farmers does come at a cost
In South Queensland in the huge floods people in drownings have died
And water has covered homes in parts of Brisbane and the surrounding countryside
Compared to South Queenslanders Victorians not doing it that tough
Though having said that things down here bad enough
With the unbaled hay rotting in one of his paddocks near old Koroit Town
The farmer complains as the rain drizzles down.

When I Talk Of Home

It may not be by Cashman's Hill my last remains will lay
But that will not matter to me when i've lived my last night and day
The migrant Athenian talks of Athens the migrant Roman talks of Rome
And i talk of Millstreet when i talk of home
I am from the place of the silver back crow
Where the Cails and Finnow to the Blackwater flow
In my flights of fancy the carolling lark i do hear
Above the rushy fields in the Spring of the year
But absence brings change as some are known to say
And back there i may well be a stranger today
Even to those i once knew there in life they have moved on
And they live in the now since the past has long gone
And only the memories of what was remain
When in fancy i walk in the old fields again.

The Anger Of Nature

The anger of Nature comes at a huge cost
In South Queensland in huge floods human lives have been lost
Thousands of homes have been flooded in many a town
And large tracts of countryside covered in flood waters of brown

The anger of Nature does instill a great fear
On people and most other life forms so often we read of see and hear
On radio, on t v, the internet and in newspapers every day
On natural disasters not distant from where we live and from places far away

The anger of Nature is beyond our control
In flood, earthquakes, fire, volcano and storm she takes a heavy toll
On property and lives she leaves in her wake
Death and destruction and tears and heartbreak

In South Queensland in riverside towns and large tracts of countryside
Brown flood waters rise like a great inland tide
The anger of Nature an irrestible power
Before her the bravest have been known for to cower.

The True God Indeed

If there is a God he's not for some but for all life forms that run, walk, swim, fly and crawl
Some portray their God as exclusive God in his ways could not be so small
A true God would not condemn atheists or those who from grace did fall
A true God would love everybody and everybody means all
He would not condemn earthly sinners to an afterlife of hell
And in his language no such word as agnostic or no such a word as infidel
Many people have their image of God and of how they wish their God for to be
In their narrow views they only portray of what is their reality
The only God we can lay claim to is the God we do have within
And you go ahead cast the first stone if you are the one without sin
Those who do believe in the true God never say other religions are wrong
They do not dismiss agnostics and atheists as sinners and their belief system is not weak but strong
They never wage war for their God and they help those of help in need
To them everybody an equal and their's is the true God indeed.

Of So Many Things

Of so many things i have written about
Yet my worth as a rhymer i have reason to doubt
He's an addictive rhymer of me one might say
One that time has left looking weary and gray

Yet in the mind of the ageing man remains the boy
And my walks in Nature i still do enjoy
With the sun out and shining and in the cool evening breeze
The birds chirp and sing on the bushes and trees

Such things in Nature a poet of feels inspired to write
A poem for others to read and enjoy and recite
So many artists and writers by Nature inspired
And her awe inspiring beauty is free for all to be admired

For many years i have been a rhyming buff
And i am one who has written a whole heap of stuff
Yet i'll never become one of literary note
And i never refer to myself as a poet.

With Many Of Us

With many of us our idea of success based on the accumulation of money and that is not a lie
Yet we are born as helpless and hairless and as helpless and hairless some of us die
Some of our wars based on borders and some of our wars based on God
And in our behaviour in many ways we seem rather odd
Yet time on the greatest does even take toll
As ageing and death is beyond our control
And from the dreaded Grim Reaper your money will not buy you time
He take the young, middle aged and the old and those in their life's prime
And since like all other life forms death is for us all
To his sharp scythe eventually the greatest does fall
Yet all one can do is live good as one can
For to be a good woman or to be a good man
And though those with kindness and compassion may not become well known
Of them one can say in a 'class of their own'.

The Various Emotions

The various emotions that go with human life
The joy and the sorrow and the inner strife
That is in every child, every woman and man
From the moment their great journey towards death began
The fear of self and others the moments of self doubt
The times when we ponder what life's all about
Such emotions the most confident of people have known
Though of such feelings they are too proud to admit to own
We all are quite different as some like to say
And we all look at life in a different way
What is great to you may not be so to me
Our different ideas make us seem more interesting would you not agree?
No two quite the same that's how it seems to be
Yet of the flaws we are born with only death sets us free.

I Am Lucky In My Life

I am lucky in my life is all i can say
In the beautiful people i meet every day
With warmth in their greeting and a happy smile
Such people make living life seem so worthwhile
Though not rare in large numbers they do not abound
They carry joy with them and spread it around
In the pub or the park or sidewalk of the street
One can say of them quite a pleasure to meet
The happy go lucky are always carefree
At least anyway that's how they seem to me
Happiness to others they always seem to bring
Their great gift of joy is a marvellous thing
Where-ever they are happiness is to be found
They carry joy with them and spread it around.

Since My Flaws Are Many

Since my flaws are many i've come to realize
I am not in a position for to criticize
People who have never harmed me and do the best they can
To live as a good woman or as a good man
But on people in positions of power whose decisions impact on others in a negative way
I feel i do have the right for to have my say
Their abuse of power is not an uncommon thing
And i leave it to others their praises to sing
I've been dismissed as a doggerelist with me that's okay
For writing bad verse that is my price to pay
Such criticisms i do not allow to get me down
I leave it to others to compete for literary renown
But on those in positions of power whose decisions impact on others in a negative way
Respect in my words i have no wish to pay.

By Their Long drawn Out Caws

By their long drawn out caws not hard to get to know
The birds known to many as the pale eyed crow
Familiar to many in their corvid way
I hear and see them often in fact every day
Known to some as Aussie little ravens in their feathers dark as coal
At a time when Global warming of many bird species is taking it's toll
The pale eyed crows in numbers seem to multiply
The tag of Nature's survivors to them must apply
Quite intelligent in their ways as most corvids are
Few of them ever become victims of bus, truck or car
Clever birds indeed as i've come to realize
I even have witnessed them with my own eyes
Soaking hard dry bread in water which to them is a natural thing
Though their praises you never do hear many sing.

The Love Of Penning Doggerel

The love of penning doggerel in me does remain
Though for me in such there's no financial gain
I write for enjoyment that and nothing more
That's something you may have heard me say before
My best days in life to the forever gone
But for as long as i can i will keep rhyming on
Yes i will keep rhyming despite those who say
That i should give my literary ambitions away
For many years i have been a rhyming buff
I am one who has written a whole pile of stuff
And though writing does not bring me money or fame
'Tis something i do quite enjoy doing just the same
And for to give it away i do not have a plan
I just hope to keep doing it for as long as i can.

Of The Praises Of Love

Of the praises of love of all others some rightfully do sing
But that does seem quite an impossible thing
At least not to me it does seem anyway
I meet with people i do not like every day
I do not know them or they do not know me
And our dislike for each other seems mutual one wonders why this should be?
Perhaps i am not a nice person my feelings on others i project
Most people can read body language so what you give in turn you receive do expect
The song of love surely is a beautiful song
And those who live by it in life surely cannot go wrong
Everyday in my walks in the parks and on the street
I cannot say i like everyone i do meet
We are what we are as some do like to say
And what we are some of us are born that way.

What Is True To Them

'Tis said that in every druken man the real man you do see
Though many with that i know would not agree
For each person looks at life very differently
At least anyway that's how it seems to me
But going back to men and alcohol consumption it does seem fair to say
That alcohol can bring to the surface of a man from other eyes what's often hidden away
It often brings into view of what is hidden in the mind
In every drunk man his true self you will find
A man may use his abuse of alcohol as an excuse for beating his children or wife
But what is true to him is not a truism of life
Since many men go home from the pub drunk and behave in a nice way
And respect to all others whilst drunk they do pay
Though some may say to it rubbish the facts do remain
That alcohol brings to the surface the real you of your brain.

The Fellow From Koroit

The fellow from Koroit is broad shouldered and tall
Compared to him most others seem rather small
I last saw him in Melbourne in late May in the Fall
Walking towards a tram stop up through Bourke Street Mall
He greeted me with a cheery good day
Saying sorry mate i cannot tarry i am on my way
Up to Spencer Street to board the Mildura train
So goodbye and good luck until we meet again
The fellow from Koroit a man amongst men
With a handshake we parted i've not seen him since then
Near the prime of his life he has turned twenty three
So happy go lucky footloose and carefree
Many roads and rail tracks through the big Land he has travelled up and down
The handsome brown haired young man from old Koroit Town.

Do Not Judge Him Too Harshly

Do not judge him too harshly if you judge him at all
In his hard life he has hit the mental wall
He has not harmed you or harmed anyone
And his mother like your mother is of you is proud to have him as a son
From your tightly knit group most you tend to exclude
To your sort it seems natural for to be rude
He too needs recognition as much as you do a natural human thing
A smile and hello to him joy also does bring
He may have developed a mental illness in his life's prime
By human made laws and laws higher this is not a crime
Due to a mental illness he has become a social outsider so sad for him this must be
Yet he is the equal of you and of me
At least that is how i do feel anyway
Though disrespect to him in your words you only do pay.

On Sean And Brendan's Snow Tour

So nice of Sean Radley in his 2010 Millstreet snow tour to mention my name
This well may become my only claim to fame
Such beautiful online images he did create
Whilst being driven around the snow covered countryside by Brendan his good mate

Fair dues to Brendan Murphy his part in the creation of the images he did play
For driving Sean on his snow tour on such a terrible day
On the narrow and hilly roadways that surround Millstreet
That were frostbound and covered in snow that was thawing to sleet

The marvelous images are now viewed Worldwide
Brought about by Sean and Brendan on their tour through the snow clad countryside
But of the people images one fellow i can claim for to know
Is Shannaknock's mighty Michael Murphy well clad for the snow

From our games of soccer in Coolikerane bog him i can recall
The biggest of us and the strongest of all
The young men of that time on our side of Millstreet
An old friend of my past that i would love to meet

And of course Noel Keating delivering the post in his green 'An Post' delivery van
Of his job in such weather i cannot say i envy the man
In Ireland's Winter of weeks on end without a dry day
People like Noel surely do earn their pay

For online Millstreet migrants everywhere a thing to enjoy
Images of the places where they lived as a girl or a boy
And of Sean and Brendan for their good work what can one only say
But that they do warrant far more than a lusty hooray.

A Godless Infidel

I do not have a god to pray to or believe in a heaven or a hell
Perhaps i am an atheist a godless infidel
One of the lost souls of the Planet to die and be no more
My best days long behind me i am four years with three score
A toast to every atheist of beer, spirits, stout or wine
With them i share some common ground their thoughts similar to mine
On religion and God's existence though to many our thinking is a threat
For we firmly believe in one thing there is no life after death
When you declare in public that to a god you do not pray
You make yourself a social outsider or it does seem that way
To respect the beliefs of others does seem a moral thing
Though 'tis not the praises of a god that atheists ever sing
With every atheist in the World some common ground i do share
We are not the sort of people to frequent a house of prayer

On A Total Fire Ban Day

'Tis hot enough to fry an egg on a rock as some do like to say
Today is surely an out of the sun day
The cattle shelter in the shade of the trees
As the weather temperatures climb up to forty degrees

The breath of a furnace in the southerly breeze
And the pollen it blows out from the flowering plants cause some to sneeze
Those allergic to pollen indoors obliged to stay
To be out in such weather the price too high for them to pay

In these times of Global Warming weather patterns are strange
Even the most ardent sun lover will welcome the cool change
That the weather forecasters say will blow in overnight
Tomorrow supposed to be calmer with less heat in the sunlight

In what well may be the warmest day of the year
The cawing of a pale eyed crow the only bird voice i do hear
On a total fire ban day the danger of fire many do fear
One has to feel thankful that the cool change is near.

In The Quiet Country Town

Though sad songs of death some are known for to sing
The great gift of life is a wonderful thing
The warm sun glowing in a blue Summer sky
And dark swallows above the green parkland do fly
In pursuit of flying insects in circles they ring
Not unlike sparrows chirpers they never do sing
The years have left me looking older and gray
But of Nature i learn something new every day
Butterflies seem to fight or to them is it play?
From us Nature keeps her secrets as some like to say
Everywhere i turn to look great beauty i do see
The wonders of Nature are all around me
Few cars, buses and trucks do pass up and down
On a January day in the quiet country town.

When It All comes To Naught

From a babe into a young adult it takes two decades to grow
But what the future holds for us anyone is not to know
On some future date we eventually will die
The same for the celebrity as you and i
Of my worth as a person i often do doubt
And i often ask myself what life's all about
One day i will die and then be no more
And life will go on as it went on long before
I first looked upon the bright lamp of day
By northern hills from here far away
In the Human World what is success and failure seems hard to define
When it all comes to naught at the end of life's line
Great people like Nature's Seasons have come and have gone
But human life in the World without them goes on.

It Is Not A Nice Memory

It is not a nice memory with others to share
The painful loud shrieks uttered by a dying hare
Under a starry sky in the faint moonlight
In the mouth of a fox in the dead of the night
When Nature receives she also does give
The hare has to die for the fox for to live
And in Nature the game of life and death between predator and prey
Is played out every night and played out every day
In all parts of the World on land, in sea and in the sky
Between life forms that swim, walk, run, crawl and fly
'Tis a fact in Nature and facts never lie
For one creature to live another has to die
The shrill dying cries of a hare lives in the memory
By dogs or by fox not nice to hear or to see.

Time To Let Go Of Your Grudges

Though 'tis not very hard to be nasty 'tis better to be forgiving and kind
Time to let go of your grudges to some light open your mind
Leave those who have wronged you to their Karma one thought of them yourself do spare
What goes around does come around Karma of them will take care
Why revenge your mind on others though they have wronged you in some way
Forget them leave them to Karma for their sins they will be made to pay
Why lower yourself to their level to your higher self remain true
Do not leave past wrongs consume you the life dreams you have you should pursue
Why do you cling to your grudges of such feelings you should let go
On revenging your thoughts on others you do become your own foe
'Tis from those who hold on to their grudges that wars in the World begin
Leave those who have sinned against you to Karma to pay for their sin
Time to let go of your grudges and let all bygones be gone
Or you only keep yourself unhappy whilst life all around you goes on.

With The Saying Each To Their Own

With the saying each to their own i for one must agree
Your life your's to live that's how it seems to me
As long as you never harm anyone in anyway
You do your own thing and you should be okay
The one who does not follow the leader is a brave one indeed
And more people like him or her we do need
Such people do have a mind of their own
To think as individuals they have become known
And though to be different to others should never be a sin
In this tribalistic Human World they never seem to fit in
The ways of the tribe for the tribe may be fine
The leader leads on and they follow in line
But for those who are different my admiration has grown
It truly can be said of them each to their own.

To Some What It Takes

To some what it takes for to be a real man
Is to be young and handsome and daring and full of elan
And manly and wealthy broad shouldered and tall
The type some women dream of though some are not all
Though kindness and caring and compassion never taken into account
To some people such things to nothing does amount
Their real man must be macho as macho can be
Without any sign in him of humility
He must not be an artist, a ballet dancer, fashion designer or poet
To them such males as real men are not worthy of note
That they are entitled to their views on manhood does seem fair to say
Though everyone does not see things in their way
To some even in the one physically small yet caring and kind
You need not look further the real man you will find.

In The Town By The Bay

The children in the park playground do laugh whilst they play
'Tis sunny today in the town by the bay
The flute of the magpie melodious to hear
The bird that does sing every day of the year
Of the beauty around me a poet would write
A poem for others to enjoy and read and recite
With a nice sort of warmth in the sunshine and the timid breeze
Gently soughing it's way through the bushes and trees
In the post New Year holiday weeks in January in Summer's prime
When poets by Nature's beauty are inspired to rhyme
One can hear the rumble of the nearby sea
A voice that will outlive a mortal like me
Fair butterflies dancing in the sunny sky
And dark swallows chasing flying insects do chirp as they fly.

One Would Feel For My Age

Of the inhibitions we are born with we may never be free
I spend too much time worrying on what others think of me
Most of us humans are flawed in more than one way
Suppose we are what we are as some do like to say
You may be the nicest person in the town
But always one verbally for to put you down
The judgemental sort of people are more than a few
Though you may say to that tell us something that's new
The near to perfect people in the World are quite rare
And of the flaws i possess i am all too aware
Yet of the negative judgements of others i do take offense
One would feel for my age that i would have more sense
Than worrying of how to others i appear
'Tis true that there is more than one side to fear.

On Kirkstall's Big Party

One hundred and fifty years of European settlement in Kirkstall
In the only pub there people will celebrate
Though at most times it is known to be a quiet place
A lot of excitement there the occasion will create

Tony of the pub and his staff will be very busy
In Kirkstall's Victoria's biggest nights of all
There will be music there and song and dancing
On a memorable occasion for local historians to recall

Ex Kirkstall people for the celebrations will return
To eat, drink and make merry and reminisce on the past
In their first home place where they grew into young adults
On looking back the years the time did tick on fast

In Tony's pub in Kirkstall near Koroit Town
In early January in 2011 they will party on till late
The Kirkstall people are proud of their heritage
And they do not hold back when they celebrate.

In Fancy Now

Far north of this Country i first saw light of day
In where we are born we do not have a say
In fancy now i only see Claramore
Far inland by Clara from Hibernia's shore
Like most other migrants homesickness i've known
Our feelings as such we should never disown
We must live in the now since the past it has gone
And the future ahead and time is ticking on
We are defined by our birthland would you not agree
An Irish person is all that i can be
A fact in my birth cert and facts never lie
And a brand that will be with me till the moment i die
Only in fancy i walk in the old fields again
And hear the birds sing in the drizzling Spring rain.

No Such A Person

No such a person as one who has nerves of steel
The emotions of sorrow and joy we all feel
When you stifle your tears that are yearning to flow
The grief that is in you it only does grow
Of the praises of macho men some do like to sing
But for a man for to weep is not an unmanly thing
Tears are shed in sorrow and in joy of success
The feelings you feel you should never repress
Although stricken by grief and in spirits quite low
Some people in public their feelings do not show
Such people are worthy of one's sympathy
At least anyhow that's how it seems to me
'Tis really not good for your mind or your soul
To keep your strong emotions well under control.

Just Goes To Show

Just goes to show how devoted she must be
The woman who is married to me
She could enjoy a better life
As a younger and wealthier fellow's wife
A dashing carefree handsome man
Healthy and fit and full of elan
Instead she sticks with the humorless older bloke
One who is often financially broke
Though decades past her physical prime
She does remain undimmed by time
Charming and beautiful so much in her to admire
You would think of one like me she'd tire
But no devoted in every way
With me she chooses for to stay.

The Black Moods Of Despair

It is a known fact life is not always fair
Have you ever known the black moods of despair
When you feel quite tearful sitting on your own
Such feelings of sadness have you ever known?
Mere words cannot describe how depressed you do feel
Human emotions are things that are not made of steel
You only see life as a pointless journey that end
And no one you can turn to as a friend
In the way that you feel it comes as no surprise
That you are not in any mood to socialize
The black moods from you seem reluctant to go
At times such as this you become your own foe
It may be of some comfort to you for to be aware
That people who know of the black moods are not even rare.

When Anyone Ask Me Where I'm From

When anyone ask me where i'm from i say from Millstreet
Not far from where the Cails and the Finnow does meet
And together in unison to the Blackwater flow
Through old fields by ditches and dykes and hedgerow

Miles distant inland from Hibernia's shore
From Claraghatlea by the roadway to Rathmore
My birth home a three minute walk from the silver tongued rill
That rise in a high field by old Clara hill

Far north of this Land even as the bird fly
My heritage to anyone i would never deny
Though i love this Southern Land it does seem to me
Were i to become an Aussie an Aussie on paper is all i would be

When anyone ask me where i come from without hesitation i say
From Millstreet in Duhallow from here far away
Of Such things anyone ought to never lie
I know where i'm from but who knows where i'll die?

In Other Words Slang

Some refer to a cigarette as a fag
And to others a sausage is always a snag
And some call an accident simply a prang
This is bastardized usage of English or in other words slang
And slang words as we know them are used every day
By all sorts of people in every sort of way
But does this really matter not much one suppose
By any other word a rose would be a rose
Slang words to every language adds colour indeed
Perfection seems boring and such we do not need
When someone says that he or she speaks with a plum in their mouth
I am sure that you know what they are on about
In slang to some a disagreement is always a spat
And a moggy you've guessed it is a domestic cat.

On Michael's And Donal's Unspeakable And Uneatable

The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable, a quote from a wilde play most are aware
He was referring to foxhunting but that too could apply to hunters of the hare
But the cooked fox can be edible though far from the tastiest of meat
Taste buds belong to the well fed if you are hungry you will eat

On the unspeakable and uneatable of Millstreet hare coursing Michael Cashman and Donal Kelleher had their say
With slight variations in their opinions both seemed right in their own way
On the Millstreet ie Website they slightly differed to agree
We are born as individuals and we see all things differently

Fox hunting is a banned blood sport in many Countries to that i can only say hooray
And hare coursing in Ireland very different to that of a bygone day
The greyhounds nowadays are muzzled so the hares they cannot kill
The dying shrieks of a hare torn apart by greyhounds to me never was a thrill

The fox or hare well cooked though not the tastiest can be eaten little doubt
People who are really hungry do not have taste buds in their mouth
Comments of Michael and Donal on the Millstreet website inspired in me this rhyme
Though my words will not outlive me few things do live on in time.

The Bernese

A stranger on the streets he often walks up and down
The gray haired fellow from the far away town
In his seventy fifth year his best days long gone
The best years of his life to the forever gone
Without any children he never had a wife
And at present without a woman in his life
His English is good not hard to understand
The fellow from Bern in far Switzerland
Yet the accent he brought with him he does retain
That part of the old Country in him does remain
He came to this Country fifty three years ago
One who never made many friends but never made a foe
In his twenty second year when his hair was dark brown
The now gray haired fellow from the far away town.

Do You Feel Nostalgic

Do you feel nostalgic when life has you down
And you think of old friends in your distant hometown
And the people you love that you've not seen for years
Do such memories always have you close to tears

In this you are not alone many migrants this way
They do think of the old homeland every day
With people of their nationality they mostly socialize
And talking of the past to nostalgia gives rise

Louis in his late seventies loves to sing and dance
And with a few beers in he does talk of France
And of old friends in his first hometown by Britanny's shore
Ten thousand miles north of this Country or more

His beloved wife Linda a year ago died
The grief that enveloped him at her passing from others he could not hide
From the World of the living his best friend and soulmate has gone
But he too realizes that life must go on

In the minds of most migrants a Louis you will find
Who too often do think of a life they have left behind
And old friends and relations they may not see again
The past may be gone but the good memories of it remain

Like Louis of France does your thoughts often stray
To when you were younger in a town far away
And the friends you played with as a young girl or boy?
Such memories though nostalgic are your's to enjoy.

New Year's Eve Twenty Ten

The weather temperature soaring to forty degrees
And humid warmth in the sunshine and the gusty breeze
That blow from the south through the town by the bay
On the afternoon of the eve of New Year's Day

There are millions if not billions of flying insects about
Such extremes of weather we could live without
The birds out of the sunshine in the shade of the trees stay
To keep cool in such weather this their only way

The weather forecast for tomorrow much cooler that is good to hear
At least weatherwise a pleasant start to the New Year
In the pubs of the town the revellers celebrate
Though over indulgence in alchohol problems can create

In the pubs of the town revellers sing Auld Lang Syne
As they consume lots of alcohol beer, spirits and wine
Nine hours is all that's left of the year twenty ten
At midnight another New year will begin.

Self Promotion The In Thing

We often can be our own worst enemy
At least anyway that's how it is with me
Perhaps that comes from a sense of low self esteem
Negative thoughts on self worth can be destructive 'twould seem
If your self worth you are unwilling to promote
You will always be seen as one not worthy of note
Self promotion the in thing of the big World out there
Nowadays humility never gets one anywhere
The most of the famous and successful their own praises do sing
And though some will tell you too much love of self is not a good thing
Self praise for many does seem to work quite okay
As the gullible seem many in the World of today
You may say many of the wealthy and famous are arrogant this well may be indeed
But for to be successful of such most do seem in need.

The Year Twenty Ten

The year twenty ten it is drawing to a close
A good year for some one would have to suppose
But of tragic stories we did read of and hear
And for many it has been a terrible year
The earthquakes in Haiti left thousands of people dead
And the reprecussions will be felt there in the decades ahead
By thousands of people made homeless by Nature out of control
When angry of lives and of property she takes a heavy toll
Many deaths by suicide bombers in Iraq and Afghanistan
In wars that have lasted in time quite a span
In decades from now historians the year twenty ten will recall
As a good year for some but some is not all
The birthday of twenty eleven is near
And for you may it be a very good year.

Joan Long

That life is unpredictable is surely not a lie
Joan the youngest of Jer and Mary Long's six children is the youngest of them to die
Such a beautiful person in every way
In the quiet of St Mary's her remains now lay

Born and raised by the Cails at Annagloor less than two miles from Millstreet Town
To be a good person her claim to renown
For anyone that should be enough of fame
Her good qualities many too many to name

In her mid to late fifties she breathed her last
On looking back the decades time does go so fast
As a young woman she became Mrs Daly and went to live in Boherbue
I recall her as beautiful, young and carefree

We who knew her fond memories of her we'll retain
What was Annagloor's loss became Boherbue's gain
Us people like Nature's Seasons to life come and from go
Time eventually does become everyone's foe

In the flesh in Duhallow never more to be seen
But fond memories of her will remain evergreen
In the minds of her friends and her family
To have known one like her is a privilege to me.

Those Who Start A False Nasty Rumor

Those who start a false nasty rumor on another person to karma have a huge price to pay
Their shameful lies will return to haunt them perhaps in not in the too distant day
What goes around always does come around as some people do like to say
We receive from life what we put into it since life does seem to work in that way
To tell harmful lies about another person seems wrong and criminal to me
Reputation destroyers far from good people with that most could only agree
Why people should choose to do such things is way beyond me to explain
Their venomous lies very harmful and the slur with their victim remain
Perhaps for as long as that person does live that's how serious defamatory lies are
Some people do take their grudges and jealousies far more than a little too far
Like 'tis said about mud it does stick and there is mud in defamatory lies
That are started in damaging whispers and hurt more than one realize
But those who tell defamatory lies on another will receive the Karma they are due
For Karma applies to all people and that i believe to be true.

In Towerhill In Koroit

The birds chirp and sing in the dawn clear and gray
In Towerhill in Koroit for to welcome the day
High above the stone cliffs in the southern sky
The great wedge tail eagle has death in her cry
On the lake roadway lookout overlooking Towerhill
The lake and it's surroundings to view almost still
A small mob of roos and four emus graze in the scrubland
Some two hundred metres below from where i stand
In awe of Nature in all of her splendour overlooking the view
This one of my best memories of Nature to retain and such good memories are not few
The history of Towerhill too old for to trace
To Australia's first people once a sacred place
For as long as i live the mental pictures i'll retain
And in memory i'll visit old Towerhill again.

Make The Most Of The Now

Since you cannot live in the good years long gone
Make the most of the now for time is ticking on
The longest human life in time not a lengthy span
So do make the most of it whilst you can
The past it has gone the future is to look to
But you must live in the now that is all you can do
And only the memories that do remain
Of what for you has been but cannot be again
Since we are born as mortals and death is for us all
In the face of time the greatest of human achievements seem small
So try to be happy and enjoy every day
For time on our lives does keep ticking away
The past it has gone and the future ahead
Make the most of the now for we'll be forever dead.