Late April In Duhallow

Late April in Duhallow a lovely time of year
The song of the blackbird melodious and clear
Less than a weeks from May in the prime of the Spring
The wonders of Nature an amazing thing.

In weather quite pleasant of around twenty degrees
The nesting birds singing on the bushes and trees
And buttercups bloom by the silver tongued rill
That babbles to the river down the fields by the hill

Cattle on nutritious young grass gaining weight by the day
And the hawthorns coming to bloom will be in full bloom in mid May
Wildflowers in the old fields and Nature at her finest is seen
In late April in Duhallow everywhere lush and green

The swallows home to breed from warm climes far away
Above the fields in pursuit of flying insects spend most of their day
In Duhallow in late April far north as the bird fly
In distance many thousands of kilometers of sky.

The Beautiful Place

Though to the people who live there mine was a stranger's face
They made me feel welcome in their beautiful place
The people as beautiful as the place they live in
It is true about goodness it does come from within
Everybody i met there for me had a welcoming smile
And though i do live from there many a mile
I do hope for to return to there one day
The beautiful town by the white water bay
Where the weather is often sunny and the sky mostly blue and clear
And the air it has a nice warmth to it for nine months of the year
The lorikeets chirping on the flowering gum trees
And the warbling of the magpies carrying in the breeze
In the beautiful place from here far away
Where i vow to return to on some future day.

Roberto

With a wife and two young daughters to support Roberto on a low income struggles to pay every bill
And to prevent herself from becoming pregnant again Maud his wife is on the pill
She tells her friends that Roberto is far more randy in bed
Than any man she has been with including her first husband Ted

Not a handsome looking man though charming in his own way
What we lack in one thing we make up for in another as the wise one does say
Roberto makes friends easily he is a down to earth bloke
One who spins a good yarn and tells a good joke

But on his low income he cannot afford to socialize
And that this should be so does not seem a surprise
The boss he works for not generous his workers he is not good to pay
Roberto for poverty line wages works hard every day

Like all friendly people Roberto to many is known
And he surely does have a charm of his own
Quite a virile man so says Maud his wife
In his late twenties in the prime of his life.

That Us Humans Are Tribal

That us humans are tribal might seem fair to say
And many tribal groups within every community it does seem this way
The tribe-less nowadays are becoming more rare
And to recognize this one need not to be too aware
All over the World there are tribes everywhere
Millions of small tribal groups in the big World out there
And when tribes go to war the price is always huge to pay
Many injured and dying in tribal wars every day
In every town there is always competition when the tribes do meet
In sports there is always rivalry when local clubs for honor compete
The winners do always have the right to brag
And their fans sing the club song as they wave the club flag
Most of us humans are tribal and on saying that the tribe-less are few
Is not telling you anything that is new.

Majak Daw

The first Sudanese player to play top class Australian Rules Football
A sturdy handsome dark skinned fellow athletic and tall
In opposing defenders one to find a flaw
The pride of the North Melbourne Kangaroos fans the amazing Majak Daw
When Majak plays well North Melbourne are hard to beat
One who is always smiling in victory or defeat
Africa's first A F L player is quite a man
A credit to his people and his Country of origin of Sudan
Quite a likeable fellow and hard to knock off of his feet
Against Australia's best A F L players with success he compete
The North Melbourne fans love him as their favorite player
The Majak Daw kind of  A F L football are rare
The first African A F L player is an amazing man
And one who is loved by every North Melbourne fan.

A Late April Day

A cool enough start to a late Autumn day
But the magpie does sing in the park by the bay
And the dainty black and white magpie larks are singing pee wee
Birds familiar to many and familiar to me
Overnight a weather temperature of a cool four degrees
And brown leaves are falling from the deciduous trees
Though not much warmth in the sunshine of late not much rain at all
And the weather quite Seasonal for mid to late Fall
Though the days getting cooler as Winter draws near
Autumn can be quite a nice time of year
And a few weeks ago the paddocks quite brown after a few hours of rain
Beginning to green and looking healthier again
The magpie is singing in the park by the bay
In a cool enough start to a late April day.

Jim And Kate

The old man Jim talks of his glorious past
Of his physical prime years when he could run as fast
Across the town park as the freshening breeze
That rustles and soughs in the bushes and trees

When he was the district's best miler six decades ago
That was long before time it did become his foe
Against the Country's best milers with success he did compete
When he was tall, young and handsome and a marvelous athlete

Last week sixty years of marriage he did celebrate
With his friends and family and his devoted wife Kate
In her he found true love his soul mate for life
Yes in her he did find such a wonderful wife

Though the years have left them walking slower and gray
Together they walk in the park every day
For great grandparents in their late eighties they have aged quite well
Though time on everyone does eventually tell.

Though Many Growing Poorer

Though many growing poorer in the Human World of today
On the wealthy good on you is all i can say
As long as some of your wealth you are willing to share
With those doing it tough and their kind not rare
But if to the poor of the town money you never give
And not even spare a thought on how hard they do live
Then for your future good Karma you are not planting the seed
The Human World of your kind is surely not in need
Humanity is the worse off for wealthy People's greed
And that their kind not rare does seem quite sad indeed
For the wealthy minority many in poverty
The very thought of this does seem quite sad to me
But the compassionate and generous wealthy i can only admire
And of singing their praises i never could tire.

We All Have Our Hobbies

We all have our hobbies in life one might say
I am one with rhyme words who does like to play
An addictive rhymer i must seem this way
Since i am one who does write rhymes every day
Years ago i used to daydream that i would be a poet
One seen to be worthy of literary note
But daydreams are just that and seldom come true
And fame as a writer it is not my due
Still rhyming is very enjoyable to me
And when writing i do feel quite happy as happy as can be
And though some tell me i ought to give rhyming away
To such advice any heed i never do pay
As a writer all hope of success from me has gone
But i enjoy rhyming and i will rhyme on.

Do Not Take Yourself Too Seriously

Do not take yourself too seriously as some people do
Humanity for it's survival not depending on you
The living breath from so many great people has gone
But humanity without them survives and life does go on
Why worry about the World since time ticks away
And enjoy a few laughs if you can every day
Self importance for anyone is not a mentally healthy thing
And this includes the celebrities, the president, the queen and the king
Remember you too have to die one day
And the dead in every cemetery equal in every way
The Reaper of lives between people does not differentiate
The scythe of death equality is known to create
Do not take yourself too seriously the World on you does not depend
And life will go on when your life's journey will end.

On Hearing A Magpie

On a sunlit gum tree to where i am near
The warbling of a magpie so pleasant to hear
The variable notes quite melodious and clear
Of this bird who does sing every day of the year

For their natural aggression magpies are well known
These familiar black and white Australians have ways of their own
With dagger like point on their thick silver bill
Small birds i have seen them to attack and kill

When in warring mood for them there is no holding back
At their nesting time humans they even attack
With vigorous aggression they defend territory
To them to attack seems to come naturally

In Australia their kind present in almost every race
And their beautiful songs surely their saving grace
In their breeding Season from late Winter through Spring they sing in the night
In the nocturnal stillness a thing of delight

Familiar birds every day one does hear and see
They build a nest of sticks, wire and plastic on high branch of tree
On this pleasant day in April in Autumn with the sun in the sky
I do hear one warbling on a tree nearby.

I Can Only Visualize

I can only visualize of a life i did know
Where Finnow the white river to the Blackwater flow
And in fancy i can hear the silver tongued rill
Whose familiar babble has never been known to be still

The high pitched song of the dipper in my dreams i do hear
As if the waterway he sang in to me was quite near
The past though long gone in our memories remain
That in our dreams and visualizations we do visit again

The old fields that often inspired me to rhyme
I have not seen or walked on for many Seasons of time
But on the calm of a Summer evening just after sundown
I can hear a cow lowing in a field near Millstreet Town

And in my visualizations i often hear and see
In Spring a male robin sing on a leafy birch tree
When the hawthorns are cloaked in their white blooms of the May
By the Boggeragh hills from here many sky miles away

I can only visualize of the what used to be
Of the past in time and distance that does seem far from me
Where to many i would be a stranger today
And time on my life ever ticking away.

Though Your Worth As A Writer

Though your worth as a writer you often may doubt
No shortage of things for you to write about
Of the lives of people and of Nature so much on paper to say
There are poems and stories for you to write of every day

Few writers do know of enduring fame
But to write for enjoyment it is never a shame
In writing as in life not all are equal made
But everyone is of some benefit to the wordsmith trade

In Nature there is so much for to love and admire
And of writing of her how could one ever tire
The natural beauty every day around us we do see
That to many writers Nature is an inspiration is how it seems to be

In the World not many writers seen to be worthy of note
Though many aspire to fame as a novelist or playwright or poet
In writing as in life for one to win many must lose
Though losing is something anyone does not choose

Though your worth as a writer you question every day
And in it for you never any money or fame in any way
The mantle of literary fame you never may don
But if you enjoy writing by all means write on.

As Lucky As Can Be

The beauty of Nature is all around me
A magpie is warbling on a sunlit gum tree
And a magpie lark in the park is singing pee wee
To him he is doing what does come naturally
Though time has left me feeling weary and looking bald and gray
I feel lucky in the beauty i witness every day
In this beautiful Country where the weather is mostly fine
And on most days of the year there is warmth in the sunshine
In the home of the roo, echidna and wallaby and pied currawong
And gray shrike thrush the bird with the beautiful song
On a nice  April Autumn day of around twenty degrees
Birds chirping and singing on the bushes and trees
With Nature at her finest everywhere around me
I do feel quite lucky as lucky as can be.

Leave Them To Karma

Though you are a good person in your own kind way
Not everyone of you have nice things to say
There are negative people in every town
Who find pleasure in verbally putting the good living down
And though to life's higher principles you remain true
And negative comments from others of you is not your due
Though of their offensive  comments you are not in need
To their negativity do not pay any heed
For if you react to them in an angry way
For their pleasure there will be hell for you to pay
In offensive behavior some people enjoyment do find
Their sort sad to say would not know how to be kind
Leave them to Karma as the wise one would say
What we sow in life we have to reap one day.

In The World Many Good People

In the World many good people who never receive the credit to them due
But that we all have our flaws does happen to be true
It is human to have flaws it does seem this way
Though some more flawed than others is only fair to say
When i was a boy a wise woman said to me
We dislike in others in our own selves what we do see
An aging woman of wisdom her hair it was gray
The truth in her words remains with me today
You only can live as the best you can be
At least anyway this is how it seem to me
Help everyone you can in need of helping in your words never put anyone down
A trash talker will never be the toast of the town
In a World where many for success do compete
A flawless person i have yet for to meet.

In Sports As In Life

In sports as in life the best can be beat
To know how to win with joy one must know of defeat
There is always one better though you may be great
And it is always the winner most people do celebrate
And though losing is a thing anyone does not choose
For one for to win many do have to lose
And though the praises of aging heroes many may sing
The great gift of youth is a marvelous thing
But the fact is we are born as mortals and fact does not lie
And eventually the best too do grow old and die
The great tree of the forest eventually does fall
And time that rusts iron has the last say on us all
You may be the best in the Country today
But eventually you will meet one better since life is this way.

The Man Who Hangs In There

The man who hangs in there when the going gets tough
In life may be struggling but is man enough
To face life's toughest challenge and still do his best
And not found to be wanting when put to the test
Though the odds stacked against him hope from him has not gone
And though lady luck not with him he keeps on battling on
Out of work with a wife and two young children to provide for but he does not despair
And you never do hear him say life is unfair
In a high unemployment area searching for work every day
He knows that eventually success will come his way
That his luck will change and he will get the job start
He looks to the future with hope in his heart
Though down on his luck he refuses to throw the towel in
The one who fights on does eventually win.

Annie Kate

With shoulder length wavy hair of chestnut brown
Lovely Annie Kate the pride of the town
And lovely brown eyes and a beautiful smile
In her early twenties free of conceit and guile
She yearns for to travel to places elsewhere
Big towns and big cities in the big World out there
For love and for marriage she feels she has time
And she is a few years short of her physical prime
Next month she is bound for the U S of A
In the prime of the Spring in the northern May
And some of Canada and South America she hopes for to see
So much living to do for one of twenty three
And love marriage and children can wait for awhile
So says lovely brown haired Annie Kate with the beautiful smile.

Far South

Far south of the smoky and the noisy street
Where the creek from the hills and the river do meet
The gray butcherbird  he is singing today
His bubbling song in the memory does stay
In the home of the wombat and wallaby and gray kangaroo
And the big dark brown parrot known as yellow tailed black cockatoo
And the kookaburra and the dark pied currawong
The birds who before rain are always on song
Since it is never that hard for to visualize
Beauty is nearer to you than you realize
In the wood by the hill just before sundown
Far south of the streets of the noisy big town
The wild birds are singing on the woodland trees
Their pleasant notes floating in the evening breeze.

The Best I Can Be

Though penning of rhyme is enjoyable to me
A rhymer at best is the best i can be
For many years i have been a rhyming buff
And i am one who has penned heaps of rhyming stuff

Far from a good rhymer though my rhymes are my own
I have written of people imaginary and people i know and know of and people i have known
At penning rhyme for myself i will never make a name
I remain in the shadow of those who know of fame

My kind of rhymer to be found everywhere
I have written of places locally and places i have been to in the big World out there
Of coastal and bushland and many a waterway
Like all rhymers i do pen rhymes every day

I have penned rhymes of mountains and woodlands and beauty i have seen
Of wild places and countrysides of brown and of green
Of the flora and fauna i see every day
Nature's beauty from us is never far away

At best i am a rhymer my kind are not rare
And of this i have always been very aware
Time catching up on me seven years with three score
And i just write for enjoyment that and nothing more.

The Hard Working Man

To support his wife and children he rises for work before dawn every working day
The hard working man earns his every pay
The well being of his three young children and their mother his wife
Are the most important things to him in life
For his honesty and integrity he is admired and well known
The hard working man is in a class of his own
He mows the aged widowed pensioner Mrs Mancini's backyard every fourth Saturday
Knowing that she is poor from her he never takes monetary pay
Anyone in need of helping a friend in him does find
He is that sort of a person compassionate and kind
He has no desire for great riches and fame
And though his never will become a famous name
Those who know him only good things of him have to say
He is a good person in every way.

We Learn From Life

We get to know more about life every day
We do never stop learning it does seem this way
The arrogant sort may feel they know it all
But in their every utterance they do seem quite small
Every day something new we do read of and hear of and see
We do learn as we live is how it seems to be
Yes it is true indeed we do learn as we live
And to receive in life we must learn how to give
Though for our every lesson in life there is some price to pay
We do learn as we live it does seem fair to say
Our lessons in life do not always come free
But with that life is our greatest teacher few would disagree
We learn from life as we live every day
We never stop learning it does seem this way.

The Wise Man On Football

Where a given number of players from each team compete physically for one ball
A wise man once said to me this makes no sense at all
Why not give every player a ball each to play with and there would not be any injuries
Such as broken bones and torn hamstrings and serious injuries to the knees
Whilst many may laugh on at what he has to say
On football in dismissing his views in such a way
But on what he has to say there is some sense to be found
On a group of men in a park chasing one football around
The wise man has never watched a game of football in his life
At the weekend he goes for a drive out the country with his children and wife
He could not even tell you the teams in the weekend's big game
Suppose we would be boring if all of our interests in life were the same
On football there is some sense on what the wise man does say
When he says they should give every player their own ball with to play.

Our Earth Mother

She is and was and always will be the World's number one super power
The one who can create a beautiful flower
The food that we live on for us she does grow
Yet so little about her we can claim to know
The one who provides for us for as long as we live
We take and take from her and in return to her little give
For her riches we dig up her ground for to satiate our greed
She would be better off without us though her we do need
Her achievements far greater than that of any woman or man
The mother of all life forms since life on Earth began
For their survival every life form on her does depend
Yet we do not treat her as our greatest friend
Our Earth Mother every life she does eventually receive
The only World super power i for one do believe.

One Person Cannot Change The World

One person cannot change the World despite what some might say
But if to help people in need of helping you go out of your way
Without expecting any rewards for to win
Then you are helping to make the World a better World to live in
If you are one with compassion and empathy
And for those doing it tough feel genuine sympathy
Then for a happier and more prosperous World for all to live in your part you do play
Our actions speak more of us than our words do say
One person cannot change the world but one person can
Make the World better to live in by becoming a better woman or man
If you can help some poor person without looking for honor or pay
And out of kindness perform at least one good deed every day
Though the plaudits of the masses for this you may not win
You are making the World a better World to live in.

Anne Mullane

In life few of us do share a similar destiny
Anne Mullane was a person much younger than me
And though of her i knew her i did not get to know
Though we were both raised in the place of the silver back crow

We all have our different journeys in life
To Matt Murphy of Kilworth she became the wife
The pipe of the curlew never more for to hear
Above Coolikerane Bog in the Spring of the year

As time goes her's was not a very long span
The Reaper of lives did come early to Anne
Some live to be old and some do die young
But the praises of every good person ought to be sung

In Spring in the field where the rushes do grow
Never more for to hear the male pheasant cuck and crow
Or hear the lark singing as upwards he does fly
A musical speck in the gray of the sky

We are born to mortality on this we do not have a say
And on all of our lives time is ticking away
And far from Coolikerane where she first saw light of day
The last remains of Anne Murphy nee Mullane does lay.

Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison is supposed to believe in freedom and justice and democracy
The Minister for Immigration elected by the majority
Of his Constituency who with his views agree
In every democracy the majority rule is how it seems to be

Scott Morrison may have his many admirers but it does seem to me
That he does not believe in the rights of any asylum seeking refugee
Who from religious or cultural persecution their homelands do flee
To seek refuge in Australia and of oppression live free

He orders his navy to either turn back the boats or send them from Australia to Islands far away
To prison camps for a long and indefinite stay
As if in seeking freedom from persecution they were committing a crime
For wanting a better and safer life serving long prison time

Scott Morrison will never be nominated  for a Nobel Peace Prize
If he does this would be a huge Worldwide surprise
Though his many loyal supporters think he is doing okay
By their loyalties you make out of them what you may.

The Dunce Of The School

In his younger years supposed to be a dunce in his school
The boy who grew up to be nobody's fool
And became a legend in the history of human kind
He was one who was blessed with a brilliant mind
A dunce in his classroom who became famous Worldwide
True greatness of him it cannot be denied
The one who came up with the idea that all life forms interrelate
With the highest achievers of human history he is one who does rate
He was not a great sportsman or macho in any way
But in his legacy to humanity he is living today
From a slow beginning as an adult he came into his own
Worldwide famous in life in death his legend has grown
The dunce of the school rose to the heights of fame
As an all time great physician Albert Einstein was his name.

Memories Of Birdsland

A place i would love for to visit again
Of Birdsland in South Belgrave good memories with me remain
On the paths around the lakes with my female border collie x blue heeler Jedder many Seasons ago
We often did walk before time became her foe

In Wonthaggi in South Gippsland Jedder's last remains lay
And from Birdsland i grow old many miles away
I often think of her my black and white friend
To me she was devoted until her life's end

In the Yarra Ranges a sanctuary for wildlife where many species of birds and animals abound
Birdsland in the valley with hills all around
An Eden like place with a charm of it's own
I feel privileged that such a place i have known

Two or three kilometers at most south of Belgrave Town
The hills around Birdsland do often look brown
Where Jedder and i often walked in the past
And only the memories of good times do last.

In Life For Some

The hero of last year is not a hero today
In life for some it can be this way
Those who build you up can also drag you down
There can be a price to pay for wealth and renown
The people who create heroes and heroines of them quickly can tire
And they never fail for to find others to admire
Today's hero or heroine may not be so this time next year
Of stories of fallen idols we so often read of and hear
Celebrity do not count on your fans for their unreserved loyalty
With most of them their their admiration is conditional this is how it seems to be
Fallen idols are to be found in towns and cities everywhere
There are many of them in the big World out there
And the heroes of last year may not be so today
In life for some it can be this way.

On The Resignation Of Barry O Farrell

The Premier of New South Wales Barry O Farrell his portfolio has resigned
Unwittingly according to himself to a little scandal he has been aligned
The gift of an expensive bottle of wine became his downfall
But in politics much bigger scandals than this not hard to recall
In a tribunal for forgetting he signed for the gift of a bottle of wine as a crime does seem small
Poor old Barry his memory must not be good at all
In his memory it can be said of him he did lose his way
For his forgetfulness with the loss of his top job he was made to pay
But i have a feeling on his huge Premier pension  Barry will be okay
That he will not die of hunger would only be fair to say
Yes Barry on his huge pension in life will do fine
And he will never go short of expensive wine
Though no longer Premier of New South Wales with his wealthy friends and his family and wife
He can wine and dine in the top restaurants and enjoy the good life.

In Drishane In May

Good memories as is known slow to fade away
And though fading a bit the mental images stay
Of Finnow the white river slowly babbling on it's way
Under the bridge to the Blackwater in Drishane in May

In weather not warm around nineteen degrees
The rooks are cawing on their sticks nests on the tall trees
The sun intermittently shines through clouds of gray
And the contented cattle on lush grass at ease chewing their cuds lay

The unrivaled beauty in Nature is a source of delight
And the abundance of wildflowers in the old fields is a beautiful sight
In Nature there is beauty for to see every day
And such can be said of green Drishane in May

Of what i have known of i only do write
And i email my rhymes to an internet site
And though there today mine may be a stranger's face
I have known of Drishane as a beautiful place

The migratory dark barn swallows who spend many hours in the sky
In pursuit of flying insects do chirp as they fly
And the voice of the cuckoo i fancy i hear
A migratory nest parasite of the Spring of the year

In the shallow pools of the Blackwater the wary of humans brown trout
Skins gleaming in the sunshine whilst swimming about
And the scratchy song of the water bird everyone seem to know
The familiar dark brown dipper of breast white as snow

The nesting song birds are singing on the bushes and trees
And some signs of rain in the freshening breeze
In the fields where the hawthorns are cloaked in flowers of white to gray
Near the Town of Millstreet in Drishane in May.

Jane

To Joe her alcoholic wife and child beating husband Jane was a good wife
In his early thirties he took his own life
After coming home from the pub drunk he often beat her and their children John and Ann
He was a disturbed and very angry man

After being arrested by the police after assaulting a man in a pub he hung himself in the jail cell
The local police sergeant knocked on her door the sad news for to tell
And though he had been cruel to herself and her children for years
For him she did grieve and for him she shed tears

A grandmother in her early sixties her shoulder length hair silver gray
She never remarried and single she will stay
For as long as she lives she has learned the hard way
That for our lessons in life there is some price to pay

Jane is a beautiful person compassionate and kind
And any flaw in her would be hard to find
She devotes many hours every week to helping the homeless and hungry and financially down
To live as a good person is her claim to renown.

There Is More To Life

There is more to life than money and fame
Though to many these two important just the same
Since some money to live on most people do need
And fame to many seems important indeed
But money and fame as a person does not say as much of you
As your kindness and compassion and empathy for others do
The fact is money is quite important and fact does not lie
There is more to life than the me, myself and i
For to receive good Karma in life you must sow the seed
And be willing to help those of your helping in need
Those who for to help others go out of their way
Their actions say more of them than words can say
And though they are quite important money and fame
There is more to life so much more one could name.

Somewhere

Many kilometers off of the highway that leads to elsewhere
Is the far away town that is known as Somewhere
Not known as a tourist attraction or worthy of note
As from anywhere it does seem far too remote
The town anyone never does celebrate
It has never been home to a celebrity or a sporting great
Too far from the nearest big town and too far inland from the sea
It has never been famous for anything or never will be
You mention Somewhere to anyone and to you they will say
Never been to there from anywhere too far away
The narrow roadway to Somewhere the tourists ignore
As they drive on the highway to the ocean shore
I cannot ever recall meeting anyone from Somewhere
The far away town in the remote lands out there.

The Karma We Sow

Perhaps i am telling you something you know
When i say in life we reap the fruits of the Karma we do sow
In life it is true we must give to receive
On such a philosophy i do believe
With those who claim that Karma in the human existence does not belong
I do beg to differ they do have it wrong
What goes around comes around does remain ever true
And does apply to all and this includes me and you
The one always willing to help the one of helping in need
For his or her own good Karma does plant the good seed
The workings of Karma despite of what some may say
Is not hard for to understand in any way
If to compassion and kindness you remain ever true
Then lots of good Karma in life you are due.

Where Human Greed Is Prevalent

Of the power of their money wealthy people may boast
But where human greed is prevalent Nature does suffer most
For the wealth she possesses people dig in our Mother Earth's ground
Most natural environmental damage occurs where human greed does abound

Of the greatness of oil tycoons and mining magnates we hear of and read about
But of their sort of people Mother Earth would be better off without
Where people have been mining and digging Nature's resources laid bare
So much environmental damage to create one billionaire

Though with my way of thinking most do disagree
Our human priorities seem all wrong to me
The Earth Mother we live off of we abuse every day
That we take and take from her does seem sad to say

And in return to her little give it does seem this way
For our environmental crimes the future generations will pay
To the new billionaire his or her wealthy friends do drink a toast
But where human greed is prevalent Nature does suffer most.

Learning Of Mother Nature's Ways

Learning of Mother Nature's ways is something i do enjoy
I can claim to have loved her since i was a boy
In fancy in those old green fields in view of Clara Hill
I can hear the babble of the silver tongued rill

That in a voice never silent by grove and hedgerow
On to the bigger river it ever does flow
And i hear the scratchy song of one i do know
The dark brown water bird dipper of breast white as snow

Above Matty Owens bog in the Spring of the year
The flute of the curlew melodious and clear
His brown mottled partner sits on her blotched eggs in her nest on the ground
Amongst rushes where bog cotton bloom all around

Out of wintering sheds on months of silage and hay
On nutritious young grass the cattle gain weight by the day
And bluebells and primroses bloom on the ditch of the bohreen
And Nature's flowers in their billions in the old fields to be seen

My thoughts often go to a far away Spring
When on bushes and trees nesting birds chirp and sing
Only for to realize time has become my foe
And in Seasons this now seems a long time ago

Here in the great Land of emu, wombat, koala and roo
To live in the now is the best i can do
And marvel at the beauty i feel privileged to see
Created by Nature everywhere around me.

Many Religious People

Many religious people believe that beyond the stars
And far beyond Venus and Jupiter and Mars
That there is a paradise somewhere in the sky
That post bodily death good souls to do fly

As of yet any deceased person has not come back to tell
Of these supposed after life Worlds known as Heaven and Hell
But cynicism does thrive in the minds of cynics like me
Who only can believe on what their eyes do see

Those who truly believe on a life for the soul post bodily death of death lose all fear
But not many of their kind or so it does appear
Alleluia alleluia in their house of worship they do sing
Whilst to the life in their bodies they do desperately cling

We all agree on one thing that life in the body does eventually die
And what happens to the soul then is between you and i
And the billions of people who live everywhere
In every village, city and town in the big world out there.

The Man Who Fears Snakes

The man who fears snakes he is living today
From danger he is smart enough for to stay away
And though the masses the praises of brave deeds may sing
Just a little bit of fear can be a healthy thing
Those who did not know of fear went to an early grave
And though they are admired as the deceased brave
The people who have fear in them will grow old
And why should they worry if their life story is never told
Whilst the fearless have died young in their physical prime
They are enjoying life and having a good time
And this is all that matters since life can be great
And the dead do not know when the living them do celebrate
The man who fears snakes is well and happy today
Whilst his brother the snake charmer for his lack of fear with his life did pay.

Show Me A Good Loser

Show me a good loser and i will show you a loser as some do like to say
And it is not easy for to lose in a gracious way
In a World where winning only seems to count
And being a good loser to nothing seems to amount
In life as in sports it is so much the same
To the winners go most of the glory and fame
People compete with each other for some form of success every day
Suppose this is how it is and will always be this way
That in the twenty first as it was in the twentieth century success seen as most important happens to be true
Though some will tell you it is not everyone's due
The name of the winners historians like to recall
And that anyone does not choose to be a loser does apply to all
Show me a good loser and i will show you a loser as some do like to say
And it is not easy for to lose in a gracious way.

The Place You Call home

We all have a place that we like to call home
To the Athenian it is Athens and to the Roman it is Rome
To the one born in Bombay his or her home Bombay
Though from their home city they may live far away

The place you call home by your birth circumstance
To the Londoner it is London to the Parisian it is Paris in France
To the Melbournian  it is Melbourne and when you ask the New Zealander from Rotorua
Where is your home place the answer will not be Kathmandu

To the Leningradian it is Leningrad and to the Baghdadian it is Baghdad
Though to be living far from there he or she may feel glad
To the Buenosairean it is Buenos Aires and to the migrant from Rio home as Rio does remain
And to the migrant  Barcelonian their home is Barcelona in Spain

Where they are born and raised most consider to be their home place
And this applies to people of every gender, creed and race
To the person from Toronto it is Toronto and to the New Yorker it is New York
And home place to me is always Millstreet in County Cork.

The Children Came Back

The Children Came Back Archie Roach's famous song
Such beautiful words lamenting a past wrong
Done to Australian indigenous children in a long gone time
To be born not dark enough was their only crime
Any advantage in life Archie Roach did not enjoy
By authority of Government taken from his birth parents when he was a boy
Archie and lovely Ruby Hunter the mother of his children and now deceased wife
Were both stolen generation children quite early in their life
Of life's sadder times Archie Roach does know
Yet any bitterness to anyone he does not show
Any anger and resentment he has outgrown
Though sins against him in life Archie has known
The great singer songwriter of the brilliant mind
Gentle in his ways and compassionate and kind.

Till The Day I Do Die

I well may be in the twilight of my life span
And if living in ten years i will be an old man
My mind and body has lost most of the energy of youthful elan
But i will go on rhyming for as long as i can
The boy of the fifties showing his years in gray
And clearly i have known a far better day
And though i am years past my physical prime
For as long as i can do i will keep penning rhyme
Yes the wear of time it is telling on me
My memory is not as good as it used to be
But rhyming for me is a pleasurable thing
And rhyme words to them do have a pleasant ring
If i said i'd quit rhyming this would be a lie
Since i hope to be doing it till the day i do die.

The Arrogance In Tony Abbott

Every time i see Australia's P M Tony Abbott and this is often on t v
His very body language is saying you look at me
That the man has a huge ego a fool could even see
The one chosen to be Prime Minister by the voting majority
In his body language not any sign of compassion or any trace of empathy
That so many leaders are like him how sad this seems to be
The people we elect as our political leaders so much of us does say
There must be a lot of swollen egos amongst the voters of today
Tony Abbott an example in him not hard to see
That by his body language he lacks in humility
He may portray himself as a kind and caring person but his body language him betray
Of him am i judgmental since i am known to be this way?
He walks with an egotistical swagger with possessiveness in his every handshake
The arrogance in Tony Abbott's body language a fool could not mistake.

His Luck Was In

Financially way down on his luck and contemplating suicide
He bought a lotto ticket to find lady luck on his side
For him a three million dollars tattslotto win
One well might say that his luck was in
Yesterday he was homeless down to his last twenty five dollars near enough to being broke
In less than twenty four hours three times a millionaire and now a wealthy bloke
In his early twenties yesterday out of work and homeless and his financial problems were great
But today he is happy and he can celebrate
With lady luck on your side your life can change for the better in a day
You do need her on your side as the wise one does say
Yesterday sad and homeless and a poor sad sack of the town
Few do wish to know of you when you are financially down
Today in the town of him everyone wishes to know
Suddenly his friends in great numbers they do seem to grow.

On Badgers

In Europe farmers slaughter badgers as carriers of  T B
That they spread the disease to cattle but who knows maybe
The cattle infect badgers with T B as it has not been proved either way
But the poor badgers with their lives for the T B must pay

A little about badgers i can claim to know
In the place where into manhood from a boy i did grow
I often did see badgers in the fields at twilight
Back in those days they were not an uncommon sight

The badger a gray average dog sized creature with a white stripe on the face
In it's underground sett the previous night's bedding does replace
Mostly of dry grass before venturing out for the night
To search for food in the fields near their setts till the break of daylight

The badger for the biggest dog is a formidable foe
John Clare in his great poem badger many decades ago
Described of the cruelty to a badger by humans displayed
In a poem from the memory never for to fade

But some humans on animals like inflicting pain
From the suffering of poor creatures pleasure they seem to gain
And in some parts of Europe due to T B sad to say
Badgers are gassed in their underground setts hidden from light of day.

We Never Stop Learning

We never stop learning it does seem this way
And of Nature we learn new things every day
But the more i learn of Nature the more i realize
That little i do know of her this to my surprise
But Nature's beauty from me is never far away
And to see it money i do not have to pay
In the sunshine white butterflies dancing in the gentle breeze
In the clear blue sky above the bushes and trees
Of singing of Nature's beauty poets never seem to tire
To write poems about her them she does inspire
The beauty dormant in Winter reawakens in Spring
When the nesting  wild birds do whistle and sing
And in the town park looking lovely and green
In the prime of their beauty wildflowers to be seen.

Written By Winners

War history is written by winners this is how it seems to be
Though war winners quite often guilty of crimes against humanity
The true story of war the winners never do tell
Since the truth is a thing that would not serve them well
Many war winning leaders guilty of crimes against humanity enjoying the good life today
Whilst the leaders of war losing Countries for their crimes made to pay
By being put to death or in prison for a lifetime stay
The losers in war are punished in every way
Where innocent people are slaughtered in large numbers and buried like sheep
The victims of war in their mass graves their secrets do keep
Of how they were beaten and raped and killed in the cruelest way
Yet their murderers live happy and enjoy the good life today
War history only written by winners this is how it seems to me
Though that this does not seem fair would you not agree?

The Facts Never Lie

Everywhere that i turn to look i do see
The beauty of Nature that is all around me
The light of the sun on the bushes and trees
And butterflies dancing in the evening breeze

Were i born a poet of  Nature's beauty i would write
Poems of Nature for lovers of poetry to enjoy and to read and recite
Such great beauty for to see that we do not need  to pay
That is everywhere all around us every day

It is a fact of life and fact never lie
Like all of Nature's  creatures we are born to die
Just like every life form from the great to the small
Life's last night and day is awaiting us all

I only write of here what happens to be true
And for this any credit i cannot be due
I have loved Nature's beauty since i was a boy
But i will be outlived by the beauty i enjoy

Long after the breath of life from my body has gone
The beauty of Nature will be living on
A beauty that is never destined for to die
For Nature is immortal the facts never lie.

To Most I Am One

To most i am one who is completely wrong
When i say that to Nature and our Earth Mother we do belong
Many look at me as if my brains were clogged with sand
When i say we are mere mortals like all life forms of water and land
So many believe in their great God in the sky
Whose kingdom post bodily death their souls with wings to will fly
Suppose we all do need something for to believe in
As we age our own war with our demons within
In the super store i often do buy fish and meat
But am i any better than the creatures i eat
Is it wrong of me for to think in this way
Such a question i ask of myself every day
Suppose we all look at life in our ways differently
And what is right to you may seem all wrong to me.

On A Terrible Beauty Is Born

The seemingly immortal words of Yeats poem 'A Terrible Beauty Is Born'
The classic poetry anthologies of the English speaking World does adorn
When he wrote of the Irish Martyrs of the Easter Rising of nineteen sixteen
And of the great beauty in the deaths of brave young men he had seen
But Yeats looked at this in ways different to me
Since any beauty in death i do fail for to see
Though the flag loving patriots the the praises of the war dead does sing
Of any beauty in death is there such a thing?
But suppose we all look at life in a different way
Yeats 'A Terrible Beauty Is Born' is living today
I cannot see any beauty in death but suppose we all look at life differently
Today i see beauty everywhere around me
White butterflies are seemingly dancing around in the sky above every bush and tree
True beauty in such a thing i for one does see.

War In Itself

The praises of war heroes patriots may sing
But war in itself is a terrible thing
In war many innocent civilians badly injured or do die
To the glory in war this surely gives the lie
That from war history  some men never learn one has to wonder why
And that war it is tribal none ought to deny
And more wars in the World are fought every day
Some never do learn it does seem this way
War is the child of xenophobia and hate
And in it there is nothing to celebrate
Yet thousands line the streets  to watch every war parade
And of deceased war heroes legends are made
Even the babes of today may not live to see
A World that is peaceful where all people live in harmony.

As Long As

As long as others you never harm in any way
Or untruthful things of them never do say
And help anyone you can of your help who is in need
Then for your own good Karma you do plant the good seed

As long as in your words you never drag anyone down
Or feel superior to anyone else in the town
And for those doing it tough feel some sympathy
You have the great gift that's known as empathy

As long as in your successes humble you do remain
And from boasting of self in public you refrain
And pay to everyone the respect they are due
To the higher self you are one who is true

As long as you never find pleasure in anyone's physical or mental pain
And from the misfortune of others never seek for to gain
And never succumb to jealousy or greed
Then you do live as a good person indeed.

A Man From Duhallow

Wherever my road in life to does lead me
A man from Duhallow is all i can be
The accent i was born into is with me to stay
For as long as i live till my last night and day
From the Boggeragh Ranges from here far away
The Seasons of life have left me looking old and gray
Four decades of years beyond my physical prime
Eventually we all become victims of time
We all come from somewhere to all does apply
But our heritage to anyone we should not deny
I was born and raised in Claraghatlea near the Town of Millstreet
A short walk through the fields to where the rivers do meet
And wherever my road in life to does lead me
A man from Duhallow is all i can be.

On The Passing Of William O Leary

Though good health had not been with him for many a day
Such sad news out of Millstreet the great William O Leary has passed away
He left in all who knew him many a good memory
Of the man he once was in the what used to be

A man who loved his wife Mary and his family
He was an inspirational leader in the Millstreet Community
As a business man and a great Gaelic  Footballer he was widely known
And the people of Millstreet felt proud to claim him for their own

Good old memories as is said slow to fade away
For Millstreet in green and Cork in red great games he did play
In his prime years for him many a loud hooray
He once scored two goals for Cork against Kerry on Munster Final Day

To the higher self William did remain ever true
He was a good person for to give him his due
One of the O Learys of West End a family known far and wide
Beyond the borders of Duhallow's green countryside

Predeceased by his younger brother Dermy and his older brother Dan
William O Leary will be remembered not alone as a great Gaelic Footballer but as a very good man
By Cashman's Hill in St Mary's his last remains lay
But for his passing Millstreet is the poorer today.

The Romans Name For It Was Hibernia

The Romans name for it was Hibernia the Country now known as Ireland
Which translated means 'The Place Of Winter' which is not hard to understand
As the Romans went to there in Winter when frost and snow was on the ground
The Romans did not stay long in Ireland in history evidence of this to be found
Yet Hibernia for Ireland in Winter seems an apt name as the weather there at that time of year can be wet and cold
But this story comes from early oral history and many inaccuracies in a story so old
And though Ireland does have a proud written history and it's people have brought it honor and fame
Still maybe they should have stuck with Hibernia since Hibernia is such a nice name
And very different to neighboring Countries of England and Scotland in meaning different in every way
The Country the Romans baptized with the name of Hibernia is known as the Ireland of today
So many Countries have undergone name changes and Ireland it is one of those
And time to every Country brings changes such is life one would have to suppose
The Romans first named it as Hibernia but Ireland nowadays is it's name
It's people do have a proud history and they have brought it honor and fame.

The Rain Falling In A Light Drizzle

The rain falling in a light drizzle it is not a very nice day
Behind the gray clouds of the dull sky the sun it is hidden away
The weather it can be quite changeable in April in the Southern Fall
Yet the farmers for rain had been hoping and for them light rain better than no rain at all

For the past two months they have been buying hay for their cattle no grass in the paddocks bare and brown
The drought conditions it's toll it has taken in the countryside by the town
The overgrazed paddocks exposed to the dry weather have never been looking so bare
The sheep and the cattle quite hungry where there is scarce enough of grass to sustain a hare

On what has been a very warm Summer for the farmers no financial gain
This change in the weather they welcome since they had been hoping for rain
In Climate Change weather can be variable in parts of the Country it has not rained for a year
And from Lands further north of flooding and storms every day  in the news we do hear

The rain falling in a light drizzle we will not see the sun shine today
In the paddock  around the circular  feed bin the cattle are bellowing for hay
The countryside bare and dry looking this the first rain we have seen for some while
But even with a few hours of light rain the farmers can manage a smile.

It Must Be What I Dislike In Others

It must be what i dislike in others in my own self i do see
Since big egos are everywhere all around me
It would be a dull one who would not be aware
That humility in the Human World has become more rare
Than it was a decade ago it does seem this way
Egotistical people i do meet every day
They do not seem aware of their own mortality
An over inflated ego can be the cause of mind poverty
An egotistical person could never be compassionate and kind
As an over inflated ego crowds compassion out of the mind
A  wise person to me made it abundantly clear
That the one without ego of death loses all fear
To live we do need some ego but too much of it can take it's toll
On compassion and empathy the gifts of the soul.

Some People

Some people who enjoy using their words in a negative way
Of people like me never have kind things to say
They have their opinions and this suits me fine
And what they think of me is their business and their business not mine
Apart in my ways from their sort i do grow
Of the person that is me they never will know
Suppose we are all individuals with ways of our own
And the seeds of our Karma in life by us sown
Those who in others find pleasure on highlighting their every flaw
Never address their own failings going by natural law
To be self critical and self analysing is never a sin
Self improvement in any person as we do know can only come from within
By putting others down in your words respect you never do win
But by becoming a better person you make the World better to live in.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

The poems and quotations of Oliver Wendell Holmes are living today
This literary genius with words had a way
Of Cambridge Massachusetts one years ahead of his time
His legacy to humanity memorable quotations and rhyme

And though from all of those who knew him the breath of life may be long gone
His knowledge and wisdom in print does live on
In his literary output one can obviously see
That he was a person who knew of life's ways intimately

In his writings of his genius there cannot be any doubt
That he was one who did know what living life is about
From reading his quotes and poems life's insights one does gain
And his literary pearls of wisdom one does visit again

Though long deceased as a writer his legend has grown
In the English speaking World his literary works are widely known
No doubt about it Oliver Wendell Holmes was quite a clever man
Of his marvelous rhyme in me he has a fan.

We Do Never Stop Learning

In material things for my years of life i have little to show
But of life there are things i can claim for to know
And memories of places i have been to and things i have seen
In my mind of memories remain evergreen

And some things of life i have come to realize
Like all we do grow older but few do grow wise
The wisest person i know has spent few years in school
But one can say of her she is nobody's fool

The politicians we elected as legislators of the Country in the Country's Parliament of today
Are our reflective mirror as people does this seem fair to say?
In Parliament sittings behaving like naughty school children calling each other out of name
Of them we are supposed to feel proud but they are to our shame

To the feelings and needs of others many of us seem to be blind
Makes one realize such wonderful people are the compassionate and kind
Yet of them we seldom do hear of or read much about
Though of their worth as good people there cannot be any doubt

I have been to a few places but i cannot say i have been there and done that
And i have not grown wiser though i have grown old and fat
But i learn a little from life every day
We do never stop learning as the wise one does say.

In The Rushy Fields

Just west of the Duhallow Town of Millstreet
Above the rushy fields where the rivers do meet
The little brown skylark does sing as he fly
A musical speck in the gray morning sky
The freshening winds of April from the mountains blow
And the little brown dunnock sings in the hedgerow
And the dark brown dipper with breast white as snow
On song where the river rapids do flow
The cattle out of wintering sheds on months of silage and hay
On nutritious  young grass gaining weight by the day
The weather every day is warming by a few degrees
And the rooks cawing on their stick nests on the tall trees
Just west of the Duhallow Town of Millstreet
In the rushy fields where the rivers do meet.

Your Worth As A Person

Your worth as a person you well may doubt
And you ask yourself sometimes what life is about
But hope in your mind it is far from dead
And you believe better days of you are ahead
But sympathy from others you never seek to gain
And of your poor financial state you do never complain
And though without  a job and financially down
You refuse to become a sad sack of the town
You search for a job start without success every day
And you firmly believe your perseverance will pay
That you will get the job start something you do crave
But as is often said fortune does favor the brave
And your turn will come as the wise one does say
When the lady of luck will be smiling your way.

No Different To All

No different to all this includes you and i
The celebrities and those of royal birth since they too must die
Death makes us all equal at life's journey's end
Since we are born as mortals why otherwise pretend
The time on our lives ever ticking away
And does bring us nearer to our last night and day
Though many believe good souls post death have wings to fly
To a Heavenly World somewhere beyond the sky
The truth in a life for the soul after bodily death not for me for to say
Since i am not religious or god fearing in any way
Call me an atheist or agnostic or call me what you may
Only know for us all there is a last night and day
I just want to live on for as long as i can
And die without pain as a very old man.

An April Day

In the freshening breeze the sweet scent of hay
In the brown countryside such a beautiful day
The bird who does sing every day of the year
The song of the magpie melodious and clear
On this sunny day in April in the Southern fall
Pee wee pee wee the magpie lark does call
On the deciduous trees in the paddocks by the town
The leaves a few weeks ago green are beginning to brown
For the time of year the weather quite fine
Without too much wind and lots of warm sunshine
Though the brown paddocks could do with a little rain
With such pleasant weather one cannot complain
And though with each passing day the Winter is drawing near
The sun it is shining and the sky blue and clear.

Young Jimmy The Braggart

Young Jimmy the braggart he has a big mouth
The bloke from up north in the town in the south
He fancies himself a highbrow but for their sort of company he seems too uncouth
One might say all in all he is a bit of a lout

Barrel chested and broad shouldered and not lacking in height
His is the loudest voice in the pub on a Saturday night
He is one of those who likes to make himself known
A well pumped up ego he surely does own

Long brown hair and brown beard and full of youthful elan
But young Jimmy The Braggart far from a handsome man
When he says women find him attractive he has it all wrong
The town's biggest ego to big Jimmy belong

At twenty two years of age near the prime of his life
He does not have children or he does not have a wife
But of the women he has made love to he does like to brag
Young Jimmy The Braggart the town's leading windbag.

Commitments In Life

I used to daydream of adventure and renown
But commitments in life ties me to the one town
I would like to see more of the big World out there
And on the highway to the big city of elsewhere

Commitments in life ties me to the one place
Where mine has become a too familiar face
I am one who wears the semi local tag
And this is something of which one does not brag

I remember the Irish Travelers when i was a boy
A life free of commitments they did enjoy
A few weeks in a place and then they moved on
Though their ways of traveling in the forever gone

So many far away places i would love to see
But age and life commitments has made a semi local of me
Though they would not claim me to be one of their own
To too many locals i have become known.

I Too Could Be One Of The Millions

So many poor people who are doing it tough
Homeless on the poor streets and at night sleeping rough
In disused old factories and house ruins, on park benches and in the shelter of park trees
Often in wintery temperatures of zero degrees
In life i have been lucky to say different would be a lie
When i think of the millions of homeless people i think of how lucky am i
Of a fair go in life i have never been denied
And i do believe i have lady luck on my side
Yes i do not have any cause to complain
I do not have to sleep out in the wind and rain
To those who promote a fair go for all i do lend my voice
To live homeless and hungry is never anyone's choice
I have been lucky in life in many a way
I too could be one of the millions of homeless and hungry today.

On Magpie Larks

Near where humans live they are happy to stay
These birds that i hear and i see every day
Known as magpie lark or mud lark or to some as pee wee
Birds familiar to many and familiar to me

Slightly bigger than a blackbird in feathers of black and white
They feed on the ground on an insect diet
They build a cup shaped nest of mud mostly on lower branch of tree
And lay pale spotted brown eggs no more than four or no less than three

In town parks and in backyards and paddocks of the countryside
The black and white magpie larks are known Australia wide
Familiar in their appearance and familiar in their song
And once seen and once heard one cannot get them wrong

Of birds and bird ways little i can claim to know
But i do know a magpie lark from a currawong, magpie or a crow
From where humans are they are never far away
And them i do hear and do see every day.

In Claramore Wood

Though from where i now live many sky miles away
In fancy i am in Claramore Wood today
Listening to the wild born nesting birds whistle and sing
The workings of Nature quite an amazing thing

In the home of the rook and the silver back crow
Above the old high fields cool April winds blow
A place that i loved many Seasons ago
Many years before time itself became my foe

In Spring on the slopes of Clara just before sundown
Overlooking the fields bordering Millstreet Town
The little brown lark sings as upwards he does fly
To become a musical speck in the gray clouds of the sky

A familiar voice of the Spring of the year
The song of the robin i fancy i hear
And i hear the babble of the silver tongued rill
That has it's source in a high field by Clara's old hill

The sky above Clara may be looking gray
But in Claramore Wood birds are singing today
And a song that remains quite familiar to me
Of a pink breasted chaffinch on a leafy birch tree.

What We Dislike In Ourselves

What we dislike in ourselves we dislike in others when it we do see
The one who first said this one far wiser than me
And as our flaws to most of us are quite well known
We do not like to be reminded in others in ourselves what we wish to disown

Most of us are flawed in us to be so is a human thing
And though the praises of celebrities the impressionable masses do sing
The people we admire are flawed in some form or way
To be flawed is to be human as some do like to say

On saying the near saints of the Human World are in the very few
I am not saying anything that is in any way new
The most corruptible of people you will find amongst the wealthy minority
Amongst the lives of the greedy no humanity

What i dislike in myself i do dislike in you
The words of a wise one that happens to be true
I see what i dislike in myself in others every day
Though this for me does seem a hard thing for to say.

We All Have Our Talents

Though some more famous than others it does seem fair to say
Every person is talented in some sort of a way
Some in the arts and literature and science and technology for themselves make a name
And some in the World of music and entertainment do know of great fame
And some use their talents in quite a good way
By planting their seeds of good Karma every day
For it is indeed a great talent to be compassionate and kind
They are marvelous people those this way inclined
Their motives are pure that goes without doubt
The poor of the World they do worry about
From their old hometowns they do venture far
For to help the poor victims of famine and war
We all have our talents as the wise one does say
And most of us are different in our own way.

Old Memories He Does Visit

A long way from here to the far away town
Where the narrow road by the mountains does wind up and down
Where no factory smoke is to be seen in the sky
And the big dark brown weerloos do call as they fly
Above the wooded hills from here far away
Such beauty he does visualize every day
In the home of the wombat and wallaby and gray kangaroo
And kookaburra and rosella and sulphur crested cockatoo
In places of  human created pollution quite free
In fancy the far away hills he does see
Where Nature is at peace far from the noisy street
In the place where the creek and the river does meet
And the currawong call in the gloam before rain
Old memories he does visit again and again.

They Were Born Into The Tribes

They were born into the tribes of the lesser gods
The people who to succeed who must beat the odds
Many of them live in dire poverty and die in a tragic way
And many millions of their kind in the Human World of today
Poverty it does come in varying degrees
In the World millions of homeless people in the poor suburbs and millions of refugees
For them every day in life for survival a huge challenge to face
Their price for to be born to poverty stricken parents and living in the wrong place
Of a fair go in life their circumstance of birth them did deny
The words 'career choices' to their kind does never apply
For millions of poor people how sad life must be
I feel lady luck must be smiling on me
I am one who has never known of a hungry day
And i live in a nice home and life with me okay.

Few Do Grow Wise

All men do grow older but few do grow wise
This is something of late i have come to realize
And do believe me i am one who should know
For i have grown older but wiser did not grow
Yes old people are many but the wise they are few
And what applies to aging males applies to aging females too
At the way we treat the Planet we live on would you not agree
Is proof enough of our lack of wisdom is how it seems to be
That few people as they age grow wiser seems hard to deny
And what applies to most men to most women too does apply
Amongst the financially successful many wise people you will not find
Wisdom seems to be more prevalent amongst the not so well to do kind
The wise people of the World are an endangered breed
And of more of their kind humanity is in need.

Evergreen Johnny

Some men and some women are married for life
But Evergreen Johnny is with his sixth wife
Well into his seventies his gray hair dyed brown
He fancies himself as a man about town

Of women he has been with and been married to he has many stories to tell
Nineteen times a great grand dad he has sown his seeds well
He will tell you that some men do age like good wine
His sixth wife heavily pregnant by him has just turned twenty nine

Though not financially well off some young women attracted to him in a strong way
And with any of his previous five wives his was not a long stay
In each of his wedding vows till death do us part to each new wife he did say
Eventually on that he will be right one day

He does have lots to talk of when he talks of the past
And one wonders will his sixth wife be his last?
Far fitter than most approaching their years of four score
He jogs every day in the park for an hour sometimes more

To be married six times is his great claim to fame
He surely is one who lives up to his nickname
Hand in hand with his visibly pregnant young sixth wife out walking he is often seen
Old Johnny remains as a true evergreen.

Of The What Used To Be

Of the what used to be i will never be free
Wherever i go to my past goes with me
Suppose this is how it will be till the day i do die
The fact is we are creatures of memory and fact does not lie
Faces from the past they are with me today
And though some of them with the deceased now do lay
Time as is said becomes everyone's foe
Yet i see them as they were many Seasons ago
In my memory it does seem that time has stood still
In that old country Town by the far away hill
But each time i look in the mirror at the reflection of me
I realize too that time did not wait for them when the reflection of self i do see
The past as is said in the forever gone
But wherever i go too in memory it does follow on.

Australia's First People

The ways of their culture we do not understand
The very first people of this great Southern Land
For the brown outback they know how to care
And of the needs of Nature they seem far more aware

Than the descendants of the northern races could ever hope to be
The true beauty in the Country they love they do see
They love their Country for the love of it not for financial gain
Which to the vast majority of people of other races may seem hard to explain

Australia's wealthiest tycoons  make their billions off of their Land today
But they remain as poor people and live in a simple way
Yet their love for their Country remains ever strong
And their wise elders will tell you we do not own the Country to the Country we belong

Australia's first people in Australia should always take pride of place
But in the great Southern Land sad to say this is not the case
What should be and what is are quite different one must say
And the Country's first people in Australia is amongst it's poorest of today.

Like Many

Like many i have to cope with inner strife
And like many i have walked the tough roads of life
And like many of the aging i do battle on
Though our best days in life in the forever gone

I envy those privileged by birth born to be queen or king
Though envy of any sort is not a good thing
If this is the gift they are born into this should be okay
Though for them i never will shout hip hooray

Most of us have our worries would you not agree
At least anyhow this is how it seems to be
The impact of worrying a load on the brain
As worry too is a form of mental pain

Like many my life is not free of stress
I too do have my moments of unhappiness
Life can be a battle as most like to say
A battle that many must wage every day

There are some happy people in every town
Who do not have worries for to drag them down
But like many worries too in my life i have known
Though different sort of worries most of us seem to own.

Few Writers Of The World

Few writers of the World do make writing pay
But most writers do write something new every day
In the hope of writing something that will live as great
Humans are born it does seem to create
And though few as writers ever make the grade
Every writer is needed in the wordsmith trade
Some write for enjoyment and some write for success
But only a minority the reading public does impress
And though millions of writers Worldwide in every village, city and town
Few of them will ever know of wealth and renown
That writing for a living is hard to succeed at cannot be denied
So many failed writers though hard for success they tried
And like most things in life in writing for one  to succeed many have to lose
Though losing is something that anyone does not choose.

Why Tell Me About It

Why tell me about it when i already know
That money on bushes and trees does not grow
And if this did happen would you not agree
For anyone no shortage of money and how great this would be
That money is the main cause of rank and class distinction and the social divide
Is something that has substance to it and cannot be denied
A dame, sir or lady you are not likely to meet
On the dingy sidewalks of Poverty Street
Money speaks every language as some do like to say
In most aspects of living it does seem this way
It gives people status and lack of it creates poverty
It is lack of money makes a poor man of me
Yes money on bushes and trees does not grow
On saying this i am telling you something you do know.

The Day Koroit Won The Flag

It did give their loyal fans a just reason to brag
The day that Koroit won the Premiership flag
Followed by a week of celebrations in Mickey Bourke's and the Commercial Hotel
From such big wins the publicans do financially well
In Koroit Town the Premiership win great excitement did create
The Koroit football fans know how to celebrate
Motor horns honked by the fans as on Commercial Road they drove up and down
As they brought news of good tidings to old Koroit Town
That Koroitians know how to celebrate there can be no denying
On flag posts in the Town the Club flags were flying
The anthem of the Club to celebrate the flag win by old and by young
In the Club rooms in Victoria Park at the flag celebrations was sung
Premiership Flags are quite hard to win as the wise football fans say
And for Koroitians their Club's big sporting win lives as a memorable day.

Mushera Shaggy

A big brindle son of Shaggy Lad and Mushera Farloe
I remember Mushera Shaggy from many Seasons ago
Owned and bred by Maurice and Kathy Finnegan of  Mushera four miles from Millstreet Town
In his prime this great track and coursing greyhound in Ireland reached the status of canine renown

The favorite for the coursing derby in Clonmel in nineteen fifty three
Where only ill luck in running deprived him of outright victory
He was then sold by the Finnegan's to Jack McAllister  who got his purchase money on him back
When he won the classic National Sprint for him in Belfast at the Dunmore Greyhound Track

In nineteen fifty three in Ireland this is going back in time
Mushera Shaggy whelped in March fifty one was in his racing prime
In the tracks and coursing fields in Ireland he competed against the best
And was never found to be wanting when put to the test

This is going back in years some sixty one ago
I was then a young boy time since has become my foe
Amongst greyhound people then Mushera Shaggy a  dog often spoken about
In track and coursing of his greatness he left none in doubt

Back then he was honored in story and rhyme
Mushera Shaggy the legendary greyhound of his time
That he was a great dog does seem fair to say
But then as is said he did have his day.

Old Jack O

Eventually we all become victims of time
Old Jack O a great athlete in his life's prime
The years of living on his body does show
The man who once ran fast is now walking slow

In the nineteen fifties the town's best athlete
Against the Country's best with success he did compete
In each big race victory he added to his renown
As a sporting great of a sports mad town

In his late eighties in the twilight of his life
Old Jack O has grown old with Margo his long devoted wife
Their children the grandparents of teenagers today
The time on our lives ever does tick away

Old Jack O in the twilight of his life span
Remains as he always was a nice, humble and down to earth man
He was a great athlete many decades ago
But time as we do know becomes everyone's foe.

My Positive Acquaintance

My positive acquaintance does keep telling me
That i can become anything that i wish for to be
But i tell him the truth when i say i do not have a hope
Of winning an Olympic Gold medal or becoming the Vatican's Pope
I know i am negative in my thinking but in truth i can say
That in the billions of people in the Human World of today
Only a minority accomplish what they set out to achieve
Everyone cannot be a champion despite what you believe
To positive thinkers respect i do show
But i will never climb Mt Everest this much i do know
Or i will never beat Usain Bolt in a hundred meters race
Though for positive thinking there is always a case
In my positive acquaintance belief in self is quite strong
But when he tell me i can be anything i wish to be i tell him he is wrong.

A Bit Of A Poet

At the poetry reading he was introduced by the m c for the evening as a bit of a poet
Which perhaps means that he is one of lesser literary note
Than the other poets to read were which seemed quite insulting to him to me
As his poems were well written and well read by him and did not lack in quality

That he was not a true poet his introduction did imply
One can be diminished by words with a hidden offensive meaning one ought not to deny
That the m c was not up to the task a fool could even tell
At the job he was appointed to do he did not do well

Such an introduction would not have done much for the self esteem
Of the poet he was introducing  a clever man it does seem
There is an m c or two like this in every town
Talented people in their words they do like to put down

On introducing the reader as a bit of a poet make of this what you may
In his ambiguous words he was not paying to him respect in any sort of a way
But when he was finished his reading his audience realized that he was far more
Than a bit of a poet and they called for an encore.

Do Not Take Yourself Too Seriously

Do not take yourself too seriously time does tick on fast
And every day lived one nearer to your last
The seconds of our lives keep on ticking away
And every day lived one nearer to our last day

On the corporate ladder you may have climbed far
But you are not as important as you think you are
One day your life journey will come to an end
One certainty in life on which one can depend

Though accumulation of money may seem quite an important thing
Leave room in your life for pleasure and dance, laugh and sing
And allow some time for enjoyment and for fun and for play
Laughter can be the best of medicine as the wise doctor does say

Do not take yourself too seriously and do keep in mind
That in every cemetery there are many of your kind
Who thought they were indispensable but after the life from them had gone
Business as usual without them in the World went on.

Always Football

Their worries in life would have to be small
For their main topic when they meet is always football
And what club this Season will win the premiership flag
And give their loyal fans the right for to brag
Every evening after work in their local pub on main street
For a chat and a few beers they are happy to meet
For to discuss the teams for the big weekend games
They know of the history of the clubs and the great football names
In the football season it does seem football is the big thing in their lives
Even more important to them than their children and girlfriends and wives
In the pub when their club win the club song they do sing
Football in their lives is the most important thing
And their worries in life would have to be small
When their main topic when they meet is always football.