My Friends Of The Past Over There

My friends of the past over there i have not seen for some while
And between us in distance there is many a mile
And though them i have not seen for decades of years
For what used to be i have shed all of my tears

In my memory i see them as they used to be
But memory and reality are different as most would agree
Like me they are many years past their lives prime
And like me they too would be showing the wear of time

Some of my friends of the past are not living today
Their lot will be my lot since life is this way
Though young in my memory they do remain
In the flesh we are never to meet again

Like me some of my friends of the past did not stay in the old homeplace
The challenge of living life elsewhere they did choose to face
Whilst some in the old Parish have chosen to stay
That no two life journeys the same it does seem fair to say

It has been many years since them i did meet
My friends of the past over there in and around Millstreet
And only the memories with me do remain
Of what used to be and cannot be again.