This Not A Surprise

As is said of ignorance to it does not have an age
And few ever rise to the status of sage
And arrogant people never grow enlightened they only grow old
Though fortune can favor the brave and the bold
We never stop learning it does seem this way
And from life we do learn as we live every day
If you can live your life without harming anyone
Your mum and dad in you have raised a good daughter or son
Enlightenment always a welcome does find
And made to feel at home in the open to learning mind
Those who think they know it all new knowledge will never receive
Suppose we are only on what we do believe
Yet the more we do learn the more we realize
That we do know so little this not a surprise.

Everywhere I Turn To Look

Everywhere i turn to look i do see
The beauty of Nature that is all around me
A beauty that has inspired the makers of story and rhyme
That will live on forever through the Seasons of time

Though in the depths of Winter in late June near the first of July
The sun shining bright in the blue and gray sky
The flute of the magpie so pleasant to hear
On a beautiful day for the time of year

With such nice Winter weather how can one complain
The countryside looking green after the recent rain
On a high leafless branch of a sunlit deciduous tree
The magpie larks sing their distinctive pee wee

The beauty of Nature will be living on
When i am one of the long forgotten gone
The fact is us humans are mortals and fact never lie
But Nature is the one who will never die

For late June in Winter quite a beautiful day
A freshening breeze blowing uphill from the bay
Above the undulating green coastal countryside
Where the scenic beauty around me stretches far and wide.

Only In The Few

Wise political leaders only in the few
And this is not saying anything that is new
Many politicians to their word are never true
And are not trustworthy for to give them their due
The person you vote for on election day
Says more of the person you are than words can ever say
The government lacking in compassion are voted to power by voters who too are this way
That we get the government we deserve only seems true to say
Due to the greed of the wealthy a fair go to many in life is denied
The gap between the poor and the wealthy has grown ever wide
When government leaders say they are governing for all of the people they are lying through their teeth
They never do govern for the homeless of poverty street
So many politicians only know of how to deceive
They are not the sort that one should trust or believe.

Before The Baby Learns How To Walk

Before the baby learns how to walk the baby must crawl
And what applies to one baby does apply to all
Your first lesson from the book of life began on your life's first day
And from life we never stop learning it does seem this way
Yet from learning from life we have so little time
For the years pass so quickly beyond our lives prime
And the more we do learn the more we realize
That we do know so little this not a surprise
From living experience of life we do gain
But as we age some of the knowledge we accumulated we do not retain
And sadly the know it all people are no longer rare
But of knowledge they seem to have little to share
You may not receive from life what is your due
But that you learn as you live does remain ever true.

Poverty Is Relative

Some people in life they do it so tough
And often are hungry and live and sleep rough
The hard done by life of the social divide
The goddess of luck she is not on their side
Millions of people are stateless and homeless in the World today
Without an income, unemployed and doing it in the hard way
For millions of people living in extreme poverty
How hard and sad living life for them has to be
They know what it is like to live without shelter and be hungry and cold
And few of them will live on for to grow old
Compared to them so very lucky am i
Of hunger and cold i will surely not die
I do not own my own home many far wealthier than me
But poverty is relative would you not agree.

Friendly Strangers

Whenever i am walking in the park or on the street
Such nice and friendly strangers i happen for to meet
Who greet me as one that they liked and knew
They make me feel as one of the chosen few
About them they do have a charming way
The people who never fail to make my day
Wherever such people are joy is to be found
They carry it with them and share it around
That the moods of others affect us to most does apply
It is not a nice feeling even when a stranger to your greeting choose not to reply
Though personally them i cannot claim to know
Friendly strangers as i do feel have the inner glow
As is said of a smile it does not cost one a thing
And the praises of a friendly stranger i feel happy to sing.

Life Is Too Short

Life is too short for bearing a grudge
And why should one wish to be anyone's judge
Live and let live is the best you can do
How you choose to live is only up to you
Some in their ways and their thinking are small
They only believe on a fair go for their own kind but not on a fair go for all
The one who finds pleasure on verbally putting others down
Will never become the best loved one in town
There is more to life than living for me, myself and i
This is a fact and fact never lie
For your future good karma you can plant the seed
By helping anyone of your help in need
Do not expect to receive if you cannot give
This is how it works in live and let live.

It Is Not Your Fault

It is not your fault if one of your race
Has sinned against others and fallen from grace
For the sins of others you cannot be to blame
Each individual must wear the guilt of his or her own shame
If one of your race commits a serious crime
It is her or his shame and for it the offender must serve prison time
It is not your fault if one of your kind have done wrong
The responsibility for your life to you only belong
If to your higher self you remain as ever true
And the honorable life ways you only pursue
And you never harm anyone in any way
For a better World to live in your part you do play
For the sins of your race you are not to blame
Each individual must live with her or his own shame.

It Must Have Been A Wealthy Person

It must have been a wealthy person of the social divide a huge fan
Who first coined the phrase an ordinary woman or man
Though on the term itself many may disagree
Who is ordinary to you may not be so to me
Ordinary a word many use as a verbal put down
There are small minded people even in a big town
That it is easy to judge as the wise one does say
Those who judge are so small in their judgmental way
Live and let live i believe to be true
And give everyone credit if credit they are due
If the praises of one you are not willing to sing
Of this person why even say one negative thing
To be a good person you do not have to be widely known
As has often been said each to their own.

So Little Of Nature

So little of Nature i can claim to know
Yet my wonderment of her it only does grow
But we learn as we live as the wise one does say
And of Nature we learn something new every day
And the more we do learn the more we realize
That so little we do know this not a surprise
And knowledge of any sort never a crime
Yet so much to learn in so little time
Nature's wonders are many and her secrets not few
On this i am not saying anything that is new
My lessons from Nature today i enjoy
I first grew to love her when i was a boy
On long gone Seasons in old fields far away
And of her i learn something new every day.

Our Memories Will Die With Us

Our memories will die with us when life from us has gone
And though some may remember us life as usual will go on
This is how it is and it was and how it will always be
The one who swings the scythe of death is greater far than you or me
Whatever our achievements are it is only true to say
The journey of life we are on will end for us one day
We are mere mortals after all and mortals are born to die
And of this supposed life post bodily death ask one other than i
We all do have our own beliefs many believe in a god in the sky
To whose paradise post bodily death their souls to with wings will fly
As for me this is a mystery something of the unknown
But there is some truth in the saying of to each their own
Our memories will die with us like all in the forever gone
And though some may remember us life as usual will go on.

Far Worse I Have Known

The day is wet and cold and windy but far worse i have known
In the place where my life's early memories were sown
When the weather temperatures was at zero degrees
And the cold wind was soughing in the naked trees

Old memories as ever are with me today
Of bleak Winter days in a place far away
With brown flood waters babbling loudly in every rill, river and drain
And the old hills cloaked from view in the gray fogs of rain

At a time of year too cold and wet for grass to grow
And weather forecasts of frost, rain, storms, sleet and snow
In the farm yard sheds hungry cattle were bellowing for silage or hay
In the gray of the morning of a wintry day

When the hungry wild birds of Nature had no songs to sing
In the cold depths of Winter ten weeks from the Spring
But even in the coldest and wettest and windiest time of year
Every gray dawn to the Spring brings us near

When the weather temperatures rise above ten degrees
And the nesting birds sing on the leaf budding trees
Hope springs eternal as the wise one does say
And each day brought us nearer to the dawning of May

These things of my past i surely do not miss
I have known of far wetter and colder and windier days than this
But going back the years this does seem long ago
And time that rusts iron has become my foe.

There Are None Of Us

There are none of us quite perfect none of us quite free of sin
But by becoming a better person you make the World better to live in
By your actions or by your words never drag anyone down
By living as a better person you become an asset to your town
Though many out for their own glory for themselves to make a name
There is more to our existence than living for self, wealth and fame
Those who care for other people help those of helping in need
For their future good karma they are planting the good seed
Without the selfish and greedy the World would be better indeed
And sadly as ever they are not a rare breed
To make the World better to live in would you not agree
It is up to everyone and everyone includes you and me
By making ourselves better people we do begin
To make the human World better to live in.

With Words J J Callanan

Far from Cork in Portugal his last remains do lay
With words J J Callanan was one who had a way
His poems have long outlived him and are widely read today
What is great does stand the test of time as the wise one does say
Gougane Barra and The Convict Of Clonmel live as memories to his name
And the Recluse Of Inchydoney and The Outlaw Of Lough Lene do have a widespread fame
And though he did not live to a great age he died as rather young
Today his poems are widely read and his songs are often sung
It can be said of Callanan that he wrote in perfect rhyme
His literary works were born of genius and have withstood the test of time
He left Ireland for health reasons Winters there for him too wet and cold
But in Portugal he died young he was not meant to grow old
In Ireland J J Callanan remains as one of literary note
And it truly can be said of him that he was a marvelous poet
Since he left Ireland for Portugal near two centuries in time has gone
But the beauty in his short life he created today is living on.

For All Of Us

For all of us there is a last night and day
The clock on our lives ever ticking away
From the poor of the World to the known billionaire
The Reaper of Lives any life does not spare
The fact is humans like all other life forms are mortals and fact never lie
No matter what we achieve in life we are destined to die
Though the praises of the wealthy and famous the masses may sing
A successfully lived life can be a relative thing
For not everyone measures success in the same way
That peoples opinions on most things do vary does seem true to say
The now is all that matters and yesterday has gone
And the clock on our lives ever keeps ticking on
It is a fact us humans are mortals and fact does not lie
And the longer you live the sooner you will die.

Though From It

Though from it you will not become the most popular one in the town
It is easy in words for to put others down
Yes unkind things of others are easy to say
And some people find pleasure on behaving in this way
The words of a wise person i do recall
If you cannot say something nice about someone say nothing at all
On saying all good living people respect are due
I only do say what happens to be true
In life it is said we must give to receive
On such a philosophy i am one who believe
Not everyone is nice why even pretend
They can be mentally quite hurtful words used to offend
I am one who believes on live and let live
And if you wish to receive you must know how to give.

There Is More To Millstreet

A place that is known for sports people of renown
But there is more than sports to old Millstreet Town
For it's friendly people it's reputation has grown
One reason that Millstreet has become widely known

In view of old Clara above Claramore
For it's scenic countryside Millstreet is to the fore
An old Town and place that is known far and wide
Beyond the borders of Duhallow's green countryside

If ever you visit the Town Of Millstreet
More than one friendly face you are bound for to meet
Some who have visited Millstreet for a holiday
Have returned to there for a much longer stay

To a hospitable ancestry Millstreet people their history can trace
They feel proud of their Town and have a sense of place
Even migrants of Millstreet in Lands far away
Do yearn to return to their Hometown one day

Millstreet in Duhallow has a charm of it's own
And for it's hospitable people it is widely known
Where you are greeted by many a friendly and smiling face
As a visitor to Millstreet you will not feel out of place.

It Was My Love For Adventure

It was my love for adventure in the big World out there
That brought me to this southern Land from elsewhere
My dreams and ambitions in life to pursue
But such things for everyone do not come true

Everyday brings me nearer to my final Spring
But for as long as i can do to life i will cling
Since the fact is we are mortals and fact never lie
And on some future date i am destined to die

I feel i have been luckier than many women and men
As in years i am on the doorstep of three score and ten
So many good people i knew or knew of have died young
And sadly their praises will never be sung

A beautiful Country of a pleasant climate this Land of the south
Where from place to place the scenery changes as you drive about
Home to marsupial animals and species of birds some of them quite rare
And well worth a visit for those with money to spare

Every migrant has some village, town or city or place to call home
To the migrant Athenian it is Athens to the migrant Roman it is Rome
And to me first home is Claraghatlea in view of Clara Hill
In distance a short walk to the Claramore Rill.

It was my love of adventure that lured me away
From the place where i first looked on the lamp of day
And though my best physical years are in the long gone
For as long as i can do i will keep living on.

You Say I Am Not Good Enough

You say i am not good enough this suits me fine
But what you think of me is your business not mine
I know of my limitations in that i am not alone
But i too have feelings my heart is not of stone
Our roadways of life at times can be quite rough
And i give it my best though my best seems not good enough
And one only can be the best one can be
For winners there has to be losers as most would agree
I know that as a wordsmith i do not make the grade
Just an amateur rhymer of the wordsmith trade
And though as a rhymer i am not one to the fore
To my numbers of rhymes every day i add more
And what some others say of me why should i much care
Since of my limitations i am already aware.

The Rill From High Claramore

In the flat fields of Claraghatlea from it's source by the hill
It babbles towards the river the Claramore Rill
A waterway that has inspired the writers of story and rhyme
That will flow on forever through the centuries of time
It's clear pools are home to the speckled brown trout
Quite visible on a sunny day swimming about
The moment they see you they dash under the cover of the bank for to hide
One of their secrets of survival is to have fear on their side
The true age of the waterways can never be told
In the age of the dinosaurs they were very old
Centuries of Seasons have come and centuries of Seasons have gone
But the ageless old waterways as ever flow on
As will the rill from high Claramore
That flows to the rivers to the far ocean shore.

Between People

Between people of different nationalities and races one should not differentiate
Since all of us one day must share a common fate
The one who makes equal, black, white and brown
The reaper of lives visits everywhere as well as every village and city and town
The same for the celebrity and the billionaire as for you and i
We are all born as helpless and as helpless we will die
The same for the pauper as the billionaire
The reaper of lives any life does not spare
The rare few without ego do not fear death
They never do hang on to life's living breath
And it only does seem true and fair for to say
That death the equalizer in some ways is okay
One should be kind to others and treat all as the same
And never call anybody out of name.

Australia's First People

They have lived in Australia for thousands of years
And the arrival of the uninvited only brought them suffering death and tears
They have been sinned against Australia's first race
And the way they have been treated is a human disgrace
They deserve to be honored in story and rhyme
The descendants of the people of the dreaming time
On saying they deserve to be treated far better the truth one must face
And in Australia they should command the highest place
Australia's first people have a proud history
For so long the caretakers of the southern Country
Indigenous to Australia the vast southern Land
Their great love of Country not hard to understand
Through decades of time they have been treated horribly
But as Australia's first people they always will be.

The Mother Will Stand

Though harm by them to others has been done
The mother will stand by her daughter and son
She will tell you that the criminal conviction against them is wrong
That in the criminal sort her children does not belong
Even though by their actions others they do offend
On the support of their mother her children can depend
The good mother her children will never disown
I only do say what is already known
When her children do good things the mother feels proud
And of their praises she feels happy for to sing loud
When her children are harshly criticized she does take offense
And without hesitation springs to their defense
Though harm to others they are known to have done
The mother will stand by her daughter and son.

Though Admirers In Large Numbers

Though admirers in large numbers for you it may not win
You can make the World better to live in
If you do a good deed if you can every day
And help one poor and in need of helping without asking for pay
And to your higher self you remain ever true
To humanity you are an asset for to give you your due
Those who live for self only seem selfish indeed
And of more of their kind the Human World is not in need
In the World too many of the narcissistic inclined
Humanity needs more of the loving and kind
He or she a mean person the known millionaire
Who with others some of their wealth do not wish to share
In life if you do not wish to give do not expect to receive
At least anyhow this is what i do believe.

On My Flights Of Fancy

On my flights of fancy past friends i do see
The mental images of them do remain with me
Though my journey in life has led me far away
From where i first looked on the bright lamp of day
In reality time leaves us all looking older why otherwise pretend
And a friend of the past is just that a past friend
But for as long as our gift of memory we retain
Mental images of the past in our minds do remain
In life so few lucky enough to make it to the pinnacle of wealth and fame
And no two journeys in life are exactly the same
Though it has been many years since i lived near the Town of Millstreet
On my flights of fancy past friends i do meet
But the now is all that does matter as the wise one does say
And i feel happy enough in where i live today.

I Thought That I Had Left Duhallow

I thought that i had left Duhallow but Duhallow it has followed me
The old fields in view of the Boggeraghs on my flights of fancy i see
The people i know in Duhallow i meet them when i visualize
Though in my mental images they remain young they would have aged i realize
On the day that i left old Duhallow a cold rain was drizzling down
From a gray wintry sky in the evening as the migrant bus left Millstreet Town
I hoped to return in the Springtime when the fields wear their flowers of the May
But i did not return to Duhallow as the swallows do from far away
I first saw light of day in Duhallow but that was a long time ago
And i am in the Autumn of my existence since time it has become my foe
The boys and girls i went to school with like me would known of a better day
Some of them like me did migrate and some where the dead are do lay
I thought that i had left Duhallow but Duhallow in me did remain
And often on my flights of fancy i visit the old fields again.

Pale Eyed Crow

Though i see them often the little raven or pale eyed crow
So little of their ways i seem to know
Quite clever birds as all species of corvids are
Non migratory from their territories they never venture far
Birds every day i happen for to see
They build their stick nests high on branch of tree
They are quite plentiful within their range
And they have adapted well to Climate Change
In rural town parks or the countryside
That they are Nature's survivors of them cannot be denied
By birders not held in very high esteem
And not a favorite bird of many it would seem
And though little of their ways i can claim to know
I like them for their cunning the pale eyed crow.

You Will Not Save Your Soul

You will not save your soul if you worship at Lourdes, Medjuorje or Mecca or pray at some holy well
If without reason you do not like somebody and wish this person in hell
And look down on your out of work neighbor because he or she is unemployed
It does not make you a good person to think you have god on your side
A good person never looks down on others and never feels superior to anyone
And never look for recognition if a good deed by her or him has been done
A good person may not even be religious since compassion does come from within
Though those who help people in need of helping admirers in numbers never do win
I feel privileged to know of a few good people who to help others go out of their way
Who feel it is their moral duty for to do some good deed every day
You may not be looked on as a celebrity by helping those financially down
Yet sadly many the impressionable look up to are the latent rogues of the town
You will not save your soul by religion and going to your house of worship to pray
If you lack in kindness and compassion and unkind things of others do say.

Compared To Many People

Compared to many people my life is not tough
I am one of those who has been lucky enough
To have a home to live in and enough food to eat
I am never short of vegetables or fish, bread or meat
So many poor people do sleep rough at night
And life every day for them an uphill fight
And though i am not financially well off i feel privileged indeed
As of any of life's comforts i am not in need
I am lucky and better off than so many are
Even can afford to drive in a second hand car
In the World so many dying of malnutrition and so many refugees
Even poverty does come of varying degrees
Compared to many people i do quite okay
I am one who has not known of a hungry day.

An Outsider

A handsome looking young man well built and tall and lean
He always looks well dressed and clean
By young single women the most sought after young single man of the town
Their eyes follow him as the flags of the street he walks up and down

But their curiosity with their amorous thoughts blend
Why he does not seem to have a girlfriend
He always is only seen on his own
And so little about him is known

The local macho fellows do say
About him he has an effeminate way
That he has never been seen to kick a football
And he does not show any interest on sport at all

That due to community disapproval and family pride
His sexual preference in his closet he hide
So judgemental in their small way
Yet they cannot say if he is or is not gay

Perhaps he should leave to live elsewhere
In some bigger town in the World out there
Where his would be a stranger's face
And he would not feel so out of place

It can be said of those who are different that they are not the most loved in any town
So many judgemental tribal people only too willing in words to put them down
That many local young women admire him does not at all suit them well
And of him they have their own stories and many lies for to tell.

Your Greatest Gift

It Does not matter of your material or financial success
The gift of life the greatest gift that you do possess
And this applies to everyone as well as you and i
It is true we do lose everything on the day we die
The president and monarch may know of wealth and fame
But they share one thing in common with those with little to their name
In that the gift of life is their greatest gift and this to all apply
If you tell me of a greater gift the truth you do deny
Time has been catching up on me and leaves me feeling and looking old
But i would not change my gift of life for all of the World's gold
For only the living can enjoy material things gold of no use to the dead
And though you may be poor with your gift of life you can look forward to better times ahead
Your gift of life is your greatest gift and it does seem true to say
That all of us lose everything on our lives final day.

If You Can Go Through Life

If you can go through life without harming anyone
To your mum and your dad you have been a good daughter or son
You may not be a celebrity or a known millionaire
But of the feelings of others you are one who is aware
You live as a good person in your side of the town
And in word or deed never put anyone down
Always willing to help one of helping in need
People like you are good people indeed
You live in your own way and do your own thing
And though others your praises they never do sing
To any person in trouble you will come to their aid
People who are kind to others in good karma are paid
You may not be one who stand out in the crowd
Though your mum and your dad of you ought to feel proud.

Louis

Though more than four decades beyond his life's physical prime
Louis in his late seventies refuses to become a victim of time
For at least ten kilometers a day he jogs up and down
The undulating roadway just north of the town
His fastest pace nowadays compared to many younger men slow
But for his age than him any fitter or faster i cannot claim of to know
Even in his younger years not known as an athlete
He always jogged for enjoyment and not to compete
A grandfather ten times he lives with Jillian his wife
They have been together for fifty years of life
More than half of a century of jogging he has jogged every day
And though the years have left him looking wrinkled and gray
For one of his years he looks healthy, fit and well
And in time it does seems years from the farewell bell.

Aine Tyrell

She lives by the sea in Killarney in Victoria from her first home place far away
A tall dark haired beautiful young mother happy where she lives today
An emerging singer songwriter with a marvelous singing voice
Aine Tyrell is a poet by Nature and a singer songwriter by choice

A long way from her first home place the Munster Irish County of Clare
One can truly say of Aine that she has a talent that is rare
A beautiful musician and singer with a charm of her very own
She is loved by many in the Moyne Shire where she is widely known

Wherever Aine performs the audience begs of her for more
At the end of her every performance for her always a loud encore
One can surely say of Aine that she was born to sing
To her every performance such joy with her she does bring

There is more to Aine Tyrell far more than the eyes can see
Of any inhibitions she does seem completely free
A joy for to listen to singing and lovely for to behold
Her life story in book form may well yet be told.

Far Too Many Good People

The home of the brave and the land of the free
At least anyhow this is how it used to be
But in the U S nowadays homicides are rife
And many unarmed people there by foul means are losing their gift of life

Suppose this is what happens in a Country without gun control
Where trigger happy criminals of human life are taking their toll
The gift of life is the greatest gift any human being does possess
Such sad and tragic news of mass shootings of recent years coming out of the U S

Where people live in fear of their lives they are not truly free
And where fear of criminals with high powered guns is widespread there is no liberty
Not alone in the U S terrorism and extreme violence is Worldwide
By the foulest of means far too many good people have died

More shocking and sad news this time out of Orlando in Florida today
That this is what happens in Countries with lax laws on gun control does seem sad to say
Fear of gunmen and bombers means curtailment of freedom for people in Countries Worldwide
Far too many good people in shootings and bombings in the foulest and cruelest way have died.

Old Davy

Though they may never be published in book form to sell
Of his travels he has many stories to tell
Old Davy says he has been there and done that
Before time did catch up on him and for working he grew too old and fat

In the tropics of Queensland the State of Sunshine
He worked as a shearer and in a coalmine
Worked on building sites in Melbourne and Sydney and in Adelaide
And in his years of travels many friendships he made

He does not have children or never had a wife
But he had had many sexual affairs in his life
On his travels in different towns but that was years ago
Before time that rusts iron did become his foe

Most of the women he made love to are grandmothers today
And time has left him looking chubby and gray
Still Davy in his late seventies has not lost his taste for beer
As ever he enjoys the pub atmosphere

A paid up member of the local football club
On Saturday evening in the local pub
Old Davy is always in the mood for story and song
And he always does join in the pub sing along.

The Mother Weeps

The mother weeps at the grave of her son
Human lives must be lost for a war to be won
He was brought home dead from a war far away
Some to be heroes with their lives do pay
At his burial a young army bugler The Last Post did play
And he will be remembered on War Memorial Day
Even victory in war does come at a huge cost
For a war to be won many young lives are lost
For the mothers of the war dead the grief last for years
In war there is only death, bloodshed and tears
In war sad to say many dead heroes are made
And they are remembered in every war parade
The mother she grieves at the grave of her son
So many young lives are lost for a war to be won.

Is There Life For The Soul

When one has inhaled the last living breath
Is there life for the soul after bodily death?
The answer to this is not for me to know
Ignorance on the matter i only have for to show
As any deceased person i have known have not come back and to me did tell
Of the existence of an afterlife heaven or hell
I envy those who on an afterlife believe
Information from a universal god they receive
Of a life for the soul after bodily death i for one cannot say
Though the life's journey's end for me cannot be far away
My god not a he but a beautiful she
Her beauty every day it is all around me
The only god i do know of Nature is her name
And to be the one true immortal one of her many claims to fame.

I Am One Of Those

I am one of those who writes rhymes every day
One of many with rhyming words who does love to play
It is not hard to rhyme in truth one can say
Though than rhyme for a livelihood from writing try some other way
I began penning rhyme in my physical prime
More than four decades gone by since that seems a long time
For me just a hobby without wealth or fame
But it is something i thoroughly enjoy doing just the same
And though my worth as a rhymer i have reason to doubt
So many things for me to write rhymes about
The rhymer like all people eventually runs out of time
But only in death does run out of rhyme
As a rhymer i will never be one to the fore
It is something i enjoy doing and little else more.

This Is How It Ought To Be

I have done my bit of traveling and lived and worked in many a town
And i have mixed with many races of black and white and brown
I treat people as they treat me all are equal all the same
People treat me as i treat them never call me out of name
There are good and not good people in every creed and race
Never judge one where they come from or the color of their face
Like the sheep and dog and donkey death too is for you and i
Death makes everybody equal everybody has to die
Your name may never appear on any memorial wall
But if you live as a good person and believe on a fair go for all
You are helping to make the World far better to live in
Does not matter where you come from or the color of your skin
I can only treat a person as this person does treat me
Live and let live as the saying goes this is how it ought to be.

When All Things In Life

When all things in life for you is going wrong
It is hard to feel in the mood for laughter and song
Out of work on the dole in a high unemployment town
Feeling at times suicidal and financially down

With a wife and two young children to support and food and clothes to buy and bills and rent for to pay
For you and your family many a hungry day
And so many like you in the suburb not through their own fault unemployed
It truly does seem that luck is not on your side

Your journey in life for you has become rough
It is hard for to smile when you are doing it tough
Before your job was made redundant happiness you did know
But it is so hard to feel happy when your finances are low

Of hard times of late you are one who has known
One of the many unemployed through no fault of your own
And though hand outs from the State does little for your sense of pride
You will not surrender to thoughts of suicide.

On Happiness

In the mind that is angry and bitter for happiness there is no room
Like in a garden that is covered in thistles you will never see a flower in bloom
Money may bring you admirers and with money new friends you can win
But money cannot buy you happiness since happiness is a gift within
The minds of some lucky people as the wise person does say
People who are always happy must have been born this way
I know of a few happy people and i find them a pleasure to meet
They always do carry joy with them and share it when walking the street
It is not a gift of the many only few are known it to possess
The Human World would be sadder without those who possess happiness
A smile may not cost you money but it only does seem true to say
That those who smile at you in greeting bring a little joy to your day
Happiness cannot be purchased it is a rare gift of the mind
And people who are known to be happy to anyone are never unkind.

It Is A Fact Us Humans

It is a fact us humans are mortals and fact does not lie
But it is how you live that does matter and not how you die
You may not die as a heroine or hero of the town
But in your life if in your deeds or your words you never put anyone down
And always be willing to help people of helping in need
Then you are one who lives a good life indeed
There is more to living life than i, myself and me
Those who live for self only are in mind poverty
If the one in trouble of some sort for help on you can depend
This person on you does have a good friend
Those who help their poor neighbors in financial poverty
Are far greater than any wealthy and famous celebrity
You may not die a heroine or a hero but if you live as a good woman or man
Then you have achieved something great in your life span.

I Had My Daydreams

Most people have their daydreams in life to pursue
Though daydreams for many not known to come true
I too was a daydreamer decades ago
Long before time that rusts iron did become my foe
I used to daydream that i would be a poet
Famous and wealthy and of Worldwide literary note
But my younger years went quickly and time is on the wing
And of the praises of others i only do sing
It has been many years since i lived in view of Clara Hill
Or seen the brown flood in the Claramore Rill
Or heard a male pheasant in a rushy field crowing
With the mild breeze of Spring in Claraghatlea blowing
I had my daydreams in old fields far away
But daydreams are just that as the wise one does say.

Jody

In her parents home in the high paddock she first saw the light of day
From the nearest big city in kilometers by road far away
A beautiful young country girl with curly locks of chestnut brown
She was a primary school student in the quiet old country town

Her childhood years they were happy cares from her seemed far away
With her year old brother Jack her only sibling in the gum wood children games she did play
These were happy years for Jody but as the wise one does say
Happiness comes for a visit but with you may not always stay

In her mid teens the lovely young Jody did hear voices in her head
Her friends they thought it rather strange so much so when to them she said
I can see god and the angels in paradise beckoning to me
Their way of inviting me to come and join them where life of is forever carefree

She told them she had visited heaven and it is such a beautiful place
Free of guns and bombs and people of violence a smile there on everyone's face
Her friends did not believe her stories thought she had been having them on
But wisdom comes to us from hindsight we do learn from what has gone

Her brother he found her in the wood hanging from the branch of a tree
She had found her way to go to heaven though her death grief for her friends and family
A kind and a beautiful person at a young age she took her own life
She did not live for to raise children or become any man's wife.

So Much Human Blood

So much human blood has been shed in the names of god and liberty
But one war leads to another is how it does seem to be
In this age of terrorism so many civilians maimed for life or die
That most people do not learn from war does not seem to be a lie
That some people do find pleasure in inflicting on others pain
And maim and murder for enjoyment seems beyond one to explain
For their families one can only feel sympathy
Those who do commit such foul acts bereft of compassion and empathy
Civilians every day in acts of terrorism badly injured or dying in the foulest way
That the side affects of war now bad as war itself does seem so sad to say
Years of suicide and car bombings for war is the price we pay
War men do not grow wiser they just grow old and gray
Every day in towns and cities people in acts of terrorism injured and dying
Those who talk of the enlightened age without realizing so are lying.

Some

Some from their first home place do travel far
To big World cities where big buildings are
In overseas Lands from their first homes far away
In distance thousands of kilometers from where they first saw light of day

Whilst some in their first home place do spend their life
And to a local person become husband or wife
And raise their children where they are well known
By everybody who see them as their own

Suppose everyone is different in their own way
Some like to travel and some at home stay
Even brothers and sisters see life differently
Suppose if we all were the same quite boring we would be

Some go to live in great Cities like London, Paris or Rome
Or New York or Sydney or Melbourne far from their first home
We follow the roads of our lives destiny
At least anyhow this is how it seems to be.

Those Who Boo In The Mob

Those who boo and harass among the jeering crowd
When on their own are known to be easily cowed
Away from their bully friends they are not so loud
Those booing with the mob have no cause to feel proud
On their own without support they are known to be cowards
It is only among their own sort that they feel empowered
Those who jeer with their mob and verbally put others down
Are never an asset to their side of the town
Suppose as is said it is each to their own
But by their actions among their friends most people are known
Those who boo in the mob in their ways are small
They surely do not believe on a fair go for all
Away from their mob they have little to say
But each to their own it does seem this way.

The Same For

The same for the billionaire as for you and i
One day sooner or later we are going to die
If not of an accident or of old age then of an illness maybe
Like every life form us humans are born to mortality

Eventually life's reaper some night or day
For to claim life's breath from you will come reaping your way
From the one who claims lives there is nowhere for you to hide
Death does not differentiate between people Worldwide

The reaper of lives treats human life and all other life forms as the same
The one who cannot be influenced by money or fame
The reaper of lives to anyone not a friend
The journey in life for all does have an end

Death who makes the people of wealth and renown
As only equal to the poorest and the financially down
Will eventually claim the breath of life from me
On some future date whenever that be.

Just An Ordinary Fellow

Just an ordinary fellow even locally not well known
With flaws like all others though his flaws are his own
Everyone flawed in some way lest we forget
The one without flaws has not been born yet
He is one i see often though not every day
A loner at best those who think they know him do say
But he does not set himself up to be anyone's judge
And of others their gains and successes he never begrudge
His aged neighbor widowed Mrs Mancini who lives in poverty
Will tell you there is no greater person than he
She says of him he is far kinder to me
Even more so than my own family
If it is a human flaw to be a loner that should be okay
He is a good person in his own kind way.

Sometimes I See Her

Sometimes i see her in the park off of the street
And she gives me a cheery hello when we meet
Ann in her late eighties with a charm of her own
Of life's good and bad days she is one who has known
To her late husband Joe she was a good wife
Ten years ago to cancer he lost his battle for life
Their only child Jim as a twenty years of age man
Came home in a coffin from the war in Vietnam
Ann who has known in her life laughter and tears
With the Salvation Army has been helping poor people for years
Always willing to help people who are mentally and financially down
Though sad to realize people like her are never the celebrated of any town
Of her a beautiful person is all i can say
She is one i see often though not every day.

From Duhallow Far Away

It was a dull day i remember the breeze in it had a cold chill
As the gray fogs of early evening gathered above Clara Hill
As i boarded the bus for Rosslare in the Square of Millstreet Town
The cold rain of Wintry December from the gray sky drizzled down

Of the last time i saw Duhallow the memories with me do remain
Streams and rivers babbling bank high brown flood water flowing in every drain
I felt very sad on leaving had not said my last goodbyes
On the migrant bus to Rosslare tears were misting in my eyes

Since then many a December and the Seasons come and go
Thirty years out of Duhallow and time has become my foe
It was the yearn for wander brought me far south to this sunny southern Land
Only those who yearn for travel the lust of wander understand

I am one of the migrant millions who migrated from Lands elsewhere
In my first home place of Claraghatlea to many now i would be a stranger there
In this marvelous southern Country i see beauty every day
Yet often on my flights of fancy i go to old fields far away

Memories are all i have left of the long gone what used to be
Of the place i was born and raised in where everyone did know of me
Where today i would be a stranger life goes on as some do say
And i feel happy in the Moyne Shire from Duhallow far away.

That Bit Too Far

Self praise is taking praise that bit too far
Leave it to others to say of how marvelous you are
Yet so many nowadays their own praises do sing
Self promotion with them does seem the in thing
Some people others do like to impress
Without asking they tell you of their latest success
The look at and notice me syndrome is alive and thriving today
With some anyhow it is surely this way
The gift of humility is a great gift indeed
And of more people with it the Human World is in need
Leave your actions and your deeds for to speak for you
And others will give you the praise you are due
Of those into self praise i quickly do tire
There is little in them for me to admire.

Miss Picky

In her younger years no man for her good enough
Some not handsome looking and some a bit rough
Some not well educated and lacking in a degree
She was rather picky as the very word can be
Some were short of money some too fond of booze
Any of them would not fit the man she would choose
To father her children and live with them as wife
They did not live up to her standards in life
She turned down offers of marriage to Andy and Johnny and Fred
Any of them not the type that she would like to wed
The reason that she is an old maid today
And even aging men nowadays seldom look her way
In her early sixties her best years long gone
And life all around her as usual goes on.

I Want To Live On

For any Country or cause my life i would not give
And why should i since i want to live
In time for as long as i possibly can
And die in my sleep without pain as a very old man
Though time has left me feeling weary and looking bald and gray
And the clock on my life ever does tick away
Why should i wish to die since death i do fear
And every new dawn to it brings me more near
I know that from memory i will be quick to fade
Since out of acts of extreme bravery heroines and heroes are made
The great gift of life the only gift i possess
It is far more important than fame, wealth and success
And since the fact all humans are mortals and fact never lie
I want to live on why should i wish to die?

On The Passing Of Muhammad Ali

In every news bulletin a sad news of the day
In Phoenix Arizona Muhammad Ali has passed away
The man born in Louisville Kentucky as Cassius Clay
The three times World Heavyweight Boxing Champion one with words never short of things to say

As a character and a boxing champion Muhammad Ali was truly a great
His legend to it will not have a use by date
His fights with Liston and Frazier and Foreman will always be talked of and written about
That he was a great champion has to go without doubt

At seventy four years he breathed his last he was not very old
But stories about him will always be written of and told
In his own words he floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee
But even the greatest are born to mortality

There are some things in human life beyond one's control
Parkinson's disease of his once strong body eventually took it's toll
In his Hometown of Louisville Kentucky the last remains to lay
Of one of the all time great sportsmen of the U S of A

The sad news of the day Muhammad Ali has died
The man who became famous and was known Worldwide
The last breath of life from his body may be forever gone
But the legend he created will surely live on.

It Is A Winners World

It is a winners World after all
Only winners the historians recall
In all things in the Human World it is the same
To the winners go the prestige and the fame
The winners are those who can crow
And of losers few of wish to know
In sports and business and entertainment and most everything
Only the praises of winners the impressionable masses do sing
To lose with honor and grace is never a sin
But so many must lose for just one to win
Losers from memory are so very quick to fade
It is out of winners that heroines and heroes are made
There are winners and losers Worldwide
And the gap keeps on growing in the social divide.

Willie Joe Shine

He was a legend of his time
In my boyhood years he was in his prime
The champion cross country runner of Boherbue Willie Joe Shine
Often took the tape at the finish line

Against the best he did compete
He was a wonderful athlete
But that was many years ago
Before time did become his foe

At his best when the course was wet and rough
He loved it when the going was tough
Never found to be wanting when put to the test
He competed against and beat the best

Though good memories of him with me stay
So sad to learn that he has passed away
He did his club Meelin and Duhallow proud
And the cheering for him was often loud

Humble in victory and gracious in defeat
At cross country in his prime the one to beat
In Cork County cross country races he often led the way
Men like him are quite rare today

In fancy when i visualize
I see him race up the steep rise
A man among athletic men he was a champion in his prime
Though this is going way back in time.

Too Late

Too late for sadness and too late for tears
For lost opportunities of your past years
Tomorrow is coming and yesterday has gone
You can only live in the now and life does go on
Life goes by quickly and time ticks on fast
And we only can learn from lessons of the past
Time does not wait for me it will not wait for you
Make the most of the now this is the best you can do
It is something of life beyond me to explain
That out of the losses of many a few always gain
This is why we have millionaires and billionaires and many in poverty
Suppose this is how life is and how it always will be
For one to win big many have to lose
Though losing is something anyone does not choose.

The First Day Of June

The first day of June and the calendar Winter in the Moyne Shire in Victoria South West
The sun shining bright and Nature in her green best
In the clear and blue sky just a few clouds of gray
For Winter it is such a beautiful day

The warbling like notes are so pleasant to hear
Of the magpies who sing every day of the year
And the contented cattle chewing their cuds in the sunshine lay
Such a good start to Winter one only can say

The Moyne Shire lush and green after recent rain
With such pleasant weather one cannot complain
Near to perfect temperature of eighteen degrees
Of only a slight and quite mild coastal breeze

Nature at her finest is all around me
The dainty black and white magpie larks are singing pee wee
In the park playground young children laughing as they play
For the first day of Winter such a beautiful day.

The More We Learn Of Nature

In life we never stop learning it does seem true to say
And of Nature we learn something new every day
And the more we learn of Nature the more we come to realize
That of her ways we know little this not a surprise
And though my wonder of her only does seem to grow
Of Nature so little i can claim to know
In far away fields i grew to love her as a boy
And learning of her ways today i enjoy
The fact is we depend on Nature for our very survival and fact never lie
Every life form including us humans of starvation and thirst without her would quickly die
At a time when the Earth Mother who feeds us is in need of every friend
Most of us humans to her not grateful why otherwise pretend
She is our greatest friend on her we depend on for to live
Yet we take and take from her and in return to her little give.

No Journey To Help One

No journey to help one for you seems too far
But no matter how good a person that you are
There are always a few in words to put you down
Such people are to be found in every town
To them people who are compassionate and kind
In many ways lacking and weak in the mind
They believe the person who help people out of kindness without asking for pay
Will never be named as woman or man of the day
Such people who only look up to the multi millionaire
Nowadays as ever are no longer rare
As friends of humility they will never be known
But then as is said it is each to their own
But the people willing to help those of helping in need
For their future good Karma are planting the seed.