A Wise Person

Like most i am not growing any wiser as i am only growing old
As is said wisdom cannot be bought or cannot be sold
When it comes to wisdom the wise they are few
You may say to this do tell us what is new
I have lived for sixty seven years but in truth i can say
That a wise person i do not meet every day
But it is a sad thing to come to realize
That the Human World is not or will never be ruled by the wise
Since wise people are born they cannot be made
You never do see them at a war parade
A person who is wise is never a windbag
Of himself or herself a wise one never does brag
A wise person is always a good listener and always discreet
And one every day you are not likely to meet.

In Birdsland Today

The sun is not out hidden in clouds of gray
It has rained overnight and more rain on the way
In the Yarra Ranges quite typical weather for late Autumn and May
But in the Yarra Ranges the bellbirds are singing in Birdsland today
The birds who do sing every day of the year
The warbling of the magpies so pleasant to hear
From the higher branches of the tall gum trees
The laughter of the kookaburras is carrying in the breeze
The loud quacks of the female black duck and the softer calls of the drake
Grebe and moorhen and coot seen all year round on the lake
In small flocks of thirty to twelve or thirteen
The wood duck grazing by the lake all year round to be seen
The sun in the gray clouds is hidden away
But the birds they are singing in Birdsland today.

Far North Of Koroit

Far north of Koroit near the City of Warrnambool
In Millstreet Town in Duhallow i went to primary school
Going back in time more than fifty years ago
That the years seem to fly at least it does seem so
The lust of wander has taken me far south
Of the place of the badger, the rook and the shy river trout
And of the old fields i may never walk on again
The memories are all that with me now remain
The boy of the fifties showing his years in gray
And surely he has known a far better day
And the now is all that does matter since the past it has gone
And life all around me as usual goes on
A magpie is warbling on a sunlit gum tree
And Nature's great beauty is all around me.

It Has Always Been This Way

With a false pretence of knowledge others i do not wish to impress
Of  the ways of life and Nature than most i know far less
Only know for to live a good life one has to give to receive
This is the philosophy on Karma and on such i do believe
Financially you may be a very wealthy person though in your ways quite small
If  you do not have have kind things to say of others why say anything at all
Those with a live and let live attitude does seem quite good to me
In our words we can become the mirror of our negativity
We never do stop learning it does seem this way
Life can be our greatest teacher as we live from day to day
We are born as part of Nature and to her we will return
Whether buried in a cemetery or in a crematorium to ashes our remains do burn
Life it is a book of knowledge we learn from every day
Until death we do not stop learning it has always been this way.

Your Own Stories To Tell

Financially and materially you may not be doing well
But you too do have your own stories to tell
Of the journey you are on in life day to day
Everyone has a story as the wise one does say

In the job that you work in below average pay
And you may not be seen as extraordinary  in any way
And you may not have much about to celebrate
But your worth as a person never under-rate

To the judgments of the judgmental why pay any heed
Since negative advice in your life you do not need
Such people find pleasure in sowing in your mind the seeds of self doubt
Negative comments from their sort why worry about

The life journey we are on does come to an end
We are born as mortals why otherwise pretend
The same for the billionaire, the president, the queen and the king
Though the gullible masses their praises may sing

Your stories of life few may wish for to hear
But i only state what is obviously clear
When i say that you have your own stories to tell
Of your happy days and of your days of hell.

Teresa Tangney

From Kerry to Millstreet Town on her journey in life
Where to the draper and Gaelic footballer John Joe Tangney she became the wife
And raised her sons and daughters the parents of today
The past and present linked to the future in life it is this way
In her community work and teaching she became loved and widely known
The seeds that grow to the fruits of friendship everyday by her were sown
One who done a lot of good things in her lifetime span
Teresa was a nice person and lived as a good woman
Many years have passed since Teresa came to live in Millstreet though it seem only like yesterday
Time does not wait on anyone it does tick and tick away
In life for everyone of us there is a last farewell
To us a reminder of our mortality on the tolling of the funeral bell
Her last remains are in Drishane near where she lived and was growing old
But her spirit is in Kerry with the famous green and gold.

I Will Keep Living On

The boys and girls i went to school with in the town from here far away
Like i have lived would have lived a far better day
The most of them i have not seen for many years
But for the what has been i have shed all of my tears
In memory i like many others do go back in time
To my boyhood days before i reached my life's prime
But the years go by quickly time does seem to fly
And that time does become everyone's master none ought to deny
Some of the boys and girls of my childhood amongst the deceased do lay
But the now is all that does matter as the wise one does say
I now live far south of the place of the gray crow
And time that rusts iron has left me walking slow
And though my best years in life in the forever gone
Till my date with life's Reaper i will keep living on.

On Greenfinches

As green as the leaves in Summer on a tree
Bird i do know but nowadays seldom does see
In Winter in small flocks they search for fallen seeds on the ground
Birds in large numbers never known for to abound
The males than the females a far richer green
Greenfinches are birds never easily seen
Like their cousins goldfinches introduced from Europe in Seasons long gone
The wheezy low toned song of their ancestors in today's greenfinches living on
In Spring as the males fly they sing in butterfly like courtship display
To seduce the female this is the male's way
Every individual bird species have ways of their own
And so much of Nature's ways to human kind remain unknown
And greenfinches birds i do not see every day
I know of but know little about in truth i can say.

Olinda In May

The calendar Winter less than a week away
From high and wooded Olinda on the last days of May
The currawongs  singing on the tall mountain ash trees
Their familiar notes carrying in the freshening breeze
Crow sized dark birds named for the sound of their song when them one does hear
It is very likely that rain it is near
They can be heard all year round from Summer to Spring
And in wind that brings rain one often does hear them sing
An hour before the lamp of day does brighten the sky
The kookaburras at Olinda utter their loud laughing cry
On the tall trees at Olinda in the high wooded countryside
A place for it's rugged scenic beauty that is known far and wide
The freshening breeze of rain blow uphill from Kallista through Olinda on an evening in late May
Where the currawongs are singing in the gloaming of the day.

What Happens To The Soul

What happens to the soul post bodily death who is to say
Does it enter the brain of one to be born into the World or go to a World far away
Or with the body it does live in is it destined to die?
For an answer to this ask one other than i
To my own way of thinking i can only be true
But what happens to the soul post bodily death i would not have a clue
Though in the twilight of my mortal lifetime span
On theology and religious matters i am an ignorant man
Of a life for the soul post bodily death my ignorance does show
Of knowledge of such i am one who does not know
I was baptized as a Christian but on this i did not have a say
And i am a non religious person today
I only believe what i know to be true
And what happens to the soul post bodily death i would not have a clue.

On Joe Hockey's Twenty Fourteen Budget

Joe Hockey says his is a fair budget at least this is what he wishes us to believe
But Joe cannot fool the real battlers as real battlers are hard to deceive
The students and those on low incomes and young people receiving welfare
But in the Treasurer's self proclaimed good budget he did not tax any known billionaire
Neutral economists say the Australian economy is in good shape something the Australian Government does deny
And why they wish to financially punish poor people without reason to one must wonder why
Any very wealthy person is not taxed in his budget the budget he says that is fair
It does seem like Australia's Federal Treasurer is talking a lot of hot air
It is always the poor of society who suffer in every budget cutback
The Government's idea of what it is to be fair is to put the poor under attack
When Joe Hockey talks of his fair budget he has a smug smirk on his face
It is easy for to talk of what is fair but only the fairest what is fair can embrace
In the twenty fourteen Australian Federal Budget the poor made to suffer more financial pain
And what has happened in the recent budget in future budgets will happen again.

Kathleen Cashman

Sad to learn the late Jimmy Cashman's wife Kathleen from life has passed away
She had lived in Inchaleigh near Millstreet Town for many a day
Where she raised her sons John and Noel and to Jimmy was a good wife
One can say of her that she led  by good example in life
Hope that from life she did have a painless release
In St Mary's in Millstreet her last remains are at peace
Her life journey brought her to Millstreet from Ballinagree
To marry Jimmy Cashman in her life destiny
A good person unkind things of her anyone did not have to say
By her family, relatives and friends she will be missed today
The breath that sustain bodily life terminal in us all
And for all of us there will be a final Fall
And though never to be seen in Millstreet again
In all who knew her good memories of Kathleen will remain.

He Is From The Place

He is from the place of wombats and gray roos
And the large dark brown parrots known as yellow tailed black cockatoos
Where the kookaburras laugh in the dark of the morning an hour before the dawn of day
Of the suburb he now lives in many kilometers away
A young man from the high country of tall mountain ash trees
That can be heard laughing in the freshening breeze
A tall handsome young man with short clipped hair of light brown
He feels out of place in the noisy big town
But he has found true love and in the city will stay
With the one he will marry in not distant day
In his coming to the big city suburb true love is his gain
And near the city he will remain
Where he commutes to work every day in the metropolitan train
And though he feels a little homesick with life he cannot complain.

Guy Walters

Guy Walters in his fifty ninth year of life has passed away
The great Sydney race horse trainer has lived his last night and day
Horse racing fans, owners, jockeys and trainers in their words respect to him pay
Anyone of him does not have an unkind thing to say
Along with the greatest racehorse he trained the mighty 'Tie The Knot'
Guy Walters in thoroughbred racing will never be forgot
As an ultimate gentleman to all who knew him he was known
In his lifetime his friends in huge numbers had grown
Of a massive heart attack he died suddenly
At least of any further suffering he now is free
Guy may not have enjoyed a long life span
But he will be remembered as a true gentleman
Sad to learn the life journey has come to an end
Of a man who in his fifty nine years had made many a friend.

Noreen's Seventieth Birthday

To her sons Den Joe and Conleth a good mother and to Jerry Murphy a devoted wife
May the twenty eight Noreen Duggan Murphy's birthday a milestone in her life
To her parents a good daughter if alive they would feel proud of her today
Noreen our sister is a good person and she will always be this way

In Claraghatlea where we were born into adults we did grow
Noreen led by good example she did have the inner glow
She has lived through times of sadness yet never heard her once complain
It truly can be said of Noreen that Millstreet's loss is Farnanes gain

We have lived through many Seasons since we were in our life's prime
I have not seen her for twenty eight years this is going way back in time
Just to have her as a sister is a gift from life indeed
She was always there to help me when of help i was in need

One who has the gift of kindness she never finds it hard to smile
Noreen of empathy and compassion is free of conceit and guile
Can only visualize her as a young person cannot imagine her as old
In her younger years she was quite pretty and lovely to behold

On Wednesday  May the twenty eight in the year of twenty fourteen
She celebrated her seventieth birthday the beautiful soul Noreen
Since we lived as children and in our prime years in Claraghatlea decades ago
We have seen a lot of Seasons and time has become our foe.

The Members Of Parliament

The building where people elected to Parliament meet to legislate
The elected representatives of every constituency in every State
Referred to as the honorable members though most of them members of shame
People who are arrogant and conceited and insult honor's name

The most of them quite flawed in their human way
The people we elect to sit in Parliament on election day
If they are my political representatives as it seems to be
I must ponder the question what does this say of me?

Every day on the radio and in the newspapers and on the t v
We hear of and read of what they have to say and photographs of them we do see
Yet with most of them one lie leads to another lie is how they seem to live
They take and take from the Nation and in return little to it do give

The people by good example who are supposed to lead
But every day more scandals of them we do hear of and read
That what we receive from life is only our due
In the most of the politicians we elect to Parliament happens to be true.

Fred

In life by those who set standards he may not have done well
But Fred of his life has some good stories to tell
When he scored the winning goal for the football club on a long gone Grand Final Day
He was the hero of the Town and for him many a loud hooray
Fred never was a father or he never had a wife
But he is one who did have many women in his life
In the local public bar he spend most of his weekly pay
Perhaps one of the reasons that any woman with him did not stay
For most women like financial security something that Fred to them could not give
Now in a basement flat in the east end of Town on his own he does live
Fred he turned eighty two on the fourth of May
Down at the pub with his younger drinking mates he celebrated his birthday
Though in his early eighties he enjoys the bar-room atmosphere
And he is always happy when he is drinking beer.

Mick Casey And The Maple Ballroom

Although a fading memory it remains as a source of joy
Mick Casey owned the Maple Ballroom when i was a young boy
As the first Ballroom in Millstreet Town it became known far and wide
Far beyond the borders of the Duhallow countryside

A slightly built wiry looking gray haired fellow long before i reached my prime
Mick Casey was a carpenter and builder one ahead of his time
As a master builder of new homes he became widely known
The seeds of things of beauty in his brilliant mind was sown

But in the building of the Maple Ballroom at Pound Hill he knew of widespread fame
In such a marvelous project Mick lived up to his name
Of one of the nineteen fifties who foresaw changing times ahead
He may be one of  Millstreet's long deceased but his legacy not dead

Of Mick Casey and the Maple Ballroom fond memories live today
In those who found love whilst dancing there though time has left them gray
Some of them grow old in Duhallow and some have aged from there further away
In Countries such as Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the U S of A

But good memories are slow to die like the last leaves of the Fall
And Mick Casey is a fellow today they do recall
And his Ballroom known as the Maple where they often danced their cares away
Though time takes care of everything as the wise one did say.

Money Speaks Every Language

Money speaks every language as some are known to say
And it is quite important in the World of today
Due to greed for it or lack of it some turn to crime
And many because of it serving  jail time
The praises of money the masses may sing
But because of it some people shame on themselves and their families does bring
And because of it some know of the good life and fame
Yet for some of the worst of murders it has been to blame
Though that money speaks every language it is true indeed
Due to lack of it many of help are in need
In the World it is the main cause of extreme poverty
This thing that is known as legal currency.

Koroit

For it's links to Irish and Indigenous cultures Koroit in south west Victoria is widely known
As an old coastal Town with a charm of it's own
It's people does make it a welcoming place
On the streets of Koroit many a smiling face
A livable Town as most would agree
In the countryside around it so much beauty for to see
The nearest beach to it by road not far
Twelve minutes at most if traveling by car
Tower Hill with strong links to Indigenous history from Koroit less than two kilometers away
A nice Town for a daily visit or a longer stay
Quite accessible to sacred and beautiful places one of it's claims to renown
All of Koroitians feel proud of their historical Town
Koroit in the Moyne Shire of south west Victoria's countryside
An old Town of friendly and hospitable people that is known far and wide.

Edwin Muir

In the literary history of Orkney Island one worthy of note
The great writer Edwin Muir was a legendary poet
The people of Orkney claim him for their own
Even in his own lifetime through his poetry he became famous and known
Though long deceased the fame of the great Orcadian poet is living today
That true greatness does outlive bodily death it has always been this way
One of the reasons that he is quite popular and remains widely known
Is that Edwin Muir in his poetry  wrote in a style of his own
One of the poets to bridge the gap between modern poetry and rhyme
Edwin Muir one of the great poets of his time
Such beautiful poems came from the pen in his hand
He wrote in a style quite easy to understand
In Orkney the once home to the Picts he first saw light of day
To the summit of fame he made it the hard way.

The Desire To Be Loved

The desire to be loved seems a natural thing
But leave it to others your praises to sing
Though self promotion it does seem is the in thing of today
Of how great you are leave it to others to say
Self love can be a good thing but when out of control
It can be unhealthy for the human soul
Narcissism in humanity ought not to belong
As it is a form of self love gone wrong
To meet those into self promotion i need not travel far
In fact i can get to there easily without a car
Just a few minutes walk down to the local bar
To hear people tell me of how marvelous they are
Yet to live as a good person a healthy form of love of self you do need
And if you have such you are lucky indeed.

From Where I Now Live

From where i now live in sky miles far away
In old Claraghatlea i first saw light of day
And wherever i go to the past goes with me
We are linked to the what was in our memory

My journey in life has taken me far south
Of the home of the badger, the rook and the shy river trout
To the home of the wallaby, emu, kookaburra and roo
And the many species of crested parrots known as cockatoo

I first grew to love Nature as a young schoolboy
And learning of her ways today i enjoy
From life and nature we learn something new every day
We never stop learning it does seem this way

In the sunshine the warbling of a magpie so pleasant to hear
On such beautiful weather for the time of year
The calendar Winter just six sleeps away
It is very summery weather for May

I am from the place of jackdaw and gray crow
Where in Winter the hills are often under snow
And of there the lust of the wander has brought me far south
Where of nature and life i am learning about.

Widening With Each Passing Day

Everyone born as individuals though some they are born to lead
By good or sometimes bad example the people we hear of and of read
And often see their images on the daily papers as people to be seen worthy of note
The gullible masses are impressed by the people the media promote
Amongst the World's wealthy and famous big egos are known to abound
And amongst the most honored and privileged of people humility is hard to be found
You will not find many down to earth people as members of the billionaires club
The sort of people one does not see in the local working class pub
Those who do have the power of money in life do have things their own way
That money does speak every language is so true in the World of today
The poor of the World in numbers with each passing day seems to grow
And only the kindest of people of the plight of the paupers wish to know
A minority own the majority of the wealth of the World and this seems a sad thing to say
And the gap between the poor and the wealthy is widening with each passing day.

On A Nice Sunny Day

The sun it is shining on a nice sunny day
It is such splendid weather for late Autumn and May
The magpies are warbling on the sunlit trees
Their flute like notes carrying in the freshening breeze
That blow up the street through the park by the bay
Where mothers chat by the park playground whilst watching their young children play
The park looking green after recent welcome rain
With such pleasant weather how can one complain
The last of the deciduous leaves in the breeze drifting down
To the grass by their mother trees in the park of the town
On such beautiful weather for the time of year
The pee wee of the magpie lark so pleasant to hear
And why not i feel happy when my biggest worry is small
On this marvelous day in the Southern Fall.

Like Many

Like many i have known of inner strife
Though i cannot complain for i have known a good life
I have been lucky in life as lucky as can be
There are many so many far worse off than me
So many doing it tough in the Human World of today
That i am luckier than most are it does seem this way
In a Human World of many a homeless person and many a refugee
I feel lucky to have never known of poverty
And though millions in money in life was not to be my gain
I have had a good innings and i cannot complain
That in the living of life i have not had a fair go
Though in my self effacing nature i have become my own greatest foe
And though like many i have known of inner strife
I cannot complain for i have known a good life.

The Song Of A Chaffinch

He sings in a leafy grove to my thoughts ever near
The song of the chaffinch in fancy i do hear
A pink breasted feathered songster of the Spring of the year
That most birds are distinctive in their songs seems abundantly clear
Though good memories of the past till death will remain
In real life the male chaffinch i may never hear singing again
The great gift of memory is such a wonderful thing
The nice things of the past to the present it does bring
And memorizing the good times a thing to enjoy
The song of the chaffinch i loved as a boy
Where the hawthorns are cloaked in their white blooms of the May
The cattle on lush grass chewing their cuds do lay
And a chaffinch is singing in a grove by the town
In the quiet of the evening just before sundown.

Are You One

Are you one who does fear the times of you ahead
And sometimes on your bad days you wish that you were dead
But the last vestige of hope from you not yet gone
And in the living of life you do keep battling on
Since the factory you worked in by the liquidators was closed down
You have tried without success for a job start in the town
You and your wife and two young daughters for to live must depend on government welfare
And sad to say people like you are not rare
But the great gift of hope is a wonderful thing
And to hope of a change in luck with determination to you do cling
To since you believe that all good things comes to those who do wait
In hope for better times for you and yours you keep faith
Due to circumstances beyond your control
Are you one of those in a financial hole?

Since The Life Journey We Are On

The biological clocks on our lives ever ticking on fast
And all we can do is to learn from the past
And whilst all do grow old few grow wise and gray
Sometimes wisdom can be heard from the mouths of children as the wise one does say
Like all mortal life forms we are born to die
The same for the earth worm as you and i
Though the praises of those they see as successful the impressionable masses do sing
The thing feared by many death can be a good thing
Since equality with it to all people it does bring
And it does make the pauper equal to the queen and king
The retired old horse in the paddock is equal to me
Since he and i are to die eventually
We are born to die why otherwise pretend
Since the life journey we are on does come to an end.

Frank Donnelly The Adventurer

Frank Donnelly a man who does live an adventurous life
Is now in Renmark in South Australia with his family and Sue his wife
Six hundred kilometers from Koroit Town
Where he became known and loved by many as a business man of renown

A man with a life of adventure of which to tell
In Renmark by all accounts he is doing well
As a Manager of Ruston's Rose Garden for a reputable company
To be successful in business is in his life's destiny

Frank Donnelly will tell you in business it pays to be nice
He is the sort to an Eskimo who could sell ice
The type who does make a new friend every day
About him he has such a likeable way

A sturdily built fellow perhaps in his sixties with a shaved head
Blessed with great people skills of him it can be said
The challenges life bring to him he embrace
And without him Koroit seems a much poorer place

Though time as it is to all will eventually become his foe
Success seems to follow him to wherever he go
Frank Donnelly now lives in Renmark near where old Murray flow
Where his new friends in numbers with each passing day does grow.

The Young Camperdown Beauty

Of wavy brunette shoulder length hair and eyes of light brown
The tall and beautiful young beauty of Camperdown
Is traveling and working in the big World out there
It is rumored she now is in coastal North Queensland somewhere
Now in her early twenties near the prime of her life 
She has no plans to marry and become some man 's wife
In her school going years she daydreamed of places far away
In Camperdown one destined not for to stay
One not destined in her Hometown to fall in love, marry and have children and grow old and gray
A few young males in Camperdown feel disappointed today
Any of them did not succeed in wooing her though for her each of them made a play
In disappointment and love ache for unrequited love the price for to pay
The young Camperdown beauty quite close to her life's prime
Is somewhere in North Queensland enjoying a good time.

I Like Shy People

Shy people in life struggle for to succeed
But since they do not have big egos of more of their kind the Human World is in need
In their body language one never does see
The syndrome some do have known as the 'you look at me'
The people in the limelight never to be found
A truly shy person you never see strutting around
Like a farm yard rooster to his hens displaying
As the egotistical do this should go without saying
I do like shy people since they never have much to say
But they are so wise in their own quiet sort of a way
And sad to say that egotistical people are no longer in the few
But on saying this i am not saying anything that is new
This is why shy people i am always happy to meet
For at least they are free of arrogance and conceit.

A Man Of The Boggeraghs

Since from there i realize i have been too long away
In Duhallow i would be a stranger today
Many of the people i knew there are deceased or have migrated and time ticking on
And i only have memories of the long gone

For the Boggeragh Ranges i have shed all of my nostalgic tears
And all i have left are the memories of the long gone years
In Duhallow not many now would know of me
With most migrants this is how it does seem to be

As a young man i was known to many in the Parish and Town of Millstreet
But nowadays migrants from Duhallow i seldom do meet
I last saw Duhallow near twenty eight years ago
And since time that rusts iron has become my foe

To grow old far south of Duhallow perhaps in my life's destiny
But a man of the Boggeraghs is all i can be
Yet the memories of what was in me does remain
And in fancy i often walk in the old fields again.

The Wisdom In His Words

A wise old fellow once told me one who ought to know
That from little worries big worries do grow
So live to be happy and enjoy a few laughs every day
Happy people live longer it does seem this way
To be a money billionaire was his claim to renown
But he died in his fifties the wealthiest man in the town
On his money and property his daughter and wife
Are having a good time enjoying the good life
A victim of cancer from worry and stress
His money did not bring to him happiness
Now only equal to the one who died in poverty
Worrying about money helped to cause his death how sad this seems to be
Worrying gives rise to more worries the old man did say
The wisdom in his words is with me today.

The Claramore Rill

From a high field by Clara it babbles downhill
With a silver tongue that is never still
Down to Claraghatlea it flows with a will
The waterway known to some as the Claramore Rill

On Claraghatlea Bridge on an evening in Spring
How lovely to listen to the dipper sing
The dark brown water bird of breast white as snow
By sight or by song that everyone seem to know

In Claraghatlea  on the ditches by the old waterway
The hawthorns are cloaked in their white blooms of the May
And on it's green banks the buttercups in full bloom in their petals of gold
A sight of great natural beauty always a joy to behold

Through Claraghatlea to the rivers to the ocean shore
It will flow on forever the Rill from Claramore
The Seasons have come and the Seasons have gone
But the Rill from the high field to the river flows on.

On The Passing Of John Joe Dineen

In Rathduane, Ballydaly, Rathmore and Millstreet Town never more to be seen
So sad to learn of the passing of John Joe Dineen
A likeable sort of character in his own way
Perhaps in his sixties he lived his last night and day

He will be missed from Rathduane where his journey in life began
The place where he grew from  a boy to a man
And in Ballydaly to all where he was well liked and known
They will grieve the passing of one of their own

I remember John Joe when he was in his prime
Though this is going back a few decades in time
With his young friends in Millstreet Town he enjoyed the pub cheer
On their weekend sessions of guinness and beer

Time becomes everyone's master as the wise one does say
The young people of the seventies and eighties are aging today
For on how long anyone does live there is no guarantee
The Reaper of lives too awaits you and me

Though his best years in life a few decades ago
He was not one meant for to grow old John Joe
He drew his last breath of life in the prime of the May
And in St Mary's by Cashman's Hill his last remains lay.

The Song Of The Robin

The past though long gone to my thoughts ever near
The song of the robin i fancy i hear
He sings in the leafy grove at the gray dawn of day
His is a well known and familiar voice of the May
His song is territorial not one to pretend
From other male robins in his breeding Season his territory he does defend
His song he does use as a weapon of fear
To warn other male robins of his nesting borders stay clear
The red breast robins do sing their best songs in the Spring
But even in Winter i have heard them sing
In and near rural towns all around Europe they are loved and known
The robins they do have a charm of their own
In the leafy groves from here far away
The male robins are singing in the gray dawn of day.

With Your Successes

With your successes in life do not get carried away
Since there are more than enough of egotistical people in the Human World of today
You do seem to feel superior to others of late
Perhaps from too many people telling you that you are great
Your ego is swollen like an overinflated ball
Lots of praise is not good for some people at all
Since praise is a thing that can go to the head
The humble quiet achievers as a race all but dead
Egotistical people i do meet every day
But to meet them i never go out of my way
You meet their sort nowadays in every town
The who but me people who yearn for renown
To everyone they meet their achievements they make known
But then suppose we all have our own ways and to each their own.

Far More To Australia

Why so many young people wish to migrate to Australia one can understand
There is so much to like about in this vast sunny southern Land
With an oral human history in time very old
There is far more to Australia than in written history has been told

Out there in the brown country from the nearest big town far away
The descendants of the first Australians are living today
They had lived here for thousands of centuries before Cook and his sailors arrived on the southern shore
According to anthropologists in time sixty thousand years or more

There is far more to Australia than sports such as cricket and football
Though to Many Australians these games important overall
It's amazing marsupial and bird wildlife nowhere else to be seen
They belong in the Land of the gum and the wattle the gold and the green

Where the climate at most times is warm and fine
In this vast Land of career opportunities and golden sunshine
Why so many young people wish to migrate to Australia one can understand
It is such a vast and a beautiful Land.

As Long As What They Say Of Me

As long as what they say of me is true that with me is fine
Since what others say of me is no business of mine
Since i live in my own way and do my own thing
And it bothers me none if none my praises do sing
From one in need of my help i never turn and walk away
For what goes around comes around as the wise one does say
In life it is said we must give to receive
On such a philosophy i am one who believe
I am not a person who is free of taint
But i never did say that i was a saint
Yet to reap the good Karma one must sow the good seed
And one should help anybody of helping in need
And as long as they do not lie when speaking of me what others say of me with me fine
For what they say of me is no business of mine.

Kathy

Her shoulder length wavy hair is as dark as the wing of a crow
The girl from Echuca where the brown Murray flow
Of it's long winding journey of three hundred kilometers or more
That ends in South Australia at the Pacific shore
With brown eyes and a beautiful smile on her beautiful face
She has the brown skin of her Indigenous Race
The type of young woman young men wish to know
Twenty year old Kathy has the inner glow
She lives and works in Carlton in Melbourne but there she will not stay
As the wanderlust is in her for Lands far away
She hopes to travel to big European Cities far north of home
Such as London and Paris and Athens and Rome
With shoulder length raven hair and eyes of light brown
Beautiful Kathy the girl from Echuca Town.

As Success Goes

As success goes the judgemental would say i have not done well
But i have my own little rhyme stories to tell
Of people imaginary or people i know or have known
But the rhymes i do write they are all of my own

I write of Nature's flora and fauna i see every day
Of memories of places from where i live far away
The rhymes that come to me on notebook i pen down
But never for money or any sort of renown

We all have our hobbies in life one must suppose
And in life we make our own friends and some friends can become foes
And in life for one to win many have to lose
Though losing is something anyone does not choose

We all need some hobby to fill in our spare time
And i am one of those who enjoy penning rhyme
And though my best days in life are in the forever gone
I do enjoy rhyming so i will rhyme on.

Far North Of Koroit Town

Far north of Koroit Town where i live today
In sky miles near twenty thousand kilometers away
The old fields by Millstreet Town made lush by Spring showers
Are looking resplendent in their Nature's flowers
And the countryside in view of Clara Hill looking healthy and green
At this time of year at it's finest is seen
And the nesting birds singing on the leafy trees
Their pleasant notes carrying in the freshening breeze
In fancy i walk in the old fields today
Where the hawthorns are cloaked in their white blooms of the May
And the contented cattle gaining weight chewing their cuds do lay
Nutritious young grass tastes better to them than silage or hay
Far north of Koroit Town in  the prime month of Spring
In the leafy groves the wild birds chirp and sing.

For As Long As

For as long as a woman living on her own feels safer to lock her doors at night
And only feel safe for to walk in the town at daylight
The Nation though known to be a democracy
Of it's citizens freedom to live free of fear does not guarantee
There is not one Government leader in the World to his or her Nation's citizens can say
That you are quite safe to walk on the streets even by day
And though the praises of freedom the patriotic masses may sing
The freedom to live free of fear of others is a most important thing
In so called Democratic Countries innocent people are being attacked and murdered every day
Their most important basic human right their life taken from them in the foulest way
That self Government is not the most important form of freedom some fail to realize
Flag waving patriotism does never appeal to the wise
And for as long as women living on their own every night lock their doors due to fear
To what is true freedom we are not anywhere near.

The Boo Of The Grain Threshing Machines

In Autumn in Duhallow a familiar sound in the farm yards when i was a boy
The boo of the grain threshing machines i used to enjoy
Down wind a sound that carried far and wide
For at least a mile across the green countryside

Suppose few things in life ever does seem to last
And in the early nineteen sixties in Ireland changes did happen fast
And in Autumn a thing of great beauty died why otherwise pretend
When the boo of the grain threshing machines in the farm yards came to an end

In Autumn young men of the locality worked in the farm yard threshing and later did socialize
In occasions of community bonding that to good memories give rise
Of life in rural Ireland of the what used to be
That only does live on now in memory

In the grain threshing Season in Ireland in the Fall of the year
The boo of the threshing machines always a joy for to hear
But on the introduction of the combine grain harvester in the countryside
The boo of the thresher in the farm yards died

But good old memories die hard as the wise one does say
And when my flights of fancy take me to places far away
The good memories of what was in me does remain
And the threshing machines i am hearing again.

The Praises Of Love

The praises of love one forever could sing
For the great gift of love is a wonderful thing
Those who know of true love are lucky indeed
And the Human World of more love so badly in need
So many kinds of love and it does seem
That in a Human World full of it peace would reign supreme
For those with love in them for the suffering of others feel genuine sympathy
And have the great gifts of compassion and empathy
If everyone had love in them there would not be wars to fight
For the minds with love in them are open to light
Every day the person with love is sowing Karma's good seed
By helping someone of helping in need
To great acts of kindness love people inspire
And of singing it's praises one never could tire.

Tom Hafey

Tom Hafey the A F L football legend and four times Richmond Premiership coach has passed away
On his eighty second year of life he lived his last night and day
He exercised every day for most of his life span
But he lost his battle for life with cancer the legendary man
He did not drink alcohol or smoke tobacco and of his health took good care
But even supremely fit and health conscious people cancer does not spare
And some things in life does come at a huge cost
And Tom Hafey who had won many great battles his greatest battle the battle for his life lost
Tom Hafey who had inspired in his honor many a poem, story and song
A man who had known huge success as a coach with Richmond, Collingwood and Geelong
By thousands of fans of the Australian Football League is mourned today
On the life of the great man the Reaper has had the last say
And though his greatest gift the gift of life from him may be gone
The legend of Tom Hafey in death will live on.

I Have Learned From Life

I have learned from life not to look far ahead
For i know by tomorrow i too may be dead
For in life as we know there is never a guarantee
As we are born as mortals to die eventually
Not everyone lives for to grow old and gray
And for some young people today may be their final day
To plan too far ahead it is not very wise
We must live in the now i have come to realize
I know where and when i was born but i do not know where and when i will die
And when i say i fear death i am not telling a lie
For i do not believe in a World in the sky
Where post bodily death good souls with wings to will fly
I have learned from life for to life for today
Since time on my existence keeps ticking away.

Quite Successful Indeed

In a Human World where billions for success do compete
The down to earth people becoming harder to meet
But what is success in their own way different people define
And your idea of success may be different to mine
Sporting and entertainment and material success seem the in things of today
But in life for every winner many losers it does seem this way
But since we are all mere mortals why otherwise pretend
Success or lack of it comes to nothing in life's journey's end
To the scythe of Life's Reaper like ripened grain we fall
Which causes me to wonder what is life about at all?
Far too much time trying to impress others by some people is spent
I envy the people in their minds content
Who are willing to help one of their help in need
To me these sort of people are quite successful indeed.

I Will Keep Rhyming On

Some tell me i ought to give rhyming away
That in rhyme i have said all that i have to say
And that i must be addictive for to keep rhyming on
When my best days in life are in the forever gone
But since rhyming makes me happy quite happy indeed
To their sort of advice i never pay any heed
I feel happy when rhyming of this i will not lie
I live as a rhymer and as a rhymer i will die
Years ago i had hoped i would become a poet
As a person well worthy of literary note
But now i am happy to pen rhymes every day
And what i am happy doing why should i give away
And though some advise me on rhyming for to call it a day
I will keep rhyming on despite what some do say.

I Know I Have Lived

I know i have lived out the most of my natural lifetime span
And all i have left are the memories of youthful elan
But i hope to live on for as long as i can
And die in my sleep without pain as a very old man

Most religious people believe that post bodily death the soul has wings for to fly
To the Worlds of eternal happiness or eternal suffering somewhere beyond the sky
But any deceased person as of yet has not come back to tell
Of an after Earthly life existence for the soul in a heaven or a hell

We are born as mortals a fact of life and facts do never lie
And all things of life eventually have to die
But the great gift of life is an amazing thing
And of the praises of life i am always happy to sing

There was a time that i could walk at a pace twice as fast
As i do today in Seasons long past
And all i have left are the memories of decades long gone
But i do love life and i want to live on.

Though Time That Rusts Iron

Though time that rusts iron eventually becomes everyone's foe
We learn from the past from the long ago
Though for most of our lessons some price for to pay
We learn as we live it does seem this way
And a lesson for us in life every day
We do never stop learning as the wise one does say
But some aging men with power to learn from war history seem slow
Of the darker side of war they do not wish to know
Of since for their own sense of history they wage war without thinking of the consequence
They abuse their great power for lack of common sense
Though we learn from the past to all this does not apply
Some very powerful political leaders war history do choose to deny
Since they wish to create their own history
How arrogant some aging males with great power at their disposal can be.

Old Lesley

Only the memories with him does remain
Of his first Hometown that he may not see again
Of Northampton in England from here far away
His eighty years of living has left him looking old and gray
Old Lesley left England when he was nineteen
A lot of the World since then he has seen
Sixty one years out of England in time this does seem long ago
And time as we know eventually becomes everyone's foe
But the accent he was born into with him does stay
And with him will remain till his last night and day
Lesley has led a nomadic existence for most of his life
He has never had children or never has had a wife
Too old now for to travel it does look like he
May end his life in Victoria in the Town of Werribee.

Ian Fairweather

In the Bridge Of Allan in Scotland Ian Fairweather's life's journey began
He went to war in France when he was a young man
Captured by the Germans spent a term in Earthly Hell
Of a struggle free life he did not have to tell

As a young man Ian Fairweather traveled far and wide
In Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australia when good health and time was on his side
He became a great artist his paintings valuable and quite famous today
In the top galleries in big Cities of the World they are on display

At sixty Ian Fairweather sailed from Darwin to Indonesia in a self made raft
In an act of sheer bravery that to some seemed daft
But in his case it was fortune favors the brave
He made it to Indonesia his was not to be a watery grave

In Bribie Island in Australia where he grew old and gray
The adventurer and great artist Ian Fairweather lived his last night and day
Far from the Bridge Of Allan where his amazing life's journey began
Ian Fairweather was quite a remarkable man.

Johnny O Keefe

He died as a young man only forty three
Australia's greatest rock singer as most would agree
Life's Reaper came to him before he grew gray
He would be seventy eight were he living today

Johnny O Keefe in his lifetime scaled the heights of fame
And in death his lives on as a legendary name
He was blessed with the gifts of great talent and self belief
And his legend lives on though his life span was brief

One of the first Australians to become famous as an entertainer Worldwide
Australian rock fans today talk of him with a sense of pride
One who lived life in the fast lane and died rather young
Perhaps before his greatest song had been sung

Long after the breath of life from his body has gone
The songs he made famous today living on
Of Johnny O Keefe Australia's greatest rock singer it would be true to say
That he lived and died as a legend and remains so today.

Queensland Joe

His hair is as dark as the wing of a crow
The man from the place where the sugar cane grow
Tall and broad shouldered of chestnut brown eyes and a sun bronzed handsome smiling face
In the big southern City one who seems out of place
Joe the twenty three years old tropical Queensland cane cutter of his home ground far south
In Melbourne the big City lifestyle he is learning about
Working on a big City building site to him something new
Former cane cutters doing this sort of work to say the least few
But in Melbourne he says his will be a brief stay
As the wander bug in him for Lands far away
In the big World out there so much for to see
For a young active man who has just turned twenty three
His venture down south has brought changes in life for Joe
He was cutting cane in North Queensland just eight months ago.

As Liars They Do Live

Most politicians untrustworthy since they do regularly lie
As liars they do live and as liars they will die
In parliament the government and opposition members obscenities at each other  do shout
And their only worry is at lying that they will be found out
Many of them corrupted and in their ways they do seem rather small
And as people in any way not nice at all
The politicians voted into parliament by the voters on election day
Of their fellow opposition members do never have nice things to say
Though many of the people who voted them into parliament sing their praises loud
Of the most of our politicians we have a good reason not to feel proud
On their lavish ex politician pensions they age in a life of luxury
Whilst many poor people live in extreme poverty
To many politicians it is not hard at all to lie
As liars they do live and as liars they will die.

What Have I Done For Rhyme

I have been penning stuff since nineteen seventy three
And of the rhyming bug i may never be free
But a rhymer at best is the best i can be
What have i done for rhyme what has rhyme done for me?

Addicted to rhyming i do seem this way
And i add to my thousands of rhymes every day
The rhymes that come to me on notebook i jot down
But never for money or rhyming renown

For penning thousands of rhymes credit hardly my due
Since anybody can write rhyme happens to be true
But i do enjoy rhyming the reason i do rhyme on
Though my best days in life in the forever gone

And though my worth as a rhymer i have reason to doubt
There are so many things for to write rhymes about
A magpie is warbling on a wattle tree
And a magpie lark in the park he is singing pee wee

If i said i would quit rhyming this would be a lie
Suppose i will be doing it till the day i do die
Only in death of the rhyming bug i will be free
What have i done for rhyme what has rhyme doe for me?

Positive Thinkers Will Tell You

In a Human World where for one for to win many have to lose
Many positive thinkers will tell you that you can become anything you choose
But i would like to tell them that i do not have a hope
Of climbing to the summit of Mt Everest or becoming the Vatican's Pope

And though positive thinkers may not agree
You can become anything you wish to be seems a bit far fetched to me
The World's wealthiest person was never a refugee
Or has been homeless and hungry and has lived in dire poverty.

You can become anything you wish in your imagination maybe
But this is far detached from reality
Many daydream of greatness but greatness only known to a few
Though you may say to this do tell us what is new

Every day with each other people for success do compete
And it is a daydream of many a young athlete
To in sports reach the pinnacle of athletic renown
And in so doing become the hero or the heroine of his or her hometown

Positive thinkers may tell you that you can become anything you wish to be
But for most this would be impossible it seems to me
A Homeless and hungry person or an asylum seeking Stateless refugee
With the views of the positive thinkers would hardly agree.

On Julia Murphy's One Hundred Birthday

Two World wars have been fought since Julia Murphy of Gortavehy life's journey began
A century of living in time is quite a long span
Images of her on the Millstreet Website by Sean Radley with her friends and her son Donie quite amazing to see
And he in his late sixties of an age quite similar to me

Julia was in her early fifties when i was a teenage boy
Such a happy, healthy and long lived life so few known to enjoy
Sean Radley is right when he wrote of her one hundred years young
The praises of Julia Murphy deserve to be sung

It is a known fact and fact does not lie
That us humans like all other life forms are born to die
Perhaps the gift of life from all she went to school with by now has long gone
But Julia who reads without reading glasses is happily living on

It has been many Seasons since she was in her life's prime
But Julia is one who keeps smiling in the face of time
In her lifetime she has made and did farewell many a friend
And it may be awhile yet before her life's journey will end

To a small band of Worldwide centenarians she now does belong
Julia Murphy at one hundred does seem healthy and strong
She has lived through two World Wars since nineteen fourteen
And many changes in Gortavehy in her lifetime she has seen.

The Praises Of Smiling

The praises of smiling allow me for to sing
As is said a smile does not cost one a thing
It is nice to be nice as the wise one does say
And a smile and a cheerful hello from a stranger can bring joy to your day
They have a great gift those who can smile easily
They do play their part for the betterment of humanity
I do feel quite lucky in many a way
In the beautiful people i meet every day
In every smiling person a friend i have found
They carry joy with them and share it around
A happy smiling person always a pleasure to meet
They even spread joy as they walk on the street
The praises of smiling allow me for to sing
As is said a smile does not cost one a thing.

Big Jonah The Maori

He comes from the place where the kiwi at night
Can be heard calling in the moonlight
Dark haired tall and hansome and broad shouldered with eyes of dark brown
His life journey began in a far away town

One who has traveled his share in a short space of time
In his early twenties not yet in his prime
Of his Maori heritage he does feel proud
Jonah from the Land of the Long White Cloud

Big Jonah he does make a friend every day
About him he has such a likeable way
He is always smiling he does seem carefree
Just a gentle giant is how he seems to be

His Aussie girl friend Linda is pregnant the great love of his life
Their wedding date set soon for to be his wife
Hand in hand in the park them i often does see
And they never do fail for to acknowledge me

In his early twenties full of life's youthful elan
Big Jonah the Maori a gentle giant of a man
So likeable and honest free of conceit and guile
He greets everybody with a welcoming smile.

On Tony Abbott's Broken Promise

Prime Minister Tony Abbott when Opposition Leader promised the Australian people to them he would never lie
And though that promise he has broken it will not haunt him till the day he does die
Since most politicians are known for to lie every day
And Tony the P M is not as honest as of himself he does say

His Treasurer Joe Hockey has introduced the debit tax
But Tony says this is a temporary thing the Australian voters can relax
Since the tax is only temporary long before the next Federal Election it will not be in place
As he denies he broke his promise with a smile on his face

The Australian Government blame Labor  for the supposed mess the economy is in
But if an election were held tomorrow Labor Government would win
On their first eight months in office in the polls not doing well
Their policies to the voters they have thus far failed to sell

The late Prime Minister of Britain Harold Wilson one with words who had a way
A day is a lot in politics he used to say
His words of wisdom to the Australian Government has to apply
Though that the Australian voters have turned against them they do wonder why?

With their post election promise of no new taxes the Government must live
And Tony Abbott is arrogant enough to believe that the Australian voters him and his Government will forgive
For breaking a promise he made to them only nine months ago
It does seem that his own words have become his foe.

Jack O The Wily One

His dinner had gone cold on his dinner plate
And though she did scold him for coming home late
He presented flowers he had bought on his way home from the pub to the love of his life
The good man drunk or sober is nice to his wife
He stopped off on his way home from work for a few beers at the pub
And a chat with his mates of the local football club
Aggressive men on coming home from the pub are known to beat their children and wives
It is a known fact that latent anger on alcohol thrives
But Jack o the wily one so full of guile
Home from the pub soothes Linda's anger with flowers a hug and a smile
Jack O has his feelings well under control
Though alcohol not anger of his marriage may eventually take it's toll
He does not beat his children or he does not beat his wife
But Jack O he does have his vices in life.

Lady Luck Does Not Seem To Be With You

Lady luck does not seem to be with you as you battle the odds every day
As you struggle for to support your wife and three young children on what is a poor take home pay
When you asked your boss for a raise in wages he told you what you can do
When he said if you think you can live without me since i know i can live without you
Survival for you and your family on bare award wages has left you in a financial hole
But even working for very low take home pay is better than life on the dole
Every day you read the job section in the newspaper but jobs have never been so few
In a town of high unemployment such news one might say nothing new
To pay bills and upkeep your family you struggle for to make ends meet
In a town of so few work opportunities where so many for one job compete
Your hard work helped for to make him become a known billionaire
But with you and his other employees none of his huge annual profits he does share
The good lady of luck is not with you from you she seems so far away
You find it a struggle to support your wife and children on what is not good take home pay.

Most To The Flaws They Possess

Most to the flaws they possess they are totally blind
But in the most of us flaws are not that hard to find
We are born to be flawed and as flawed we will die
This happens to be fact and fact never lie
We inherit our flaws from our fathers and mothers
And some of us more flawed or less flawed than others
The nearest to perfect of us imperfect in some sort of a way
Though some far more perfect than others is only true to say
You can only live as a good person and be the best you can be
There is more to living life than the i, myself and me
The people willing to help those of helping in need
Are less flawed than most are and quite good people indeed
Some more perfect than others but the near to perfect are few
You may say to this do tell us what is new.

In Fancy

In fancy i can hear the silver back crow
Cawing on a beech tree near where Finnow waters flow
On towards the Blackwater to the sea far away
In a tongue never silent by night or by day
Resplendent in their wildflowers the old fields looking lush and green
And the bluebells in full bloom on the ditch of Bohreen
And the hawthorn are cloaked in their white blooms of the May
And the cattle out of wintering sheds on silage and hay
On nutritious young grass gaining weight by the day
Nice memories live on as the wise one does say
In fancy i walk again as a boy in late Spring
On a pleasant evening in the old fields listening to the birds sing
The gift of imagination is such a great thing
The past to the present to you it does bring.

It Does Look Like That

It does look like that time is catching up on me
And so much of the World i never will see
Oh to be on the road that does lead to elsewhere
It is a big World the World out there

I have seen many Seasons and in time lived for quite a span
But i am not what you would call a well traveled man
Though as a migrant i well may live out my time span
Far south of the place where my life's journey began

Yet i do envy those who at home choose to stay
And never yearn to travel to places far away
Content in their first home place surroundings till the day they do die
To them there is no place like home is not based on a lie

And though i do live far south of my first home place
Where to many today mine would be a stranger's face
I have not seen much of the big World out there i have come to realize
Where when the sun sets in the north in the south it does rise.

In A Human World

In a Human World where the Stateless and Homeless have never been rare
A million poor people for every millionaire
We are living in an age of inequality
With billions of people in extreme poverty

Although we all will be equal on the day we do die
That we are all born equal is surely a lie
A Human World without poverty i will not live to see
For billions of people how sad life must be

Ten percent of the human population own eighty percent of the wealth
And money buys one a better lifestyle as well as better health
Many poor and homeless people never live to be old
At a young age they die of the hunger and cold

With the increase in numbers of the human population it is so sad to say
That inequality is far greater in the Human World of today
Than at any time in human history
And this is a sad fact would you not agree?

Happy People

A happy person always so good to meet
One smiling and down to earth without conceit
Just meeting them does bring some joy to your day
About them they do have such a happy way
A few happy people i feel privileged to know
And their friends in numbers every day do grow
Few do wish to know a sad sack of the town
One who always looks sad faced and is feeling down
Such a person will never bring a smile to your face
In his or her mind for happiness there is no space
But happy people take happiness with them and share it around
And wherever they are at joy is to be found
They find it easy to smile and a smile does not cost a thing
And their praises i always feel happy to sing.

Your Dog

If to your dog you are respectful and kind
A truer friend than him or her you will not find
Since the love of a dog is unconditional and true
Your spouse may well leave you but your dog will love you
Dogs have in them so much love for to give
Your dog will love you for as long as she or he does live
A few pats a day and a good feed
For it's unconditional love is all your dog does need
Stories of dogs devotion to their masters we hear of and read every day
Dogs to protect their masters have stood in danger's way
For it's unconditional love on your dog you can depend
Than it you will not know of a better friend
At the deaths of their masters dogs are known to grieve
For kindness shown to your dog unconditional love you receive.

Your Gift Of Memory

The past in reality in the forever gone
But within the mind it is living on
And as long as the gift of memory you retain
Your memories of what was with you will remain
For as long as you live however long this will be
The past it does live on in your memory
As memory is a great gift of the human mind
To lose your gift of memory as bad if not worse than being visually blind
We can only live in the now since life is this way
But without your memory you cannot recognize night from day
And though some of your memories you wish you could forget
At least your mistakes you remember to regret
Hope your gift of memory with you does stay
For without it you would not have a yesterday.

So Few Things In Life

Some great Gaelic players lined out in the green of Millstreet
And it also was home to many a great athlete
As well as rally drivers who were known and feted far and wide
Far beyond the borders of Duhallow's green countryside
Some great greyhounds were owned and trained in and near Millstreet Town
In tracks throughout Ireland they raced to renown
But what used to be is not anymore
And in sports in Duhallow nowadays Millstreet not to the fore
In life as is said few things ever do last
And success does not live on glories of the past
The heroes and heroines of decades ago
Out of the media limelight since time became their foe
So few things in life ever does seem to last
And success does not live on glories of the past.

Ted

A man of his own by anyone not led
It matters not who wins the Premiership Flag to Ted
He never verbally puts anyone down or the praises of anyone sing
A man of his own one who does his own thing
He loves his son Joe and Joe's mother Linda his wife
Ted does not take himself seriously one who can laugh at life
Not one who is tribal in any way
It would be a peaceful Human World if all were like him today
He does not have a religion or he has no interest in politics, war or football
These things that can be so divisive does not interest him at all
Every evening at home with his wife and and son he enjoys a beer or two
And if he cannot help you he will not harm you
And though Ted in the community is not well known
One can say of him he is a man of his own.

Con Keane

In his prime years Con Keane was handsome dark haired and tall
But news of his sudden death must have come as a surprise to all
Who knew of or did know him Con to many was well known
Since his friends in Duhallow in numbers had grown

This is so sad for his relatives and friends and his brothers Tim and Bob and his mother Kathleen
And sad to think in Millstreet Town he is never more to be seen
And from Coolikerane where he lived as a boy
Suppose he was one a long lived life who was not meant to enjoy

On our journey in life many an up and down
And another good person gone from Millstreet Town
Some die young and in mid life and some in time live a long span
And Con at most in his late forties or early fifties died as a young man

For all of us the journey in life has a last night and day
In the cemetery in Cullen Village his last remains lay
One can only hope his parting from life was a painless release
The good man Con Keane may he now rest in peace.

I Write Rhyme

I write rhyme but i cannot claim to be a poet
Just one more not seen to be worthy of note
But that i do enjoy rhyming i cannot deny
And why i go on rhyming this the reason why
And though my worth as a rhymer i have reason to doubt
No shortage of things for to write rhymes about
The beauty of Nature is all around me
With the magpie lark in the park singing pee wee
And though the forecast has rain later on in the day
And the sun it is hidden behind clouds of gray
The farmers for weeks have been hoping for rain
And with this sort of weather they will not complain
Just one more thing for me for to rhyme about
Though of my worth as a rhymer i have reason to doubt.

Born Not Made

It is said about poets that they are born not made
And their published words from memory never fade
And though good poets are not uncommon great poets are few
You may say to this do tell us what is new
The great men and women poets though long deceased in their words living today
True greatness takes centuries for to fade away
With their gift of words happiness to many they do bring
Without poets there would not be songs for to sing
And though few poets have been known for to make the top grade
Every writer is needed in the wordsmith trade
Every novelist, playwright and poet contributes to literature in their own way
Though few very few seem to make writing pay
And though so few of them have been honored in a street parade
It is true about poets they are born not made.

Old Johnny

I recall a song from my younger years 'it's a small world after all'
But old Johnny who has traveled widely will tell you the World is far from small
He has seen a lot of Australia driven on the coastal highway and across the outback
A man who has seen more than most have and in travel stories he does not lack

He has been to many Countries in Asia Old Johnny the well traveled man
Seen the sun rise above Lake Baikal in Siberia and climbed to the summit of Mt Fuji in Japan
Been to Africa, Europe and the Americas and worked on building sites in the U S of A
In every Country he was in to support his travels he worked in various jobs for his pay

Old Johnny did have many love affairs but he never did have a wife
And he does not think that he has children to carry on his seed in life
He is well into his eight decade and the years have left him looking his age and gray
And though he knows he is too old for travel the wander bug in him does stay

At the local pub on Saturday evening amongst his far younger friends of the town
He tells stories of his World travels in the days when his hair was light brown
When he was enjoying the traveling lifestyle long before time became his foe
He was in his prime in the late fifties and this is a long time ago.

Though It Has Taken Me Far South

Though it has taken me far south of Millstreet Town
My journey in life has not taken me to renown
And though i have never witnessed a miracle at Tubrid's Holy Well
Of my adventures i do have some stories to tell
Of people and places i have been to and seen
And landscapes some flat and some hilly of brown and of green
And of animals and birds i do see every day
South of green Duhallow in miles far away
It was the lust of the wander that brought me far south
Of the home of the badger and the shy brown trout
But time and distance seem to disappear when i visualize
And i hear the birds sing in a leafy grove at sunrise
And though my worth as a rhymer i have reason to doubt
Never a shortage of things for me to rhyme about.

In Many Countries

In many Countries in the World today
Many good people in prison for a long stay
People lawfully not guilty of any crime
At the pleasure of the Government locked up for no given set of time

Many Government leaders nowadays are sadly lacking in ruth
And that any good person is not in prison is of course an untruth
For political or some other reason or whatever may be
Some people for years in prison not knowing when they will be set free

Good people in prison does seem all wrong
Sad to think that justice to everyone does not belong
In a World where oppression and injustices in Many Countries rife
People in prison for their words or wanting a better life

Or exposing Government corruption behind prison bars locked away
For speaking out against fraudulent legislators this the price some do pay
Good people in prison you may say this cannot be
But this is the case for many a refugee.

A Long Way North Of Koroit

A long way north of Koroit in Victoria near the coastal City of Warrnambool
To Millstreet Town in old Duhallow where i went to primary school
In years going back close to six decades and time as ever ticking on
And all i have left are the memories of Seasons in the forever gone

In Winter i can visualize Clara in his hat of January snow
When the migratory redwing thrushes are chirping on the bare hedgerow
Whilst cattle for fodder are bellowing in the farm sheds for silage or hay
When the bare fields of mid morning from overnight frost are looking gray

In Spring it was so very different when the nesting birds did whistle and sing
Nature in her many Seasonal colors such joy to so many does bring
In the beautiful countryside i was raised in where to many i would be a stranger today
Yet absence makes the heart grow fonder as the wise person does say

The primary schoolboy of the fifties is in his life's physical Fall
And all he has now are the memories of the what used to be to recall
Some of those i went to school with amongst the deceased now do lay
And some of them remain in Millstreet and more from there age far away

Far north of Koroit in Victoria where with my young friends i played football
But on looking back the years went so quickly and it does not seem that long at all
Since i went to school in Millstreet but since then many a yesterday
And time on my life keeps on ticking and ticking and ticking away.

Had I A Choice To Be Reborn

Had i a choice to be reborn i would like to be one like Pele of Brazil
A legendary World famed footballer of charisma and amazing football skill
With so many female admirers and thousands of fans chanting my name
A hero to football fans Worldwide in the World's greatest field game
Suppose we all need our daydreams of greatness to keep us from feeling depressed
But in life only a few achieve greatness and only one can be the best
But even for an aging one like me daydreams are a necessity it gives one a reason to live on
When all one has left are the memories of better times now in the long gone
For success in life with each other most human beings are born to compete
Most young people into athletics daydream of greatness as an athlete
And though only a few become famous every mother hopes for her daughter or son
That he or she one day will be known for what they did do as number one
I would like to be reborn as great as Pele the Worldwide footballer supreme
With millions of female admirers as a boost to my self esteem.

No Longer The Foe

As a boy i heard so many stories of Duhallow and Sliabh Luachra's freedom fighting men
Of the ambush that took place in Headford and the heroes of Tureengarriffe Glen
But the enemy of Ireland in those days today is a friend not a foe
And Ireland has changed much since those times since that was a long time ago
The men who fought in Ireland's War of Independence and Civil War perhaps none of them living today
But there are so many types of freedom and so few people free in every way
Under self Government Ireland's biggest export is people not everyone at home can stay
And few out of choice do leave their homeland which does seem a sad thing to say
To the brave souls who die for their Country the credit of honor is due
But that any Country is not worth dying for i personally believe to be true
I have never worn a soldier's uniform and of war do not have personal stories to tell
But i have met some who have been in war zones and they told  me they have been in hell
The Ambushes at Headford and Tureengarriffe did take place many Seasons ago
And the enemy of Ireland in those time today is no longer the foe.

Margaret Barrett

To her children Margaret was a good mother and to the late great Millstreet Gaelic Footballer Dick Barrett a good wife
In Millstreet Town she had seen many sunsets as she was a woman who was granted a long life
The Barretts they were well known Millstreet drapers and through their business Margaret was well known
Of the Town one of the senior citizens and of her it can be said she was one of Millstreet's Own
Even though she had a long life she will be missed by her family in a family none to take a mother's place
In her younger years she was a pretty woman and in Millstreet Town her's a known and loved face
The farewell bell that tolled for Margaret Barrett for all of us destined to toll one day
We live for awhile and death it is forever and time on our lives does ever tick away
One can only hope that she died without suffering every good person does deserve a good end
And Margaret Barrett she was a good person and in her lifetime did make many a friend
And this is all one can expect of any person to live good and help others if you can
And Margaret Barrett she was kind to others one who did a lot of good in her lifetime span
From where she lived with Dick Barrett and raised her children less than a twenty minute walk away
In Drishane a very old Millstreet cemetery her mortal remains are at rest today.

Those Who Dismiss Me

Those who dismiss me as unsuccessful this is their business
And what is their business is no business of mine
But as long as they do not slander me everyone of me is entitled to their opinions
And since they are entitled to their opinions this does suit me fine

I would rather be seen as unsuccessful and try to live as a good person
Than being seen as successful at someone else expense
For why would i wish to be successful if it makes others materially poorer
Does what i am saying to you make sense

The horrible stories of greed and corruption that we do read of
And hear in the media every day
Shows the darker side of humanity but good to know
That most people are not corruptible in any way

Those who dismiss me as unsuccessful entitled to their point of view
But what they say of me is quite okay as long as they say what is true
For i too have been blessed with human feelings
And only ask of anyone the respect to me that is due.

If You Do Look

If you do look less physically perfect than most
A few every day will stare at you as if you are a ghost
The people in their minds quite insecure
Of how to cope with difference not very sure
For them to their attitude to the less perfect mentally or physically one must feel some sympathy
Since they are the people lacking in empathy
A mentally severe handicap for them to carry in the mind
One can only pity them and all of their kind
Live and let live as the wise one does say
We all are born to be different in some sort of a way
And though i am one who has walked on many a street
The perfect person i have yet for to meet
Perfection too deep to see for the human eyes
All of us are more imperfect than we realize.

He Is The young Man

He is the young man from the far country town
Where the creek from the high country babbles on down
In a brown tongue never silent by night or by day
On it's way to the river to the sea far away
It was for want of employment that brought him and their three years old daughter and his country wife
To the big City suburb for the better life
Where he works in a well paying job and is gainfully employed
Far from his small hometown in the brown countryside
Still he will not hear the shrike thrush in feathers of gray
Whistling at daybreak where he is living today
And with his hometown football club he may never more play
For his better standard of living this is his price to pay
The town that he came from in distance quite far
From where he lives now a four hours drive by car.

So Many Compete

So many compete for success, money and fame
And most people want to make for themselves a name
But not everyone can be a winner in a World where for every winner many must lose
Though losing is a thing anyone does not choose
Many arrogant people in positions of power
Suppose in a garden of weeds you will not find any flower
Greedy and arrogant people to be found everywhere
And there are many of them in the big World out there
The Human World not unlike the Animal World where the fittest and strongest and the aggressive do thrive
And the less aggressive are made to struggle to survive
What should be obvious to you is also obvious to me
That the greed for materialism creates poverty
Suppose this is how it is and it always will be
In a Human World where many seem to be lacking in compassion and empathy.

I Know Of Some Birds

Since i do hear and see them every day
I know of some birds just a little one might say
And though my wonder of them only grow
Little of their ways in truth i can claim to know
The birds that are familiar to me
That in my walks i often hear and see
I cannot claim to know that much about
My knowledge on birds i have reason for to doubt
Everyday of Nature we learn something new
Her wonders many though her secrets are not few
And even the birds that every day we see and hear
Are not to us what to us they appear
Even the birds familiar to me i have come to realize
That so little i know about them this to me a surprise.

Tom Murphy

As a young man Tom Murphy left his first home place in Claramore
On a journey that took him to a distant shore
At a time when many young Irish people were leaving Ireland for Countries elsewhere
For to try out their luck in the big World out there

When Tom returned to Ireland his hair was no longer dark brown
He purchased a farm in County Limerick in Tankardstown
From there he moved to Windsor Ovens in Cork before coming home to grow old in Millstreet
Not too far from the place where the rivers do meet

He will be remembered by all who knew him as a likeable bloke
A man who could laugh at and tell a good joke
Of his travels he had many great stories to tell
For one who migrated young in life he did quite well

Though in life he was one who had lived for many a day
It is so sad to learn that he has passed away
He went through his long lived life without harming anyone
And to his long deceased mother and father he was a good son

In his first home in view of Clara Mountain he first saw light of day
And in Millstreet his Hometown his last remains lay
As a young man Tom Murphy did leave Claramore
On a journey that took him to a distant shore.

Only Memories Remain

In the nineteen sixties changing times in Ireland became a cultural loss
The Irish Travelers no longer parked their horse drawn Romany vans at the Shannaknock Cross
Before the March and the September Millstreet Town horse fair
Back when there was not any gray in my hair

The increase in motorized vehicles forced them and their horse drawn living vans off of every Irish roadway
That culture always seems to lose out to change does seem sad to say
The Irish Travelers and their horse drawn vans off of the Irish roadways seemed to disappear out of sight
And only memories remain of their musical sing along around their campfires at night

In the late fifties and early sixties changes in Ireland were happening fast
And only the good memories remain of the past
The Romany horse drawn vans of the Irish Travelers no longer on the roads of the Irish countryside
At a time in Autumn in Ireland that the boo of the threshing machines in the farm yards died

The Ireland i grew up in is a changed Land today
And from Shannaknock Cross i now live far away
And a cultural loss became an industrial and technological gain
And of the what used to be only memories remain

For Many Their Journey In Life

For many their journey in life can depend on birth circumstance
And our gift of life in itself is only by chance
And like all other life forms we are born to die
The same for the earth worm as you and i
You may grow financially quite wealthy and know of success
And the impressionable of the town you may well impress
But all of this for you comes to nothing at your life's journey's end
Since your money will not save you from life's Reaper why otherwise pretend
The best people are those who are compassionate and kind
And when you are in need of helping a friend in them you will find
The World's wealthiest people post death life goes on without
And though the deceased pauper does not leave any money for his or her relatives to quarrel about
He or she to the deceased billionaire equal in every way
That death does make us all equal does seem fair to say.

Twenty Years Growing

Twenty years growing and fifteen in life's prime
And eventually we all become victims of crime
From their mid thirties on humans on the decline
We never do age well as does uncorked wine
On looking back the years time does seem to fly
That the years on them telling some may wish to deny
But as is often said pride comes before a fall
And time that rusts iron does take care of all
The former Rose of the Town she is aging today
Though in dark brown hair dye she hides her silver gray
And in anti aging creams she hides the wrinkles of time's decay
Her overall bodily appearance of her age a give away
On looking back the years we realize how quickly time has gone
Whilst life all around us as usual goes on.