Irish Day In Koroit

Most people wearing the green of Ireland such a pretty sight
On the last day of April of wind and sunlight
People for the music and song from places far away
Are in Koroit Town for Irish Festival Day

On Saturday morning the last day in April of twenty degrees
Such beautiful weather of sunshine and breeze
In the sunny blue sky woolly clouds of gray
On the flag posts in Koroit the green, white and gold flags of Ireland everywhere on display.

Where the cultural links to Ireland remain as ever strong
Irish Festival Day in Koroit is of Irish music, dancing and song
A day in the Moyne Shire when old friends do meet
In Koroit the colors and culture of Ireland prominent on every street

In Koroit Town on Festival Day the atmosphere is great
The Irish and those with links to Ireland know how to celebrate
And the beautiful weather of wind and sun
One can only say does add to the fun

The songs and music of Ireland so pleasant to hear
Irish Festival Day in Koroit only comes once a year
Smiling and happy looking faces on every street
There is always fun and laughter when the Irish do meet.

In Life Everyone

In life everyone has their up and down times of this i too am aware
One cannot expect to go through life without having some cross for to bear
Like the loss of a dear friend for to grieve for something that makes you feel down
Or financial or poor health problems will not make you feel the happiest one in the town
Lady luck cannot always be with you everyone knows of a bad day
You cannot always be happy and cheerful life is not meant to be this way
Though laugh and the World laughs with you remains as an ever true
If you have felt happy for some while a bad day you soon will be due
Everyone have their own stories of their good and their bad days to tell
Of happy times mingled with laughter and of times of sadness as well
Life is what you do make of it as some have been known for to say
There is a time for socializing as well as for work and for play
For winners there has to be losers this is how it always will be
It is part of our human existence at least this is how it does seem to me.

I Am Surrounded

I am surrounded by many high achievers them i do see every day
Professionals quite well educated who are well rewarded in pay
In pairs or alone or in small groups they pass me without looking with my type they do not fraternize
To them dress wise i look quite different each to their own i have come to realize
In reality we all are equal since we are born for to die one day
But some feel they are better than some others they see life in a different way
Though many professional well educated people are quite nice and say hello to every stranger they meet
But even in every box of ripe eating apples there are always some than others less sweet
Like is said take people as you find them with such a saying i can only agree
I do leave them to their own small world those who feel they are better than me
I feel no desire to be part of their circle since me they do choose to ignore
Birds of a feather mostly flock together this one you would have heard of before
One should not look up to or look down on anybody and try to treat everyone as the same
Or never be rude or offensive or call anyone out of name.

Jim And Scott

Wherever he goes to he takes his dog with him
Scott the black and white border collie is a true friend to Jim
A far better friend to him than was Kate his ex wife
Who for the love of another walked out on his life
The bond between Jim and Scott keeps getting stronger wherever he goes to he takes his dog along
Your dog as a friend will never forsake you the bond between humans and their dogs is strong
Jim in his mid seventies Scott in his prime years he will be three in early July
Humans than dogs live years longer though time does not wait it keeps on ticking by
Ten times a granddad Jim does feel time wear as is said time becomes everyone's foe
When he was younger he could walk faster and further but going back the Seasons that was long ago
When he goes walking Scott is always with him from his master's side his dog never far
On Sunday he goes for a drive out the country Scott always happy in the back seat of the car
Jim says that Scott is his loyal companion truest and best friend he has ever known
He bought him from a border collie breeder as a puppy and between them friendship to bonding has grown.

Good And Bad People

In every town, village and city in the big World out there
Good and bad people to be found everywhere
In every gender, creed, nationality and race
The good and the bad are in every place
They possess great gifts the compassionate and kind
So willing to help others always inclined
Others to live better they always inspire
And of singing their praises i never could tire
Sad to say some in their ways are quite small
Though there is room for improvement in us all
Even in every bad person there can be a good side
In minds where dark thoughts the light of goodness does override
And good and bad people to be found everywhere
In every place in the big World out there.

On Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull is a popular Australian Prime Minister most Australians would agree
But he acts as one who feels rather precious to me
His posh accent is not of the down to earth class
On the Malcolm fan club i think i will pass
An ex merchant banker and a multi millionaire
With those doing it tough nothing in common he does share
The majority of voters him and his Government does please
By being tough on the unemployed and boat refugees
Like all power hungry people opinionated in his way
On what he thinks is good for Australia he likes to have his say
So many good things of him have been written and said
No wonder his well pumped ego barely fits in his big head
I wonder what the Australians voters in him does see
He seems rather posh and up himself to me.

To Many I Look At Life Quite Differently

To many i look at life quite differently
Which in majority thinking makes an outsider of me
With my ideas and opinions many do disagree
But i am what i am this is all i can be
My ideas on religion, nationalism, patriotism and war yet to win me a good friend
It has made of me an outsider why otherwise pretend
That similar interests and ideas bring people together i do feel aware
And with many i have so little in common to share
Which makes out of me one who is a minor scribe
In a community minded place as one without a tribe
And since i will not be changing my ideas and opinions friendships for to win
I must live with the tag of the 'does not fit in'
I follow no leader think in my own way
And each to their own as the wise one does say.

The Marvelous Three

Love, kindness and compassion the marvelous three
Belong to the brighter side of humanity
Those who do have them have the inner glow
And are such beautiful people to know
And far more of their kind in the World we do need
Everyday for their good karma they plant a new seed
Their sort of people i can only admire
And of singing their praises i never could tire
The human weed greed it is spreading and this not a lie
Far too many only live for me, myself and i
in the age of the selfie narcissism is rife
Though many to this well may say such is life
But love, kindness and compassion the marvelous three
Belong to the brighter side of humanity.

Murphy's Law Is

My rhymes like me in them bear many a flaw
Suppose sometimes life itself can be like Murphy's Law
Days when nothing for you seems to go right
When life for you is a great battle to fight

Murphy's Law is when luck is not on your side
When from the World you wish that you could hide
Days when you will not show your face on the sidewalks of the town
When life has you physically and mentally down

Days in my life when i too feel this way
When in my room i would prefer to stay
Moods to my life they do come and do go
I too like my sort am my own greatest foe

Murphy's Law is when your car does break down
And you many miles from the nearest small town
On a narrow by road the few cars traveling on it pass you by
Why any driver does not stop to help makes you wonder why.

Murphy's Law is when in your life everything does go wrong
At such times it is hard to feel mentally strong
In my rhymes like me there is many a flaw
And i am one who too does know of Murphy's Law.

Proud People

Pride is a thing that is in everyone
Proud of their daughter and proud of their son
You feel rather proud when others you impress
With the stories of your recent success

One surely can say that this thing known as pride
To the human ego is closely allied
When others constantly your praises sing
For your ego it may not be a good thing

Though to converse with them i never go out of my way
Proud people i happen to meet every day
Of their most recent achievements to me they relate
As if of their success i too should celebrate

Telling of the achievements of self and of family
Proud people everywhere all around me
Though self praise is no praise some do like to say
One must listen to thunder it does seem this way

Proud people they are much the same Worldwide
The pump for their deflating ego is pride
I need not walk further than the local bar
To meet people who tell me of how marvelous they are.

What Does Success Entail

It can be quite relative this thing known as success
And on such different people different opinions express
On who is or who is not successful there is no unanimity
The hero or heroine to you may not be so to me
On success no two in thinking exactly the same
Many can only link success to money and fame
But some to disagree with this are strongly inclined
Those who claim you cannot be successful if you are not compassionate and generous and kind
And others will tell you why bother to pretend
Of talking of success since we all become failures at the end
Of our lives journey since we all do die
The fact is we are born as mortals and fact never lie
What does success entail i for one cannot define
And your idea on this is as good as mine.

I Will Write You A Rhyme

I will write you a rhyme of a far away place
Where mine years ago was a familiar face
To many there today a stranger i would be
A new generation would not know of me

In the mild drizzly days of late April in Spring
The skylark above the brown bog-land did sing
Lost to view in the gray clouds of the evening sky
I could hear him sing as upwards he did fly

A familiar voice of the Spring of the year
The song of the blackbird in fancy i hear
His beautiful song so flute like and clear
The grove he sings in to my thoughts ever near

I will write you a rhyme of my first Hometown
Near where i used to live when my hair was dark brown
Where i was known to many to many i would be a stranger today
Time does not wait as the wise one does say

I will write you a rhyme of a memory in decay
Of a place i once loved from here far away
But we can only live in the now as the wise one does say
And at 12 a m this evening the past will be today.

Of The Wise As Leaders

I am not saying anything that happens to be new
When i say the wise of the World are only in the few
Of the famous and wealthy we hear of and read
Though it is not the purest of lives that most of them lead
If only wise people were in positions of political power how great this would be
Of corruption and nepotism in politics we would be free
We would not have wars for religion or natural assets or land
Many powerful leaders this simple thing known as dialogue do not understand
A wise person i do not happen to meet every day
In fact i have not known of many in truth i can say
To meet a wise person is like a rare find
Though no shortage of the arrogant and self centered kind
In a Human World that is ruled by power hungry people of greed
Of the wise as leaders we are badly in need.

Memories Of Millstreet Town

On my flights of fancy i walk up and down
The familiar sidewalks of old Millstreet Town
A gem by the mountains that is known far and wide
Beyond the borders of Duhallow's green countryside

I have long shed the last of my nostalgic tears
And i have not been in Millstreet for three decades of years
But of the what used to be the memories remain
And mental images of what was today i retain

When people ask me where i come from i say near the Town of Millstreet
From the green countryside where the waterways meet
North of this country thousands of Kilometers away
Where to many i would be a stranger today

In the big World out there some great sights to see
But a fellow from Millstreet is all i can be
Where i used to live when my hair was dark brown
In Claraghatlea less than two kilometers west of the Town

My heritage to anyone i never deny
When people ask me where i come from i always reply
From near Millstreet Town by the road to Rathmore
A few hours inland by car from Hibernia's wild shore.

Like Father Like Son

You have heard of the old saying like father like son
And this does apply to almost everyone
The father saw action in Europe in the early forties in World war two
And in the sixties in the Vietnam war the son saw action too

Like parents like child it does seem this way
The children of anti war protesters are anti war protesters today
They are only following the example set by mum and dad
Their message to anyone willing to listen is that war is all bad

The example set you by your most valued mentors never seems to fail
The children of former jailed criminals today are in jail
Some of them are serving years of prison time
They believe their only means of living outside of prison is to resort to crime

The good or the bad things we do in life our mentors often inspire
We usually follow the example of those we admire
A wise woman once to me good advice gave
When she said your deceased mentors today are advising you from the grave

I know as individuals we can live by choice
Since everyone of us has an inner voice
But as humans the most of us are tribal and impressionable for to give us our due
And like father like son does remain ever true.

Though Many With What I Say On This

Though many with what i say on this with me would disagree
A better World to live in depends on you and me
And on everyone else every woman and man
That each individual can make the World better to live in they most certainly can
For a better World to live in with yourself you begin
By becoming a better person you are helping to make the World better to live in
This is how it is and how it always will be
I can make the World better by becoming a better me
By helping the people of our helping in need
For a better World we are planting the seed
We can make the World better to live in if kind acts we do
This applies to everyone as well as me and you
With improvement of self you are helping to begin
For to make the World better to live in.

Out Of Control

The increase in the Worldwide population and human greed out of control
On the Earth that feeds us is taking it's toll
And add to this Worldwide the weather is acting quite strange
Due to the onset of this thing known as Climate Change
Of far more natural environmentally aware people the World is in need
Far too much carbon emissions due to human greed
The future generations of people for our greed must pay
And this does seem quite a sad thing for to have to say
More motorized vehicles and more mining and burning of fossil fuel
To the Earth we depend on for our survival we are thankless and cruel
The environmentally conscious sad to say too rare
And far too few for the Earth who does feed us who care
By us human beings so much natural beauty destroyed
The ever increasing human population and human greed out of control Worldwide.

Small Men With Big Egos

Far bigger than they look they act in this way
Small men with big egos i see every day
They walk with a swagger when out on the street
And they never feel out of place where the big egos meet

With a few drinks in they are spoiling for a fight
At the local pub on a Saturday night
They always pick on somebody bigger for to give them their due
At least to their well pumped egos they do remain true

That they do get themselves in trouble not any surprise
Small men with egos too big for their size
Some of them leave the pub with bloodied noses and swollen eyes
And though everyone grows older some only grow wise

To feel not lacking in confidence one of their claims to renown
Small men with big egos are in every town
Some of them in the pub do not feel physically small
Alcohol does not suit their kind at all

Though this is not saying anything that is new
Of small men with big egos there are quite a few
And it is not what you would call an uncommon sight
To see them in a brawl on a Saturday night.

I Would Be Telling A Lie

Though i know that my turn must come for to die
If i said i did not fear death i would be telling a lie
And i am only stating what is obviously clear
That it is only the fear of death that i do fear
Since they do believe on a kingdom in the sky
Where good souls with wings to post bodily death fly
Would make religious people less fearful of death than one like me
Who beyond bodily death any life cannot see
I know i am one of many who fear the very thought of death
But i will fight for life till my last living breath
I feel just a mere mortal as the cow or the sheep
With the Reaper of lives i too have an appointment to keep
What is born to life one day has to die
But if i said i did not fear death i would be telling a lie.

Those Who Treat Human Life

Those who treat human life as to be taken cheap
The karma they do sow one day they must reap
What goes around comes around as the wise one does say
In life the Karma we sow we have to reap one day
What others have often said before i repeat here again
We reap what we sow the fact with us remain
All of those who steal, cheat and embezzle, torture and kill
If the law does not catch up with them karma surely will
The saying of live and let live i believe to be true
And pay everyone the respect they are due
Those who in word or deed choose to drag others down
Do never become the heroes of the town
Good people find joy in helping one of helping in need
And in so doing for their future good karma have planted the seed.

Why Be Tight With Your Money

Time does tick on as the wise one has said
Why be tight with your money you will be forever dead
To a dead one it is a useless tag of renown
To be remembered as one of the wealthy deceased of the town
Your physical best years in the long forever gone
And the clock on your life it does keep ticking on
Whether you are buried or cremated will not matter to you anyway
Money you will not need when you have lived your last night and day
You may be missed for awhile by your children and wife
But with the wealth you have accumulated they will have a good life
Your material possessions and your money in death with you will not stay
And the clock on your life does keep ticking away
Wealthy and tight with your cash your kind are not rare
Though money is of no use to the dead millionaire.

The Binturong

About domestic cat size of sturdy build and strong
The dark creatures known to many as the binturong
A viverrid long of body of short legs and rather fat
Some do refer to them as the bearcat
They mostly live on trees and search for food by night and day
And eat fruit and flesh of smaller forms of prey
In south and south east Asia in the high forested countryside
Though much of their natural habitat by deforestation has been destroyed
With long dark bushy prehensile tail and pointy weasel like whiskered face
They move through the trees at an awkward and slow pace
all over dark and hairy with small dark brown eyes
Once seen again them you will recognize
To the viverrid family they do belong
The bearcat better known as binturong.

Above The Rushy Fields

Above the rushy fields where the waterways meet
In the countryside just west of the Town of Millstreet
A tiny musical speck in the clouds of gray
The airborne skylark is caroling today
Where i first grew to love Nature as a young boy
And learning of her ways today i enjoy
Late April in Duhallow is a nice time of year
The crowing of the male pheasant one often does hear
And in the leafy groves the nesting birds sing
They do sing their finest in the greenness of Spring
From many months in sheds living on silage and hay
On nutritious young grass the cattle gaining weight by the day
And millions of wildflowers in the fields to be seen
And bluebells are blooming on the ditch of the bohreen.

Nuala Taylor

When Sliabh Luachra's Nuala Murphy married Duhallow's Denis Taylor she was in her glorious prime
She then became Millstreet's finest this is going way back in time
But by a recently taken photograph of her time has not become her foe
She retains most of the beauty that she had decades ago
Yet despite her striking beauty she is one free of conceit
Nuala Taylor as a person i recall a joy for to meet
Before my journey from Duhallow took me to places far
On Saturday evenings often met Nuala and Denis in Millstreet Town in the Bush Bar
There was song, dancing and music in a few hours of cheer
And we laughed and we made merry as we drank guinness and beer
Nuala of dark hair and a lovely smile was a nice person to know
She is one of those nice people who does have the inner glow
Thirty years since i last saw her yet her beauty she retain
She is one i would like to meet if i go back home again.

Jenny Williams

So sad to learn Jenny Williams has passed away
In Tasmania where she was born and raised her last remains lay
In her early sixties so young for to die
That the good do die young in her case not a lie
One without children to grieve her she was not anyone's wife
But she was a very good person and she led an honorable life
Jenny see some of the World beyond Tasmania she lived and worked in Adelaide for many years
And in Warrnambool in Victoria where she died news of her passing left her friends in tears
An attractive and kind person and always a pleasure to meet
In her not anything snobbish she was one quite free of conceit
Sad to learn she has lost her battle with cancer she did not have a painless death
But she was a person who loved life and she would have fought for her last breath
May she rest in peace Jenny Williams her journey has come to an end
She was such a beautiful person and in life she made many a friend.

In Life No Guarantees

The Monarch of the Commonwealth and the U K
Her Majesty Elizabeth the second is ninety today
God Save The Queen all of the royalists do sing
But her eldest son Charles he may not live to hear God Save The King

In life no guarantees before his mother abdicates the throne Charles may be dead
And the title of Supreme Monarch would go to his eldest son William instead
Though to abdicate to some in her position to do would seem a wiser thing
To her title of Elizabeth Regina until death to she may cling

And since his mother Elizabeth in his favor the throne may not abdicate
It looks like Charles for the title of King of the U K and the commonwealth has to wait
Until her death as Supreme Monarch she is determined for to stay
At least anyhow it is looking this way

As the U K 's longest lived Monarch history she does create
Her ninetieth birthday Queen Elizabeth the second does celebrate
And since her eldest son Charles will outlive her there is no guarantee
That he may die as a Prince could very well be.

For A Day In Late April

For a day in late April it is very warm some thirty degrees
And warmth in the sunshine and warmth in the breeze
That blow above the green paddocks from the saltwater bay
For late Autumn it is such a very warm day
In the humid air white butterflies play
For the time of year quite Unseasonal weather one only can say
In the sunny blue sky just a few clouds of gray
And the contented cattle in the sunshine chewing their cuds lay
The dry countryside though looking green it could do with some rain
But with such splendid Autumn weather how can one complain
In late Autumn with every dawn Winter is drawing near
And the weather changes quickly at this time of year
And though the weather forecast does have rain on the way
For late Autumn it is quite a beautiful day.

As For Me

Though stories of martyrs and war heroes in book form do readily sell
Any God is not worth dying for or any Country as well
A life taken or sacrificed for a cause is some form of murder or suicide
Though every day such things are happening Worldwide
Of their love of Country and their God and the color of their National flag
Some fundamentalist zealots are known for to brag
They help to create the division between us and they
This is how it always has been and suppose will remain this way
I do like the theory of live and let live
And to receive in life you must know how to give
Nationalism, borders, religion and racism trouble can create
They give rise to mistrust and mistrust can lead to hate
As for me i only hope for to die in the natural way
And keep on penning rhymes until my last night and day.

The Man From The Fields Of The Silver Backed Crow

Of the up and down times of life he is one who does know
The man from the fields of the silver backed crow
Though since he has been a migrant for more than fifty years
For his long gone youth he does not have any tears

A grandfather ten times divorced from his wife
He is one who does know of the vagaries of life
But Jimmy feels happy as the word can be
Of mind destroying worries he is totally free

A supporter and paid up member of the local football club
One liked by everyone in the local pub
On Saturday evening on the two hours of song
He is happy to join in the pub sing along

In his mid seventies his hair silver gray
About him Jimmy has an amiable way
For his years he is one who does look fit and well
Though time like it does on all on him too will eventually tell

In word or in deed one who never puts anyone down
A popular man on his side of the town
Though of the up and down times of life he is one who does know
The man from the fields of the silver backed crow.

For As Long As You Possess

For as long as you possess the gift of memory
Your past will live in you as it does live in me
Old friends you remember some with the dead lay
And others you have not seen for many a day
Fond memories of your old hometown you retain
And on your flights of fancy you visit there again
And as you walk on a once familiar street
Some friends of the past you are happy to meet
In the lunch hour in the school yard with them games you did play
Before the lust of the wander did lure you away
To big towns and cities in the big World out there
Far from where you were born and raised you would grow old elsewhere
And though you may never visit your first home-town again
Good memories of what was today you retain.

You Can Love Your Country

You can love your Country without for it dying
Though that martyrdom is the ultimate sacrifice there can be no denying
At the grave of the war hero the last post is played
And brave war heroes are honored in every war parade
That only Patriots and Nationalists love their country is based on a lie
For you can love your Country without for it to die
Though the praises of those who died for their Country the patriots may sing
The love of humanity is by far a greater thing
Those who come to the aid of those of helping in need
May not be looked on as heroes but are great people indeed
These people serve their Country in the greatest way
For the acts of generosity and kindness they perform every day
Though that martyrdom is the ultimate sacrifice there can be no denying
You can love your Country without for it dying.

The Local Casanova Matt

He is choosy of his the type of woman the local casanova Matt
Most of the women he know of to him not attractive some too thin and others too fat
His last girlfriend Jo quite attractive it is said she did give him the flick
She felt he was far too conceited and with him she refused for to stick
Though this has not deflated his ego in self confidence he never will lack
He says she will not find his equal but when she asks him to he will not have her back
On Matt's behalf an ego saving statement for in his mind he must realize
That if Jo did ask him to take her back it would be more than a surprise
Since it was Jo dumped him in the first place on the day she walked out of his life
Next month she is due to be married she will become a lucky man's wife
Matt has convinced himself he is a gift to the young nubile kind
Yet for him one can only feel sorry his ego does control his mind
Humanity is made up of all sorts as the wise have been known for to say
And Matt is not the only egotistical male in the Human World of today.

This Penning Of Rhyme

This penning of rhyme can be a 'hungry belly game'
For me no money in it and scarce little fame
It is something i enjoy doing and little else more
This is something you may have heard me say before
For many years i have been a rhyming buff
And i am one who has penned reams of rhyming stuff
It is something i enjoy doing penning rhymes every day
And what i love doing why should i give away
I am one not worthy of the honor of the title of poet
I leave that to those who feel worthy of literary note
I penned my first rhymes at twenty seven in my physical prime
And this is going back more than four decades in time
And i hope to be rhyming till the day i do die
If i did tell you different this would be a lie.

On The High Woodside Paddock

On the high woodside paddock in the pale moonlight
The wombat and her young one are out for the night
To a protective mother out of the den he or she stays near
To the young burrowing marsupial the sounds of the night is a source of fear
The young wombat knows that for protection on mum it can depend
That from attacks of dogs or dingos with her life her young she will defend
For survival lessons and on how to find food on mum the young one does rely
Suppose to the most of Nature's young wild-born creatures this too does apply
A dark brown sturdy marsupial of about badger size
The soft whistle of the wombat once heard you will again recognize
Creatures seldom seen out in the light of day
In their deep underground den they rest hidden away
From the eyes of their enemies at night they venture out
On their search for food these creatures i cannot say that i know much about.

To Me It Will Not Matter

To me it will not matter when i have lived my last day
If nice or unkind things others of me have to say
Though i wish to live on for as long as i can
Live since i will be of no use to anyone as a dead man
There is an old saying never speak ill of the dead
Though the dead cannot read or hear of what is written of them or said
The great gift of life is the greatest gift anyone does possess
A far greater gift than the wealth and fame of Worldly success
As long as they speak the truth of me their opinions of me suits me fine
For what others say of me is their business and their business cannot be mine
Another old saying from the past i recall
In life you may well win many but you will not win them all
Since i am far from perfect i feel all too aware
And what others say of me why should i much care.

You Too Have A Life Story

That you too have a life story happens to be true
Though the one to tell your story it may well not be you
When you die you may not be well known or not wealthy but some one your life story will relate
Of how you had your good and bad days and your life we ought to celebrate
You may not die a hero at your grave the last post not played
But by those who knew you of course you will be remembered and memories of you slow to fade
We do not live forever we eventually grow old
But it will not matter post death to you if your life story in book form is never told
You live as an honorable person do your good deed every day
And to help those in need of helping often go out of your way
The day of your funeral your friends of you will say
A good person life has departed and at peace forever lay
You too have a life story that you may never tell
Of one who lives with honor and treats all others well.

Since I Have Not Been There

Since i have not been there for three decades of years
For green old Duhallow i have long shed my last tears
Though in my flights of fancy on a Winter day
In a farmyard shed i hear cattle bellowing for silage or hay
And the loud babble of brown flood water in the fast flowing rill
Bank high in the fields from it's source by the hill
And i can visualize listening to the birds sing
In a leafy grove near the prime of the Spring
Yet time that does not wait for anyone did not wait for me
And i only have memories of the what used to be
And at 12 a m the past will be today
We can only live in the now as the wise one does say
Though sometimes in my flights of fancy i can hear again
Brown flood water flowing in a roadside drain.

The Man Who Claims To Know It All

There is nothing on which he does not have an opinion the man who claims to know it all
On politics and life and on history and on sports especially football
To others in knowledge he does feel superior but no fool like an old fool they say
Some men with age do not grow wiser they only grow arrogant and gray
That in life one never stops learning is something he does not seem to realize
And to know that there are many like him is not really any surprise
He feels he has nothing to learn on saying this the point he does miss
That every know it all in truth knows little and as is said ignorance is bliss
He is one that i do meet sometimes though thankfully not every day
On everything he has an opinion and on everything he likes to have his say
At least it can be said about him that he does not suffer of low self esteem
A know it all has nothing to learn at least this is how it does seem
He has an opinion on everything the man who claims to know it all
On politics and life and history and on sports especially football.

Your True Friend Will Stand By You

When the last money you did have you did spend
It is then you will know who is your friend
It is then you will come to realize
That those you thought were your friends are not to your surprise
You only know who your friends are when you are financially down
And one of the poorest on the poor side of the town
Your friends are not those you used to drink with in the local bar
It is when you are down you know who your friends are
When you meet your so called friends of the pub today
They do not wish to know you from you look the other way
You know who your friends are when you are financially broke
Without any money a poor down on your luck bloke
When you are in trouble your true friends will stand by you
For this is what friends are supposed for to do.

Mid Autumn In Illowa

Why should i wish for a universal heaven when heaven is all around me
The wild birds of Nature are singing on every sunlit bush and tree
Near perfect weather for mid April a sunny high of twenty four degrees
More like a Summer's day than a day in mid Autumn with a cool and a refreshing breeze
Blowing above the green paddocks of Illowa from the ocean at Gorman's Bay
One cannot complain of this weather it is such a beautiful day
When Nature she is at her finest in the green coastal country out there
How can one yearn for places of beauty far beyond the Moyne Shire elsewhere
The white backed magpies are warbling and the magpie larks call out pee wee
The sounds and the sights of Mother Nature to see and to listen to free
On a beautiful afternoon in Illowa the cattle chewing their cuds whilst they rest
A gem in the crown of Australia in Victoria's coastal south west
The paddocks are looking lush and green from recent showers of April rain
With such beautiful mid Autumn weather there are not many who would complain.

Young Lenny

His ego is always well pumped since praise does go to his head
And the smirk of the smugness is on his face when nice things about him are said
Lenny is an egotistical fellow so full of his own self conceit
He walks with an obvious swagger on his way to the pub down the street
Too much praise is not good for Lenny with his own sense of self importance he gets carried away
One of those into self promotion his kind are not rare one might say
He is rather fond of the limelight one not lacking in self esteem
On that respect just one of many his kind are not rare it does seem
He thinks he is a gift to women though all women who know of him with this does not agree
Some women see him as too cocky and egotistical for one of twenty three
Lately his partner Marie left him for another to his ego a bit of a blow
Like the barnyard rooster when bested of late he does not have much about for to crow
He does seem as cocky as ever though he has had a love disappointment of late
Young Lenny as usual walks with a swagger his ego is hard to deflate.

Julie Bishop's Frightening Stare

All of the Australian Political Opposition members are only too aware
Of Australia's Government Foreign Minister known for her frightening stare
The most fearless of the opposition members she has been known to stare down
Though this is only Julie Bishop's just claim to renown
And though in Parliament many a staring contest she has won
Cannot think of any good thing as Australia's foreign Minister she has done
Outside of Australia she is one few of do wish to know
Of Julie Bishop one cannot say her fame does grow and grow
Doubtless she hopes to become Australia's Prime Minister one day
We all have our dreams in life as some are known to say
But you do not become Australia's Prime Minister for your frightening stare
Though the Julie Bishops of the World in this respect are rare
In Parliament question time with her fierce stare she cuts the opposition members down to size
She would become Australia's staring down champion if for such there was a prize.

They Do Not Have A Government In Ireland

They do not have a Government in Ireland since any political party do not have a majority
The two major political parties formed out of the Irish Civil War in the early nineteen twenties on forming a government cannot agree
But Ireland would do fine without a government the Irish civil service would govern the country quite okay
At least it would remove most of the political nepotism that has been the ruination of the Ireland of today
Between them Fianna Fail and Fine Gael cannot agree to form a government though they have the numbers to do so
The old hatreds in Ireland do linger of a civil war fought more than ninety years ago
A minority government for Ireland is an option though that in time may not last long
The mistrust from the civil war lingers and political mistrust it is always strong
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are only civil war political parties a link to Ireland's tragic past
But political change is occurring in Ireland and seems to be happening quite fast
As other parties and independents are getting stronger and one political party in Ireland will never again rule
Another general election in 2016 in Ireland for further change can be the fuel
The civil servants can rule Ireland who needs political parties or politicians anyway
They only survive by nepotism and the Country without them would be okay.

The Honorable Fellow

The remains of the honorable fellow in the cemetery laid to rest today
For to help those in need of helping he always went out of his way
One who loved his wife and his children he worked hard for his every pay
He was one who of anybody had never an unkind thing to say
He passed from life in his mid fifties his death of cancer painful and slow
And surely of a much better ending this good man of deserved to know
One who lived by a code of honor many good deeds by him done
A credit to his deceased father and mother in him they did raise a good son
Every town needs an honorable fellow though honorable fellows are rare
In empathy they are not lacking and of the needs of others are aware
By cancer that has claimed the lives of many his life it was shortened by years
Today at the funeral of the honorable fellow his friends and his family in tears
Some five years short of his sixth decade of time not a very long span
May he rest in peace the honorable fellow he was such a wonderful man.

Inspiration Is Always The Key

With the key to the brain it is not always easy the lock to unlock
One reason some writers suffer of writers block
One reason some days to write even one line they cannot feel inspired
Of writing some writers do grow temporary tired
But writers block with the writers it does not remain
And fresh inspiration is the key to unlock the lock to the brain
From the passion for writing the seeds of greatness in writers are sown
Though some World renowned writers periods of writers block have known
But for as long as the desire to write in one remains strong
In time the block to write in them does not last long
And though some say writers are born and cannot be made
Every writer is needed in the wordsmith trade
And inspiration is always the key to the lock
Of the brain of the writer not writing because of writers block.

Jane The Short Story Writer

Just one more fringe dweller of the wordsmith trade
As a writer of short stories she may never make the grade
But she does not yearn for money and fame
Or as a writer to become a great literary name
A writer who has written short stories by the score
She writes for her own enjoyment and little else more
A few stories she has written have been published in magazines locally
One of many ignored by the literary critics in that respect one of the majority
Since those the literary critics embrace are of the privileged few
To this you may say this is not anything new
Jane the short story writer in her mid seventies was never a mother or anyone's wife
Writing short stories as a hobby is the love of her life
It is each to their own as the wise one does say
With the humble Jane it is also this way.

Unearned Titles

Thousands of people are born to life every day
And thousands do die some not in the natural way
And though the praises of the royals the impressionable may sing
It is by chance of birth the first child of the monarch is born to be queen or king
The monarchs did not earn their titles it is only theirs by chance
As their gift of life came to them due to birth circumstance
They have unearned titles of them one can say
Those born into so called royalty in the Human World of today
God save the monarch will never be my favorite song
But it is each to their own in case you get me wrong
But since i refuse to be one of the large numbers who helps for to create class and rank
The royals for their titles do not have me for to thank
But i do not dislike royals or royalists i will have it be known
With me it is live and let live and to each their own.

In Memory I Walk In The Old Fields Again

From the place i was born and raised in i live far away
And to many there i would be a stranger today
Since many i knew there are deceased and others from there did migrate
That to few things stay the same i too can relate

In Claraghatlea west of Millstreet where my journey in life began
Where i lived as a boy and grew into a man
The changes keep happening there i have been told
From there the young migrating and the stay at home getting old

But the old fields i loved would still look much the same
Some of them i knew by their given name
And old Clara Mountain does ever look down
On the green countryside west of Millstreet Town

Such beautiful memories are mine to enjoy
Of where i grew to love Nature when i was a boy
Where i grew to know birds by their chirps or their song
In most of us the bond to memory remains ever strong

When the brown flood water was flowing bank high in the stream of the brown trout
The lust of the wander did take me far south
Of the green countryside where the waterways meet
In the flat rushy fields near the Town of Millstreet

With brown storm water flowing bank high in every drain
In memory i walk in the old fields again
Listening to the wild birds in the leaf budding groves sing
On a gray April afternoon near the prime of the Spring.

This Goes Without Explaining

Though some without any reason to doubt you
And never say any nice things about you
Those unhappy with your achievements criticize you with a passion
Jealousy is a feeling that remains in fashion
Some people in their thinking as is said are so very small
As is said you may well please some but you cannot please all
The majority who know you your praises may sing
But for everyone to like you does not seem a possible thing
You may well be one of the nicest people of the town
But there are always a few to verbally put you down
You win some and lose some in life as they say
This is how it is and it will always be this way
Everyone not your friend this goes without explaining
You cannot have friends without foes a fact with us that is remaining.

We All Have

We all have got fathers and mothers
And most of us do have sisters and brothers
Some with age grow thin and more grow fatter
But in the end does it much matter
Some like to talk and some are much quieter
And the happy one in mood is always far lighter
Than those who are serious and boring and snobby
Who like to show off their knowledge as a hobby
And many so many believe on a hereafter
And some they are blessed with the great gift of laughter
Whilst some on their faces do wear worry and sorrow
As if for them there will not be any tomorrow
And one up-ship to many is egotistical point scoring
Suppose if we all were the same we would be rather boring.

Taking Pride Too Far

Without boasting it is nice to feel proud of who you are
Though feeling superior is taking pride too far
And though many may claim you are best at what you do
One day number one can drop to number two
You have your own fan club your praises they sing
But too much praise for the ego is not always a good thing
And a saying from the past that applies to all
That pride it always does come before a fall
The praise of others has gone to your head
This is what happens when only nice things of you are said
Egotistical people i meet every day
With success they tend to get carried away
There is nothing wrong at being proud of who you are
Though feeling superior is taking pride too far.

Though Her Secrets From Us

Though her secrets from us well hidden away
We learn something new of Nature every day
We learn as we live as some do say
Though no guarantee that an insight gained until death with us will stay
Of Nature the more we learn the more we come to realize
That of her so little we know is this any surprise
Compared to her the greatest human achievement seems small
She is the one who supports and feeds us all
Her secrets many and her wonders not few
And every day of her we do learn something new
As long as the gift of memory we retain we learn until we die
A mere fact of life and fact does never lie
Nature's beauty is around us every day
And we are her pupils it does seem this way.

Poor Innocent Fred

And what is life do not ask this of Fred
Who spends most of his waking time in bed
In his life for joy there is not any place
He always has a sad look on his face

Though to self pity not one who is inclined
He has a lot of darkness in his mind
He does not know what happiness feels like or never will
Life can be so tough on the mentally ill

By anything in life he does not feel inspired
Medication always has him feeling tired
His sedentary lifestyle has him grossly overweight
And he feels he has nothing to celebrate

Poor innocent Fred he would not harm a fly
When in the company of others he seems rather shy
He does not have a girl friend or will never have a wife
It seems that his mental illness it has ruined his life

There is not any joy in life for Fred
Who spends most of his waking time in bed
In accommodation for the mentally ill far from his family
For people like him how sad life must be.

T E Brown

in his lifetime he surely carved his own literary renown
The amazing Manx poet Thomas Edward Brown
Known to many as T E in his poetry his fame lives today
Arguably the Isle Of Man's greatest poet as many literary experts do say
On his sixty seventh year he passed from life one hundred and twenty years ago
That literary greatness outlives the life of the body happens to be so
T E Brown's poems today enjoyed by poetry lovers Worldwide
That his poems are a testament to his legacy of him cannot be denied
It is said about poets that they are born not made
The poems of T E Brown are a credit to the Wordsmith trade
In his life time he was one who with words who had a way
Like every poetic great he lives in his poems today
Many literary experts claim him to be the Isle Of Man's greatest poet
His name does live on as one of Worldwide literary note.

The Pride Of Carrigadrohid

The Pride of Carrigadrohid where might she be today
Did she marry and raise children or stay single and in Carrigadrohid did she stay
Or did she leave the Leeside country for places far away?
I recall i last saw her on an evening in May
At the Cork Greyhound Track cheering her dog on in a race
As near to the finish line he raced into first place
Celebrating her dog's race win her friends her did embrace
Her wavy brown hair blowing in the wind a smile of delight on her face
But on going back the Seasons this now seems long ago
And time as we know becomes everyone's foe
The Pride of Carrigadrohid in her prime lovely to behold
Though doubtless time would have left her looking old
Her best years in life in the forever gone
And the clocks on all of our lives do keep ticking on.

A Story To Tell

Though in book form it may never be published for to sell
You too have a story of your life for to tell
Though you have never been too far beyond your hometown
You have known your good days and days when you are feeling down

You did not have to travel far for the love of your life
Your first love is now tour devoted wife
With two young school-going children of seven and nine
They are the future of your family line

You have never yearned for to travel in the big World out there
And try out your luck in a place elsewhere
But you do not have to travel beyond your home street
To find in life there is always some challenge to meet

Though where you were born and raised you are destined to grow old
And your story in book form may never be told
And though you cannot boast of a worldwide fame
You do have a story for to tell just the same.

Our Earth Mother Nature

My wonder of Nature only seems to grow
But the more i learn of her the more i realize so little of her i do know
I learn something new about her every day
We Never stop learning it does seem this way
She never ceases to amaze i have come to realize
And every day for us she has some new surprise
For our every existence on her we depend
Our Earth Mother Nature is our greatest friend
It is she who grows the food we depend on to live
Yet we take and take from her and in return to her little give
And whether we are cremated or in a grave lay
In some form we will return to her one day
Such joy and such pleasure to us she does bring
And her praises i only feel happy to sing.

Everywhere I Turn To Look

Everywhere i turn to look i do see
The beauty of Nature everywhere around me
And were i a poet i would feel happy to write
A poem Nature lovers would enjoy to read and recite
Earthly Utopia is not far from this beautiful place
Where Nature greets me with a green and healthy face
In distance quite far from the nearest big town
Where on the noisy streets the cars, buses and trucks buzz up and down
And dirty factory chimneys puff gray smoke to the sky
Why some people prefer quite places such as this no need to wonder why
So lucky are those who have a home in to stay
Surrounded by Nature's beauty every day
Many kilometers from the nearest big town
Where on the noisy streets traffic buzz up and down.

Carriganimma Between Millstreet And Macroom

In the fields of Carriginima between Millstreet and Macroom
The wildflowers of Nature today are in bloom
And in the leafy groves the nesting songbirds do sing
Carriginima is a beautiful place in the Spring
A place that has inspired song, story and rhyme
In view of the Boggeraghs so very old in time
A beautiful place that is ever serene
Where Nature does always look healthy and green
In my travels such beautiful places i have known
But Carriginima with the best of them can hold it's own
Fond memories of there i will always retain
And in fancy i drive on the roadway again
Through Carriginima between Millstreet and Macroom
In Spring when the wildflowers of Nature are in bloom.

Self Important People

Their own personal success stories even with strangers to them they do share
Self important people are and were never rare
For to meet their sort i never go out of my way
Though i do happen to meet a few every day
Although they do not know me they tell me their stories of their recent success
Which makes it obvious that me they are out to impress
One must listen to thunder as the wise one does say
With some i do meet it has to be this way
The humble quiet achievers only in the few
And this in itself is not anything that is new
In the twenty first century self promotion has become the in thing
Far too many their own praises only too willing to sing
Their egos quite swollen from their own self conceit
The people i would feel happy for not to meet.

Behind Every Dark Cloud

Financially you may be in quite poor shape and feeling down and close to counted out
And believing that the whole World is against you and you are one who is being racked by self doubt
And you hold out little hope for a bright future your mind clouded with the black moods of despair
Of late you have reason to feel unhappy as is said of life it is not always fair
The factory you worked in recently went into liquidation and the receivers closed the business down
With a home mortgage to pay and a wife and two young children to support you are one of many looking for work in the town
Of late you have had your moments of feeling suicidal the better days you do believe are gone
But the tiny voice in your mind urge you to hang in there and through the hard times keep on keeping on
Where there is life there is hope and hope springs eternal i only quote what the wise person say
And times for you they only can get better and from you may not be that far away
Being out of work in a time of high unemployment it is never easy so many for every job start compete
You need a better income than unemployment benefits your toughest challenge in life you do meet
Financially you find yourself in trouble with a family to support and a home Mortgage to pay
But behind every dark cloud there is a silver lining and the lady of luck may soon smile your way.

A Spring Evening In Duhallow

It was an old country that i used to know
In fancy on a beech tree i hear a gray crow
Cawing in the gloam where the Blackwater flow
In the flat green fields where the rushes in clusters do grow
In Spring when the dark shades of evening steal across the sky
The male snipe above the old fields does fly
And with his tail feathers makes a drumming sound
As in the darkness above his borders he flies around and around
A Spring night in Duhallow i remember today
The creatures in daylight hours hidden away
The owls and the foxes and badgers by day hidden from sight
Are searching for food under the cloak of night
On an evening in April in the prime of the Spring
The great gift of memory is a wonderful thing.

Mid Autumn In Illowa

Quite typical mid Autumn weather behind the cloud cover of gray
Out of view in the mid evening the sun it is hidden away
A freshening wind blowing from the ocean that has it's source in Gorman's Bay
And blowing with a slight coastal drizzle it is raining in Illowa today
A few days ago humid and sunny in April the weather changes with the direction of the breeze
In a few days a huge drop in temperature from thirty down to fifteen degrees
And yet the day it is quite pleasant quite cool with light drizzly rain
And though the paddocks look green they are quite dry and not one drop of water in any drain
The migratory snow white cattle egrets are back in Illowa with the grazing herd they spend their day
Feasting on the tiny grass insects that from big trampling hooves fly out of the way
They arrive in the Moyne Shire in April and leave from mid to late Spring
To migrate it is in their Nature and Nature is an amazing thing
The rain has cleared the sun peeps through the cloud cover in Illowa a typical Autumn day
A freshening breeze blowing above the paddocks that has it's source in Gorman's Bay.

War Is A Child

War is a child of intolerance and hate
Fear, death and suffering is all it does create
It's living victims are the dispossessed and refugee
From war zones every day thousands of people across borders do flee
Words such as a just war are based on a lie
Those who instigate wars in war zones never do die
They enjoy the good lives the warlords of today
Though Karma may well yet come calling their way
Of war heroes many a story and song
But war does have it's source in power gone all wrong
In war the innocents suffer at the hands of the powerful few
To which you may say this not anything new
Civilians badly injured or dying in war zones every day
And others in refugee camps for a long stay

It Seems True Enough

It seems true enough anyone can write rhyme
And rhymers were the poets of another time
And in the twenty first century literature poetry is no longer the in thing
It is mostly the praises of novelists the literary critics do sing

I used to love reading rhymes when i was a schoolboy
And penning them nowadays i surely do enjoy
I penned my first rhymes in nineteen seventy three
And it was my love of rhyme that made a rhymer of me

Even among rhymers i will never be one to the fore
It is something i enjoy doing and little else more
A hobby for me without honor or pay
But what i enjoy doing i could not give away

Even in literature many changes in the twenty first century
And an old fashioned rhymer at best is the best i can be
My best days in life to the forever gone
But true to my calling i will keep on rhyming on.

On Wilde's The Ballad Of Reading Gaol

When Oscar Wilde wrote The Ballad Of Reading Gaol
He wrote of a man life had destined to fail
In his great poem Oscar referred to himself in some sort of a way
The good times until his death with him did not stay
The poem of the story of a man about to be hung
Written by a giant of the literary World whose praises will always be sung
A poem that to it does not have a use by date
To Wilde's life in many ways it surely does relate
For the lady of luck always on him did not smile
In Reading Gaol he did languish for some while
And the Ballad of Reading Gaol in life his last hooray
Cannot keep a good one down as the wise one does say
The works of Wilde has withstood the great test of time
And his great poem The Ballad of Reading Gaol remains as a classic of rhyme.

From The Archives Of Wisdom

From the archives of wisdom this saying i did borrow
Somebody's loss can come from the source of someone else's sorrow
A year ago today Alice's only child John in a motor car accident died
By the tragedy of his death her future happiness has been destroyed
But a twenty three year old woman with a failed heart because of his death is alive and healthy and happy today
An organ donor his heart saved her life as is said life can work in this way
Today a grieving single middle aged mother with tears remembers the son she raised to a man from a boy
Whilst a young woman a beneficiary of his heart a new lease of life does enjoy
In life as is said somebody's loss it can become another person's gain
This is an eternal truism and as such will ever remain
Out of the vagaries of life it is hard to make sense
Joy it can come to one at another's expense
Sometimes joy comes to one at another person's cost
The middle aged mother is still grieving for the son she has lost.

You Can Only Live To Be

You can only live to be the best you can be
And the one who is successful to you may not be so to me
For success it does seem is a relative thing
Though the praises of those deemed to be successful many do choose to sing
But one can hardly claim as a successful person the one who in word or deed does drag others down
Even though many may claim her or him as a success of the town
There is more to success than being wealthy and famous and known far and wide
You are tainted in some ways if of a fair go others you have denied
The successful person with her or his lot in life is quite satisfied
And do not boast of their achievements as a sense of pride
Your idea of what constitutes success in many ways is different to mine
But your opinions in life do suit me fine
You can only live to be the best you can be
And of course this should include living with integrity.

Margo And Paddy

When Margo decides to go for a walk she usually takes her dog Paddy along
It can be said that they are buddies and the bond of friendship between them is strong
To Margo her dog is devoted as most dogs to their masters are
He is always happy to be with her and loves to be taken for drives in her car

Paddy is an Irish Wheaten Terrier his blond hair is silky and fine
A hardy dog happy outdoors in all weather rain, wind or frost or sunshine
Without a vicious bone in his body with other dogs he loves to play
And so friendly to other people a lovely dog in every way

When Margo goes out without Paddy in the yard he feels sad and alone
Perhaps he is thinking in Gaelic and woofs i feel forsaken 'mavrone'
And when she returns home he feels excited and he barks to greet her at the gate
Her Paddy to her so devoted than your dog you have no truer mate

Paddy is just over two years not yet in his physical prime
To enjoy a swim in the Blue Hole his way of having a good time
Play with other dogs and chase wild rabbits he loves life of him one can say
With Paddy her devoted companion for Margo never a dull day

When Paddy is on the beach with Margo he does not seem to have a care
He races in and out of the water as frisky as a wild March hare
He is such a beautiful canine so friendly with a charm of his own
In Warrnambool Margo and Paddy to many are well liked and well known.

The Rose Of Newmarket

Saw her once in the Duhallow Town of Newmarket and the memory with me remain
Of her dark wavy hair to her shoulders tossing in the wind and rain
I was just a teenage lad then she would have been near her life's prime
In May in the early sixties this is going way back in time

I do recall asking an old bloke who the lovely one might be
He said she is the Rose of Newmarket as beautiful as one could wish to see
To marry raise children and grow old in Duhallow will not be in her life's destiny
Very soon she will be leaving Newmarket's loss is how this will be

What was a loss to Newmarket was surely a bigger town's gain
On me she left a great impression though her i never see again
A young woman of striking beauty yet she did seem free of conceit
With warmth in her friendly greeting as she passed me by on the street

The weather mild though drizzling and windy on that Sunday evening in early May
Such memories with us that do linger and through the years with us do stay
I wonder did she find love elsewhere and marry and in life settle down
And raise children or remain single and childless in her life in a far bigger town

I only did see her once briefly and that was a long time ago
And she was one who did look lovely though time since would have become her foe
Her dark wavy hair to her shoulders was tossing in the wind and rain
On me she left a lifetime impression though her i never did see again.

Doesn't Matter

The man who does wear a two hundred and seventy dollars tie
If Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he cared about Australia's homeless people he would be telling a lie
His tie cost as much as most unemployed people are expected to live on in their weekly dole
Welfare cutbacks for the Country's poorest is his idea of Government expenditure control

Our so called plastic republican with a smirk on his face
In his mind does not look up to Australia's poor battlers as an equal race
An ex merchant banker and a known billionaire
For those doing it tough his type would hardly care

Australia's alternative Prime Minister and opposition leader Bill Shorten to Malcolm in money and financial assets may not compare
But he is one who lives well with heaps of money to spare
One who does not even pay lip service to those in poverty
And will never be a friend of the people who suffer financially

Doesn't matter to me who will become the next Australian Prime Minister Malcolm or Bill
As neither of them has the principle, courage, integrity or the will
To make life better for the homeless and those living rough
Poor Australians post the twenty sixteen Federal Election as usual will be doing it tough.

These Human Created Negatives

By war, terrorism and climate many hopes and dreams have been destroyed
And for these reasons many people have prematurely died
These human created negatives seem out of control
And on far too many young lives have taken their toll

In a World where people are dying of malnutrition and different forms of violence every day
For our promotion of religion and our neglect of the natural environment this is the price we do pay
Add to these nationalism, racism and class distinction which does seem Worldwide
Only so many more reasons that so many have needlessly died

It is said if we all thought in the same way how very boring we would be
But having this said it does seem difference does lead to lack of harmony
This is when the point of difference is taken to the extreme
Rationalism does become the big loser or at least so it does seem

Suppose when in our ways and in our thinking apart we do grow
Of a harmonious World to live in suppose of we will never know
Otherwise do pay every individual the respect that to her or him that is due
And treat everyone with respect as you would like them to treat you.

Is How It Seems To Be

We are what we are is how it seems to be
And perfection is not part of humanity
The imperfections in others that i do see
Are only reflections of the imperfections that are in me
Which thinking about it makes me come to realize
The reason i do not like people who me see fit to criticize
Is not what i make them out to be as without ruth
But is what they are telling to me is the truth
And the truth can be hurtful as the wise one does say
A saying from the past that remains as relevant today
The ego as is known does thrive well on praise
And what flattery can do never cease to amaze
In retrospect suppose we learn something new from life every day
That we never stop learning it does seem this way.

She Advised Me To Practice Meditating

She advised me to practice meditating though i feel i should be lamenting instead
Of my life's far too many failures and old age of me looming ahead
I know her advice well intentioned but giving advice does not cost as they say
And i feel those who need you to to feel like them need power over you in some way
This meditating can be quite serious more money in my life i need
With lots of money i could help others and this would make me happy indeed
But suppose for my small blessings i should feel grateful compared to the worries of many my biggest worry seems small
Like me they do need lots of money meditating would not help them at all
She invited me to join her in a meditation i did not answer her with a yes or a no
Such an offer is worth some consideration i told her i might yet give it a go
It's just at present i know of bouts of sadness mostly due to being financially down
And meditating will not ease the financial pressure on an aging sad sack of the town
She advised me to practice meditating but at present i am lamenting instead
Of my far too many life failures and old age of me looming ahead.

The Eighteen Mile Creek

Compared to the babble of the river it flows to it's ripple is meek
Flowing down from the high country the eighteen mile creek
It does serve it's purpose like every waterway
It quenches the thirst of sheep and cattle and emus, kangaroos and wallabies every day
For how long who knows with a brown tongue that is never still
It has been flowing in the gray paddocks from it's source by the hill
The centuries have come and the centuries have gone
But the creek to the river it keep on rippling on
Of it poems have been written and many stories of it have been told
The creek from the high country it is very old
It was very old before the birth of the first woman and man
The millenniums of Seasons it's pleasant ripple does span
It has flowed forever and will forever more
To the big waterway to the saltwater shore.

John Francis Daly

Though his name may not be on the sporting memorial wall
He wore the colors of Cork and his home club of Millstreet in Gaelic Football
And in another code of football for Evergreen United in the League of Ireland he did play
Quite a unique sportsman of him one can say

John Francis Daly who was known for his sportsmanship and his football skill
First saw light of day in view of Clara Hill
Elusive with the ball and quick on his feet
A role model to us youngsters in the west of Millstreet

On the playing field he never once struck a foul blow
And our admiration for him only did grow and grow
To retaliate after a foul tackle on him and resort to rough play
He never did seem as one inclined in this way

John Francis Daly as a sportsman was in a class of his own
In the fifties he was one who became widely known
As one of the few in Ireland at Gaelic Football and Soccer who did make the grade
It is out of men like him that sporting legends are made

And only the good memories i have to enjoy
Of a Millstreet sporting hero when i was a boy
Back in the nineteen fifties sixty years ago
But eventually time becomes everyone's foe.

Victory Is All The Sweeter

Victory is all the sweeter when it is earned in the honest way
The former Olympic Champion was suspended for the taking of performance enhancing drugs today
A hero of his Country for him there was many a loud hooray
Stripped of his Olympic Gold for cheating this is his price to pay
Victory is all the sweeter when in the honest way it is won
What often is achieved in ways dishonest often times later becomes undone
What goes around always comes around as the wise are known to say
The silver medalist has been honored with the gold he was cheated out of today
Even when you lose with honor people your name will want to recall
But when you do win without cheating this is the best feeling of all
The celebrated Olympic Champion today is one in disgrace
In sports as in life for cheating there can never be a place
Victory is all the sweeter when it is earned in the honest way
Just before you think of cheating remember it may well not pay.

Middle Aged Dan

A child sexual abuse victim at the hands of a so called religious man
Do not mention religion to middle aged Dan
In his early forties without children or wife
He says a so called now deceased man of God has been the ruination of his life
His childhood comes to haunt him again and again
Any love relationship that for him would lead to happiness he cannot sustain
The great gift of living a happy life he will never enjoy
Due to the horrible crimes against him as a young boy
As an atheist he will live till the day he will die
To him the existence of a God is based on a lie
He says crimes against children a God would not allow
Missing from my life when needed i do not need God now
By a so called man of God who has recently died
Any hope of happiness in life for Dan has been destroyed.

Today In The Rushy Fields

Today in the rushy fields where the waterways meet
In view of the hills by the Town of Millstreet
The cool winds of April that tell of rain blow
In the home of the badger and silver back crow
Though in the leaf budding groves the nesting birds sing
Thus far it has been a cool and a very wet Spring
The Boggeraghs are half cloaked in the gray fogs of rain
And brown storm water flowing in every field drain
In the leaf budding groves the nesting birds sing
Though the swallows have not yet returned for the Spring
Quite soon above their home fields they will be seen to fly
In pursuit of flying insects across the gray sky
And the blackbird for her nest fly with moss in her bill
In a leafy bush on the field by the hill.

You Cynical Old Bastard

You cynical old bastard he said to me
You are not an asset to humanity
Your rhymes lacking in class are on the side of bad
If you give up on rhyming i for one will feel glad
The harshness of his criticism brought no joy to my day
But in life you win some and lose some it does seem this way
My rhymes stirred the ire in one judgmental man
Of my sort of rhyme he is sure not a fan
The angry young man he looked me in the face
Saying your rhyming efforts are a literary disgrace
Your rhymes show your lack of self worth like you low in pride
You look at humanity from the darker side
You are a cynical old bastard to me he did say
Suppose you win some and lose some life is this way.

Young Glen

Young Glen by life feels he is hard done by
For to come by money he feels anything is worth a try
Such as fraudulent deception through cyber crime
His life well may be heading him towards some prison time
The Glens of the Human World to say the least not few
And on saying this i am not saying anything new
Of the financial status of their victims they are not aware
Though they cannot embezzle money from the billionaire
Young Glen is no twenty first century Robin Hood
One can say he is only in it for his own good
One who does not live by giving to receive
On helping yourself by making others poorer he does believe
And sadly the Glens of the World are not rare
Though they cannot hope to steal from the billionaire.

On Aggression Of Australian Magpies

With aggression they defend their territories and their source of food
And it is said of them that they have a call for their every mood
I have seen them aggressive to other birds and even to their own kind
The black and white Australian magpies to violence are often inclined
From their territorial borders only the other day
I have seen them chase crimson rosellas away
Among the more aggressive of Australia's song birds they surely do rate
Birds they do not see often in their territories they do not tolerate
Yet among Australia's finest feathered songsters they surely belong
And once seen and once heard one can never again get them wrong
They have even been known to attack humans in their nesting time
Violence towards others among Nature's creatures is never a crime
I have seen them attack and kill blackbirds and silvereyes
To Nature's beauty there can be a dark side i have come to realize.

The Mentors Of My Childhood Years

From where i now live in distance far away
The mentors of my childhood years in eternal rest lay
In life of their biggest worries they seemed to make light
They were blessed with the gifts of wisdom and insight
Of their heritage they did take a certain pride
And with their life's small blessings they felt satisfied
They never did yearn for to live in places elsewhere
Or to try out their luck in the big World out there
Happy to raise their children and to grow old in their beloved home-place
Where everyone was well known and a familiar face
Everyone did know everyone by name
And none of them did yearn for a worldly fame
They did live their lives in an unselfish way
And they would seem out of place in the Human World of today.

Big Egos Are Everywhere

Big egos are everywhere all around me
Though it is said we dislike in others in what in ourselves we do see
If this be so to me this too does apply
That my ego is swollen i cannot deny
At the local pub the father of two young children Ted
Boasts to his drinking mates of how he is good in bed
And the reason he gives for cheating on his wife
Is he does not have enough of sex in his life
Of so many like him you would have heard of and read
You might say his manhood has gone to his head
Of stories of their personal successes many willing to share
The humble it does seem are becoming rare
But the flaws that in others i claim for to see
I am at pains to say are also in me.

The People Have Spoken

Wise words that come to us from the days of old
The people have spoken as we have been told
A government to power has been voted in
And the wealthy grow wealthier and the poor never win

The votes have been counted the winners and their supporters celebrate
And life at present for them it is great
But not every one the praises of the winners do sing
And that the poor remain poor is such a sad thing

The people have spoken some shouting hooray
Those who in their votes have got their own way
But life goes on as usual in the big town
And no cause for joy among the financially down

The people have spoken their votes for their thoughts speak
We have strengthened the wealthy and weakened the weak
The president of the Country is a billionaire
For those doing it tough is not for us to care

The people have spoken and life does go on
And at midnight this evening today will be gone
And many must lose for a few for to gain
A mere fact of life that with us does remain.

Claraghatlea's Last Rhymer

This writing of rhyme for me has been a hungry belly game
To be Claraghatleas's last rhymer my only claim to fame
Addictive in my rhyming habits i pen rhymes every day
I have written lots of rhyming stuff in truth of self i can say

Where to many today i would be a stranger just west of Millstreet Town
To be Claraghatlea's last rhymer is no claim to literary renown
My journey in life took me far south of there some three decades ago
My better days in life long gone and time has become my foe

In Spring the birds sing in the groves in a Claraghatlea sunrise
And the old fields that i used to love i often visualize
The hawthorns quite resplendent in their white blooms of the May
And the swallows chasing flying insects under clouds of blue and gray

The cattle on nutritious grass gaining weight by the day
And the old fields lush and green looking marvelous in their wildflower array
The dipper singing in the rill with it's source in Claramore
That babbles to the waterways to the Atlantic shore

Where today i would feel a stranger and few would know me
The last rhymer of Claraghatlea is the best that i can be
Millstreet and it's countryside first inspired me to rhyme
But this is many years ago some four decades in time.