Spring Far Away

Good memories of what was i only retain
In fancy i walk in the old fields again
When the mild breeze of Spring from the mountain is blowing
And among the rank rushes the male pheasant is crowing

Such beauty comes to me when i visualize
Scents and sights and sounds of Nature that to pleasure gives rise
Of where i grew to love Nature when i was a boy
Such memories that are always a source of joy

Such beautiful sights i revisit today
The hawthorns cloaked in their white blooms of May
Out of wintering sheds from months of eating silage and hay
The contented cattle on lush grass chewing their cuds do lay

Bluebells, primroses and snowdrops on the ditch of every bohreen
And deciduous trees looking leafy and green
The fields looking resplendent after recent showers
A sight of great beauty in their Nature's flowers

The great gift of memory is such a wonderful thing
When i visualize i can hear the birds sing
In the quiet of the evening of a pleasant day
In a leafy grove in Spring far away.

They Are Bosom Buddies

They are bosom buddies ego and pride
And that they are not dissimilar cannot be denied
The egotistical with others have nothing to share
Of the needs of self and self only they are only aware
In the early twenty first century self promotion is the in thing
Their own praises many only too willing to sing
There is always competition with each other when people with big egos meet
It is in their nature for attention to compete
Those who boast of their great job and their brand new car
One can say Are taking love of self too far
Narcissism one can say is self love gone wrong
To the humble of mind it does not belong
Ego it is a close relative of pride
And the egotistical are quite plentiful Worldwide.

Your Friend

Your friend will not desert in your time of most need
And your true friends are rare so very rare indeed
Rats desert a sinking ship as they do say
But a true friend from you will never turn away
When you are feeling depressed and financially down
One of the sad people of your side of the town
Cannot even afford to go for a drink in the local public bar
It is then only then you know who your friends are
Appreciate your friends since true friends are few
And this is not saying anything that is new
In your toughest times your friend as your friend stay
Your friend from you will never turn away
It is when you are down you know who is your friend
That true friends are rare why even pretend.

A Man Without Ruth

He likes to tell anyone willing to listen to him of the hard times he has known
How his wife left him and took the children and he is now on his own
Though the stories he tell them are lacking in truth
Since in reality he is a man without ruth
His wife left and took their twin two year old daughters with him too scared to stay
Since he beat her when drunk and that was every day
Though to him devoted and quite a good wife
She left with the children for a safer life
Any wrongs on his behalf he does deny
But what goes around comes around to him does apply
The fruits of our own Karma we all do sow
Though of such he is one who would not wish to know
He does like to tell of his problems in life
And for the loss of his children blame his ex wife.

Death Became His Friend

Forsaken by his wife and financially down on his luck
And for a way out of his problems he was mentally stuck
As he drove on the freeway in the Winter morning sunshine
On his way to work at around quarter to nine
Depressed and suicidal and racked by self doubt
As of his problems he was thinking of a way out
Of late to him life had been very unkind
The dark clouds of grief were weeping in his mind
He deliberately strayed to the wrong side of the road
And crashed into an oil truck carrying a heavy fuel load
A loud bang in a ball of fire his life did end
In his moment of greatest need death became his friend
Financially down on his luck and forsaken by his wife
Under a big truck he ended his life.

Mental Prisoners Of Our Past

Years ago of religion i did set myself free
The teachers in school did beat god out of me
Even to this very day i struggle to understand
How so called religious church going people could have been so cruel in Ireland

In the school corporal punishment years in Ireland most teachers did not spare the rod
Which left many children to feel they must be of the lesser god
I happen to be one of many who was not spared of the cane
The physical welts have long healed but the mental welts did remain

Negative memories of the past seem so hard to forget
Our favorite hates then were every teacher and every teacher's pet
Though for our physical punishments the teachers pets not to blame
That they were spared of the rod to us seemed unfair just the same

The good and bad memories of the past now long gone
In all who lived through them today living on
My lack of self confidence mistook for humility
Is a legacy of the past that is living in me

Their experiences as a child lives in every woman and man
To the very end of their lifetime span
And self confidence once lost seems too hard to regain
How this happens to be is beyond me to explain

So many of us remain as mental prisoners of our past
And the clock on our lives ever keeps ticking fast
Years ago of the god in the sky i set myself free
For to nurture the god that is living in me.

I Would Not Be So Arrogant

I would not be so arrogant to refer to myself as a poet
Or even a Duhallow writer of note
Though self promotion nowadays does seem an in thing
You should leave it to others your praises to sing
In the age of the selfie some take love of self too far
There is always competition for attention where the aspirational are
The look at me syndrome it is Worldwide
Narcissism is known to have it's source in pride
With rhyming words i am one who does love to play
And i often do look at life in a negative way
With such an assumption who am i to disagree
Suppose we are what we are this is all we can be
And we all look at life in our ways differently
What is great to you may not be so to me.

It Is Destiny

Though i have worked in pipelines crews in Ballarat
I cannot say i have been there and done that
A story of my life will never be published to sell
There are many with far greater life stories to tell

I have worked out of doors in weather close to zero degrees
By Mushera mountain felling pine trees
My wisdom to work in such weather must come into doubt
And this is something not worth bragging about

Way back in the days when my hair was dark brown
Often worked with my brother Neil on his farm close to Millstreet Town
But the yearn for wander it was strong in me
There was a bigger World out there for to see

In the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne for many a day
I worked on high cherry pickers for poor enough pay
Above electrical power-lines a job where danger was rife
Where even one mistake could cost you your life

In my late teens a decade of years short of my life's prime
I worked in New York City this is going back in time
But homesick for Ireland there i did not stay
It is destiny has me where i am today

In Illowa between Koroit and Warrnambool
Where the weather is never too warm or cool
The past only remains as a memory
And the now is what matters would you not agree?

Old John

He has lived and worked in big cities far from his first home
New York, Sydney, Montreal and Paris and Rome
He has been to south America, India, Indonesia and China and Japan
One might say of John that he is quite a well traveled man

He has seen and heard the lions roaring and heard the hunting dogs bark
In the great Serengeti Africa's renowned wildlife park
He has been to the Arctic and Antarctic the great lands of snow
Where in Winter the seas are frozen and the icy winds blow

Yet despite his years of absence old John feels nostalgia for his first home far away
The old town where he first looked on the light of day
Though he left on his travels in his physical prime
And he has not been back there in decades of time

The memories of what was in him does remain
Of his first home and in his visualizations he goes back again
To the town park where as a boy with his young friends ball games he played
Good old memories live in us and refuse for to fade

The town he was raised in he may never more see
As he remains wheelchair bound from a motoring accident he is eighty three
That cost him the lives of their teenage son Tom and Anna his wife
He has known of his sorrows but then such is life

From the town he was raised in he is living quite far
And from here it cannot be reached by a motor car
That nostalgia outlives wanderlust perhaps not a lie
Old John he would love to go home for to die.

A Rhymer By Nature

A rhymer by nature and a rhymer by name
I have lost any desire for literary fame
In the early nineteen seventies going way back in time
On my twenty seventh year of life i penned my first rhyme
I repeat here what i have often said before
I write rhymes for enjoyment and little else more
If i did not enjoy doing it i would give it away
So i hope to be doing it until my last living day
It is easy to write rhymes in truth i can say
There are millions of my sort in the World of today
I loved reading rhymes when i was a schoolboy
And writing them today i do thoroughly enjoy
Mine will never become a well known literary name
I just write for enjoyment without desire for fame.

At Stingray Bay

Though the weather pleasant enough for a June Winter's day
The sun behind the gray clouds is hidden away
Above Stingray Bay the pale silver gulls call
Where the huge white waves crash against the breakwater wall
The weather is often breezy on the side of cool
But Winter is never cold in Warrnambool
On this southern Winter Solstice a weather temperature high for the day of sixteen degrees
With a certain freshness in the coastal breeze
On this the shortest day of the southern year
The warbling of the magpies so pleasant to hear
On the concrete pathway by the beach people walk, jog cycle or run
Everyone has their own way of having some fun
In this beautiful place by the City of Warrnambool
On the southern Winter Solstice day slightly breezy and cool.

The Greatest Gift

You may be a talented woman or man
Quite wealthy from your gifts with many a fan
One often in the news many you do impress
But your life is the greatest gift that you possess

In a Human World where success is seen as the in thing
Your praises your admirers in their thousands do sing
But there is one gift far greater than money or fame
A gift that is precious and life is it's name

The religious zealots and patriots of their heroes may brag
Who have died for their god and their country's flag
But when their praises are spoken of the dead do not hear
That they are past all feelings is obviously clear

The longest lived human life in time not a long span
So live and try to enjoy life for as long as you can
Life is the greatest gift you have you will die soon enough
And live in hope for better though times on you may be tough

You may be quite gifted looked on as a great
A person that others wish to celebrate
With your talents the impressionable masses you impress
But your life is the greatest gift that you possess.

Jane The Octogenarian

I often see her though not every day
Jane the octogenarian of hair silver gray
Walking to or from the super store at the corner of her street
Such a nice person always a pleasure to meet

Since her husband Bill died last year she now lives on her own
Of happier times in life she would have known
They became husband and wife in their physical prime
Sixty years together does seem a long time

Of her true feelings Jane would never lie
She says she will grieve for Bill until the day she does die
Raising their two boys and a girl for them happy years
Often good memories do come with tears

To the good man she loved Bill she was a devoted wife
Ten times a great grandmother she has lived a long life
For one of eighty five she looks rather well
Though time on the strongest eventually does tell

Jane the octogenarian free of conceit and guile
One who always does greet me with a smile
Since her husband Bill died she lives on her own
Of happier times in life she would have known.

You May Well Tell Others

You may well tell others the good things about you
But self praise is no praise remains ever true
Just leave it to others to say of how great you are
Of how on the social ladder you have climbed quite far
In the twenty first century self promotion does seem an in thing
So many their own praises only too willing to sing
Of their personal successes only too willing to share
The humble of mind are becoming quite rare
Of their sort of a few i feel privileged to know
The people who do have the bright inner glow
Of self and their lives they have little to say
Though to help other people they go out of their way
So many their own praises only too willing to sing
Nowadays self promotion it is an in thing.

The God Of The Mind

On my thoughts after death why should i pretend
When i believe it will be all over for me when my journey will end
On this alone i can only speak for me
Though on what i say on this many would disagree

As a boy i was compelled to attend church on Sunday where i never prayed
As well as take part in every religious parade
Though i never believed in a god in the sky
In a paradise where good souls post bodily death with wings to does fly

The god i believe in is the god of the mind
The god of compassion and the caring and kind
The god of love and generosity who gives to receive
This is the only god on whom i do believe

Billions of people to the god of their religion pray
But it is each to their own as the wise one does say
I only believe in the god of the mind
The great god of love of the compassionate and kind.

The Ex Shearer Jim

In pubs in country towns he often drank until closing time at night
But Jim always jovial one who never looked for fight
In his prime ten years ago things are different for him today
Some do have their crosses life works in this way
One disappointment can lead to another in life
The woman he was to marry did not become his wife
She said she loved him but after his accident on marriage to him she had a change of mind
To the cards life has dealt him he now feels resigned
Though a motor car accident has left him in a wheelchair
He never complains or says life is unfair
Jim in his late thirties feels glad to be alive
With a smile he says only the lucky bad accidents survive
Though life it has not been at all kind to him
He is happy to be living the ex shearer Jim.

Wife Beaters

Some of them at home enjoy beating their wives
The materially successful who lead so called honorable lives
Wife beaters they are of every social rank
They can be multi millionaire c e o's or managers of a big bank

Disrespect for women transcends religious borders it does not have a religion, color or creed
Though the Human World of these sort of males is not or will never be of in need
The honorable man of any social rank lives an honorable life
He would never contemplate beating his wife

Some males in their women do not inspire love of them only fear
Too many stories of male violence against women we read of and hear
Though female violence against males is not of the unknown
Gender violence of any form in self loathing is sown

Those into domestic violence suffer of low self esteem
And male violence in comparison to violence by women far more common it does seem
And though in the wealthy and the poorer classes they are to be found
Wife beaters in large numbers do not abound.

Though They Are Special

Though they are quite special they firmly believe
Self important people their own selves do only deceive
For on some future night or on some future day
The one who swings the scythe of death will come reaping their way

I knew of self important people as a boy and as a man in Millstreet
And far south of there everyday their sort i do meet
Self important people are to be found everywhere
There are millions of them in the big World out there

Self importance is an in thing of the twenty first century
Nowadays there is even a syndrome known as the 'look at me'
Does some have taken self love too far seem a fair thing to say
At least anyhow it does look this way

Those who feel they are superior to others are ignorant and ignorance can be bliss
That they too were born naked and as mortals this point they do miss
Too much love of self for the mind is not a healthy thing
You should leave it to others your praises to sing

To meet a self important person you need not walk far
Some of them even patronize your local public bar
And despite the size of your home and the size of your car
As is often said you can only be who you are.

Only Of What Was

It is true that one only can learn from the past
And only of what was the memories do last
Time will not wait for you as it did not wait for me
But we learn as we live is how it seems to be
At the stroke of midnight today will be gone
And for most tomorrow will dawn and life will go on
And some will be born to life and some will die
Since the fact us humans are mortals and fact never lie
In life every day some new challenge to meet
And for this thing known as success people with each other compete
The contented of mind are in minority
Whilst the others compete on their climb on the social tree
But it is true that one only can learn from the past
And only of what was the memories do last.

Perhaps In Reality

Perhaps in reality i will never again
See old Clara half cloaked in the gray fogs of rain
Or hear the babble of the silver tongued rill
Flowing down to the river in the fields by the hill

From the place i called home i live so far away
And i have not been back there for many a day
But the good memories of the what used to be does remain
Like the breeding frogs croaking in the waterlogged drain

On a cold night in February under a starlit sky
When a hunting fox was barking in a field nearby
The sounds of the Winter nights remain with me today
Of Nature's wild creatures in fields far away

I may have left the old fields but the fields followed me
And i retain the good memories of the what used to be
But of Nature we learn something new every day
We never stop learning it does seem this way

Perhaps in reality i will never more hear
A male robin singing in the Spring of the year
When the wildflowers are blooming in fields far away
And the hawthorns are cloaked in their white blooms of the May.

This Is How It Is

In Countries in Europe and in Countries such as Australia and the U S of A
People are dying and being badly injured in acts of terrorism often though not every day
People who were unluckily in the wrong place and there at the wrong time
Have fallen victims of the perpetrators of terrorism such a foul crime
That humanity does have a dark side to it is not a lie
In Countries in Africa and the Middle East in war and terrorism every day people are injured and die

In Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq thousands of people in war and terrorism have died
So much destruction and suffering and so many dreams have been destroyed
But then if somebody wishes to harm you they can and they will
And people with extreme views can turn criminals and for their beliefs do kill
Some extreme in their thinking have darkness of mind
And on inflicting suffering on others only joy they do find

These mindless acts of terrorism that a century of time may well span
At the Twin Towers in the great City of New York began
That has escalated since this needless declared war on Iraq
And a life from once taken to life cannot be brought back
And sadly those who create conflicts for their part in them are never made for to pay
This is how it is and suppose will always be this way.

When The Reaper Of Lives

To be materially very wealthy your claim to renown
Arguably the wealthiest one in the town
But for you too there will be a last night and day
When the Reaper of lives will come reaping your way
The one who claims the lives of the very young and the old and those in their lives prime
Cannot be bribed with money to buy extra living time
The Reaper of lives treats as the same
The very wealthy and the one without a penny to his or her name
Since we are all born as mortals why even pretend
It all comes to nothing for us in the end
The one who swings the scythe of death equality create
And between the wealthy and poor does not differentiate
For you and me too there will be a last night and day
When the Reaper of lives will come reaping our way.

Happy Joe

Wherever he is happiness to be found
As he carries it with him and shares it around
In his mind for sadness there is not any space
He always does have a big smile on his face
There is so much to like about in Happy Joe
He is one of those people who does not have a foe
He is the sort most people of wish to know
Since he has been blessed with the bright inner glow
His sort of person to say the least rare
He does not aspire to be a millionaire
At the local pub whilst enjoying his beer
In his funny jokes he is creating cheer
One who has many friends he does not have a foe
There ought to be more people like Happy Joe.

The Big Fellow Matt

A giant of a fellow broad shouldered Matt
He is one of those blokes who has been there and done that
He has shorn sheep in Queensland laid pipes in Ballarat
On his muscular body not one ounce of fat

In his twenty fifth year in the prime of his life
He does not have children or he does not have a wife
Though in his travels in the countryside up and down
He does have a young woman in every town

With long dark hair and dark beard he is physically strong
One kind in his ways who would not do you wrong
Though he does not like fighting when put to the test
He has never been known to come out second best

Though in many towns his is a well known face
He never does stay that long in any place
To settle in one place one never inclined
The lust of the wander is in his young mind

Hard work to him is not anything new
He has worked on building sites and many a concreting crew
He has drunk beer in pubs from Cairns to Ararat
One who lives for travel the big fellow Matt.

From Where The Dark Tarwin Flow

The ways of the City he is coming to know
The young man from the place where the dark Tarwin flow
On it's way to the ocean near Venus Bay
Though in Ferntree Gully he is happy to stay
One reason for this is love he has found
In the suburbs of Melbourne far from his home ground
In a dark haired young beauty of twenty three
He is in love and happy and of any care free
In his twenty fourth year he has found his soul mate for life
In a pretty young woman who has agreed to be his wife
He visits south Gippsland for the brief holiday
But nearer to Melbourne he is happy to stay
Far from where the dark Tarwin waters do flow
In the home of the wombat and the pale eyed crow.

Some People Out Of Lying

Some people out of lying do financially well
To their sort the truth never easy to tell
They cheat people out of vast amounts of money with their convincing lies
No longer a rare breed these crooks in disguise
Their scams seem so plausible people them do believe
One can say of them they flatter to deceive
Some people make vast fortunes in money out of dishonesty
Internet scammers leave many in dire poverty
To be good at lying to them does financially pay
They steal by deception from people every day
But what goes around comes around remains ever true
And eventually they will receive the Karma they are due
Out of their ill gotten gains financially wealthy they may grow
But eventually they too must reap what they sow.

They Have The Inner Glow

In the minds of the compassionate for hatred there is not any space
There are good and bad people in every race
And every color and nationality and creed
Of more good people the Human World is in need
To make the World better to live in with yourself you begin
The power to do good only comes from within
Good people are helping others every day
Performing good deeds without expecting pay
It is not the size of your home or your brand new car
That tells anything of the person that you are
It is how you treat others in their time of need
Material gains do have their source in greed
Some kind and compassionate people of i feel privileged to know
One can say of them they have the inner glow.

Until The Day I Do Die

Far north of this countryside near Warrnambool
As a boy of the fifties i went to primary school
On looking back the Seasons it seems long ago
And time that rusts iron has since become my foe

A reluctant school-goer school was not for me
My sort never achieve a uni or college degree
But my great joy in life is i discovered rhyme
I have been doing it now for more than four decades of time

I wrote my first rhymes from where i now live far away
And i add to my growing numbers of them every day
I used to love reading them as a boy
And writing them for me a great source of joy

In nineteen seventy three at twenty seven going back in time quite a span
As a man of rhyme my rhyming journey for me began
I love writing rhyme to say different would be a lie
And i hope to be doing it until the day i do die.

Big Mal

Of living a successful life he did fail
For dealing in narcotics he has spend years in jail
A father and grandfather he has never had a wife
Though many women have come to and gone from his life

But Mal in his late seventies enjoys his sexual flings today
That of women he is not finished yet only true for to say
For his years robust and healthy though balding and gray
From a fight he is one who would not back away

Most of the local young bullies only too aware
That Mal in a brawl of himself can take care
The few young blokes foolish enough for to test him who have tried
Have been left with a serious dent to their pride

Though some of the roughest of males to them can have a compassionate and courageous side
And Big Mal for his bravery is known far and wide
He risked his life to save his neighbor Mrs Mancini's baby daughter from a house fire
To her he is a hero a man to admire

To a small band of survivors he does surely belong
Big Mal in his late seventies is still going strong
From a broken home homeless as a teenager a rough existence he did lead
But a story of his life would make a great read

In a one bedroom rental apartment he lives on his own
And though as the gentle sort he will never be known
From one in need of help he would never turn away
And he is not a bad person despite what some of him do say

In the local pub his face is a known sight
Where he drinks four or five or six beers every night
Though not one to ever go looking for fight
When challenged he has never taken to flight.

So Great To Be Living

Feel happy that health-wise you are feeling okay
And feel happy to wake from your sleep every day
Soon enough the Reaper of lives will come reaping your way
Few do wish to be where dead people do lay
Their fear of Life's Reaper they well may deny
But many of those who believe in a god in the sky
May well tell you they are not afraid to die
But even religious people can be prone for to lie
The longest lived human life in time not a long span
So live and enjoy life for as long as you can
Most people cling to life until their last breath
Few in them feel any desire for death
The children in the park laughing as they play
So great to be living on such a nice day.

It Has Been

It has been thousands of centuries since our ancestors climbed down off of the trees
And over centuries we have been learning by degrees
In the late twentieth and early twenty first century major human advancement in science and technology
But despite all of this millions of people remain in dire poverty
And since education cannot be the cause of this it has to be of human greed
So many very wealthy people unwilling to share with those in financial need
In third World Countries of hunger and in wars and acts of terrorism people dying every day
That greed seems to breed more greed it does seem this way
With the increase in the human population many are living in their Earthly Hell
And many with only sad stories of their lives for to tell
Some lessons from past human history many tend to ignore
Love, generosity and compassion in the thinking of many is not to the fore
The human advancement in science, chemistry and technology amazing true to say
But people are dying in wars and terrorism and of malnutrition in the World today.

It Is Easy To Criticize

It is easy to criticize other people quite easy indeed would you not agree
It may be the person we are criticizing in ways superior to you or to me
We should save our criticisms for bureaucrats since they do affect our lives in some way
These are the people we should be criticizing for their greed the likes of us have to pay
Big company c e o's are not very nice people overpaid and greedy and lacking in empathy
They leave many workers unemployed and poorer on saving billions in money for their big company
Their sort are those we should be criticizing they create a few billionaires and leave many in poverty
Yet why do we criticize those who never harm us or do not leave us poorer financially
Many democratically elected politicians are not nice people mostly for the wealthy they only legislate
By helping the very wealthy they make the poor poorer poverty in this way they create
On our own sort we should not be judgmental those battling on through life just like you and i
We should save our criticism for those greedy people trying to keep us poor until the day we do die
It is easy to criticize people like ourselves through life as they are just battling along
Save your verbal anger for those who exploit us those who weaken the weak for to strengthen the strong.

In My Moments Of Fancy

Above the great oceans and across the sky
In my moments of fancy i often does fly
To the flat rushy fields near the Town of Millstreet
In the green countryside where the waterways meet
My visualizations remain as a flutter of joy
Of where i grew to love Nature when i was a boy
In leafy groves of Duhallow birds are singing today
The past may be gone but the memories stay
Of the song of the dipper in the babbling waterway
Good old memories die hard as the wise one does say
Everyday i am learning of Nature in this Land far south
Of the fields of the badger and waterways of the brown trout
In the coastal countryside of emu, koala and gray kangaroo
And white long billed corella and dark brown yellow tailed black cockatoo
And though her secrets are many and her wonders not few
Of Nature every day i do learn something new.

Old Laughing Jim

The town sad to say not the same without him
He was a great character old Laughing Jim
In the town cemetery his last remains lay
He died five weeks ago on the sixteenth of May
He was one who did live life in a carefree way
Perhaps he is laughing in heaven today
A happy old bloke without children or wife
He was one who did laugh a lot in his life
On his eighty fifth year he breathed his last
Death without warning came upon him fast
The neighborhood without him a much duller place
He always did have a big smile on his face
A happy old fellow free of conceit or guile
It was never an effort to him for to smile.

Of Faraway Beauty

The beautiful cock pheasants can be heard to crow
Today in the fields where the rushes do grow
Where the lark a musical speck in the gray of the sky
Is singing as upwards to the clouds he does fly
Good memories die hard as the wise one does say
In fancy i walk in the old fields today
A chaffinch is singing on a leafy birch tree
And Nature in her green beauty is all around me
On nutritious grass gaining weight by the day
The contented cattle chewing their cuds do lay
And the dark brown white breasted river bird with the scratchy song
The dipper once seen and once heard one never again does get wrong
The mental images in me does remain evergreen
Of faraway beauty in June i have seen.

To Rid The World Of Them

To rid the World of them those who hate them do strive
They have been poisoned and shot at but the wild rabbits survive
Humans have tried their best for to wipe them out
But that they are great survivors of this little doubt

Why they are great at surviving seems obviously clear
One female rabbit can give birth to forty young a year
That they cannot be got rid of this the main reason why
In numbers they are quick for to multiply

They have survived clavixal virus and myxomatosis they are a hardy breed
Wild rabbits they are great survivors indeed
In all sorts of environments they do seem to thrive
They are renowned for their hardiness and their sexual drive

In some places in large numbers they do abound
They do damage to crops and dig holes in the ground
To rid Mother Earth of them some have valiantly tried
But they remain as a pest to human kind Worldwide.

For So Many Years

For so many years i have been writing rhyme
But what i enjoy doing to me never a waste of time
It is my love of rhyming keeps me rhyming on
Though my physical best years in life are long gone

Way back in the Autumn of seventy three
It was my love of rhyme made a rhymer of me
So much water has flowed to the sea since then
The babies at that time now middle aged women and men

Rhymers are known for to write rhymes every day
But that anyone can write rhyme does seem true for to say
And though it is not out of rhyming literary legends are sown
The music in rhyme has a charm of it's own

Rhyme the poetry of the past by literary experts not seen as so today
So few rhymers now ever do make rhyming pay
Yet the rhymers keep on rhyming as their kind will forever more
For as long as the big waves of the ocean break upon the rocky shore.

Kanturk In Duhallow

Kanturk in Duhallow a County Cork Town
For it's famed Gaelic footballers and hurlers a place of renown
The home of Edel Quinn a great person her name lives on in time
She has been the subject of story and rhyme
Where on towards the Blackwater winding it's way
Old Allow the river babbles night and day
The people to and from life come and go but the waterways flow
From their source at the foothills where the bracken does grow
For it's hospitable people it is widely known
Kanturk in Duhallow with a charm of it's own
It has been more than thirty years since i was last there
Before my journey far south did take me to elsewhere
But despite the Seasons of absence the good memories with me remain
Of a Town in Duhallow i would love to visit again.

To Waste Time Listening To Them

To waste time listening to them i cannot afford
The people who promote mistrust and discord
Without them the World would be better to live in
The power to do good only comes from within
The sort of World you live in on your own thoughts you create
Mistrust and disrespect of others only lead to crimes of hate
Some do condemn a whole race for the sins of the few
To some to judge without knowing is not anything new
The reality of the truth for some too hard to face
That there are good and bad people in every race
The people with love in them promote people harmony
That the Human World is in need of more of their kind would you not agree
What they have to say i would rather not hear
Those who in their words promote mistrust and fear.

Wise People

Wise people have never too much for to say
Or never use their words in a careless way
Their sort to say the least are of the few
And this is not saying anything that is new
Just a few wise people i have been privileged to meet
You will not meet one on every street
Their sort are rare yes quite rare indeed
And humanity of more of them is in need
Above the ordinary they surely do rise
They have a rare gift indeed those who are wise
Seeking advantage over their political opponents in their every verbal attack
Those we elect into parliament in wisdom do lack
The wise are good listeners they never speak loud
They are the quiet people in the noisy crowd.

It Is Not Up To You

You may be only in your twenties healthy and carefree
But on the length of your life there is no guarantee
Healthy young people are dying in accidents every day
On how long you will live is something you cannot say
This morning a young husband and father he was only twenty three
His body laid to rest in the local cemetery
An on the job accident cost him his life
He leaves a baby daughter and a grieving young wife
He would never have thought that at a young age he would die
But that death can come to the young as well as the old is not a lie
Some live to die old and some die as babies or teenagers and some in their lives prime
Death it can come to one at anytime
You may die in your twenties or at one hundred and two
On how long you live it is not up to you.

The Man From The Big World Out There

He drove into town just a few weeks ago the man from the big World out there
This morning he drives on the highway again on a journey to some other where
He worked for a local builder for a few weeks on Friday when he drew his pay
He told the boss he will not be with him next week tomorrow he will be on his way
To another town he does like the look of where he might live and work for awhile
He does not have worries as some do have and he finds it quite easy for to smile
A handsome young man in the prime of his life of shoulder length dark hair and eyes of light brown
He is never short of female company he finds one in every town
He does not have children that he does know of at least this is what he does say
Since in any town he does not stay very long a month for him is a long stay
For a long term relationship he does not feel the need of having a partner or wife
He is very happy to live as he lives a travelling carefree sort of life
At mid morning today he drove out of the town the young man from the big World out there
The bug of the wander in him is quite strong he does not belong to anywhere.

Tadgh Crowley

Tadgh Crowley lived in Drishane for most of his long life
Where he raised his children with Kathleen his devoted wife
One who did work hard and lived in the honest way
Of him anyone who knew him did not have any unkind things to say

In his lifetime any harm to anyone he never done
His mother and father in him raised a good son
He had been part of Millstreet for so many years
Where his passing from life would not have gone without tears

Sad to learn the life's journey has come to an end
Of one who in his lifetime made many a friend
The Crowley family strong links to Drishane can trace
Gone from old Duhalow another known and loved face

So many years of memories Tadgh Crowley did span
In Drishane where from a boy he grew into a man
One can say of him that he was Millstreet's own
He will be missed from the Parish where he was well known

Not far from the spot where he first saw light of day
By Cashman's Hill in St Mary's the last remains lay
Of Tadgh Crowley the good man may he rest in peace
Hope his parting from life was a painless release.

Whoever Did Tell You

Whoever did tell you that lying does not pay
Donald J Trump the President of the U S of A
Is one who does even believe his own lies
Lying does pay for some i have come to realize
Donald J Trump lied his way to the White House in his online tweets he lies every day
It has come to the point that few do believe any word he does say
One lacking in integrity and lacking in ruth
The President who does not know how to tell the truth
Like the weeds of the garden that stifle every flower
The badly flawed people we elect to positions of power
And all of this in the name of democracy
Seems like lying is an in thing of the twenty first century
Whoever does tell you that lying does not pay
One who believes his own lies is the President of the U S of A.

Some People Are

Some people are arrogant and so few are wise
And some people really believe their own lies
And i am not saying anything that is in any way new
When i say down to earth people are of the few

Of the kind and compassionate the World is in need of more
Yet of the admired they are never to the fore
They like helping people who are doing it tough
In trying to make the World for all better to live in they are doing more than enough

Some people are narcissistic self absorbed one might say
The look at me syndrome the in thing of the day
Their own praises they only wish for to sing
Too much love of self is not a healthy thing

Though sad to say now as ever they are rare
The people who have love in them for to share
They are indeed beautiful people to know
And they have been blessed with the bright inner glow

Some people are humble and shy in their way
And for themselves never have that much to say
Not good at making friends though they do not have foes
It does take all kinds one does have to suppose

Some people are generous whilst others are known for their greed
And some are patriotic whilst others are extreme in their views a dangerous breed
There are good and bad people in the World of today
It is now as it was and will always be this way.

A Refugee

His mind destroying memories have kept him from sleep
He has heard grown men sobbing and grieving mothers weep
For their murdered children in his home city afar
The victims of terrorism as a postscript to war

Perhaps in his lifetime happiness he will never find
The terrible memories that weigh on his mind
Human blood in puddles and human limbs by the impact of the bomb torn apart
In his home suburb that was quite peaceful before the war did start

Of his terrible memories he will never be free
It was fear for his life that caused him to flee
His homeland shores as a boat refugee
And live with his nightmares of the terrible things he did see

His journey south he thought would be a safer haven for him has not worked out this way
He is in an Island detention center for the long stay
He is not a terrorist or one who never would be
Just one who is a victim of the darker side of humanity

In his mid twenties in the prime of his life
Without any children or a partner or wife
To want a safer life is his only crime
But in an Island detention center he may remain for a long time

The future for him it is not looking bright
Haunted by his past he does not sleep well at night
The story of his life he may never get to tell
This young man who fled south of his Earthly hell.

There Are Challenges To Face

There are challenges to face in life every day
This is how it is for many anyway
We all cannot be winners though to win we may choose
For every big winner many have to lose
For this thing known as success many do compete
And every day in life some new challenge to meet
But money is a god to many in life
And the old billionaire has a lovely young wife
But we all cannot be wealthy and famous and great
The one others do wish for to emulate
But it does seem beyond me to even try to explain
How somebody's loss becomes another's gain
It does seem a sad enough thing for to say
That human life is designed for to work in this way.

He Is In The Graveyard

He is in the graveyard the man without fear
But of the bullet that killed him the shot he did not hear
It was his choice to fight in the war far away
And he died for his glory of him one can say
He died very young he was just twenty three
To die in a war perhaps his life's destiny
He did not have children or he did not have a wife
But her grief it is deep the one who gave him life
He died in a gun battle under gunfire
More young men to fight in wars his kind does inspire
But he was not there to march in the war parade
And he did not hear the bugler when The Last Post was played
He died under gunfire may he rest in peace
From the cares of living he has found his release.

My Memories In Time

My memories in time do go back quite a span
To where i was born and raised and lived as a young man
Some very old memories to me remain as a source of joy
Of the nineteen fifties when i was a boy

When the winds of late Winter were blowing cold air
The travelers parked their horse drawn vans at at Shannaknock cross for the first of March horse fair
That is annually held in the Town of Millstreet
A day in Duhallow where the friends do meet

Around their camp fires at night they danced played music and sung
A memory to savor of when i was young
Nowadays in Ireland no traveler horse drawn vans on any roadway
Time with it brings changes as the wise one does say

The years come and go and few things stay the same
And time that outlives any material success and fame
Does bring with it changes as the years go by
Why this happens to be so no need to ask why

The Irish travelers at the Shannaknock cross now a fading memory
Of the Ireland of the nineteen fifties and the what used to be
The young boys and girls back then are now showing time's decay
Few things stay as they were and time ticking away.

Rhymers Never Run Out Of Rhyme

Though eventually everyone loses out to time
It is true that rhymers never run out of rhyme
Until the Life's Reaper comes reaping their way
The rhymers rhyme on until their last night and day
There are rhymers in every village and city and town
And most of them strangers to literary renown
In the twenty first century in literature not to the fore
They rhyme for enjoyment and little else more
At poetry readings rhymers are so few
That they are on the outer is not saying anything new
The majority of rhymers to many are not known
And never said of them in a class of their own
Their sort were famous in a long gone time
But there will always be rhymers for to keep alive rhyme.

Though Mine Here To Many

Though mine here to many is not a known face
I feel lucky to be living in this beautiful place
Ten minutes by car to the Pacific shore
I feel happy to live here who could ask for more
Than wake every dawn to the magpie's warbling song
A bird from once heard one never again does get wrong
His kind territorial sing every day of the year
And their warbling flute like notes are always pleasant to hear
In Illowa between Koroit Town and the City of Warrnambool
The weather never gets too warm or cold and the Winters are mild to cool
A gem in the crown of the coastal Moyne Shire
Of singing it's praises i for one could not tire
And though to many mine here it is not a known face
I feel happy for to live in this beautiful place.

Your Dog Will Always Love You

Your dog will always love you your dog your greatest friend
He or she to you devoted until their life will end
For unrequited love your dog does not ask much of you a few pats and every day a good feed
For a lifetime of love and loyalty this is all your dog does need
It is a simple fact of life and fact does never lie
Your dog to you will remain true until she or he does die
You may lose the love of your children or the love of your wife
But your dog who never judge you will remain your friend for life
So many stories of loyalty to their master of dogs we read and hear
A dog to help it's master in distress lose all fear
To save the life of one they love dogs have been known to die
The fact is than your dog you do not have a truer friend and fact does never lie
Until she or he does breathe their last your dog stays true to you
And they never harbor any grudge for any wrong you do.

Karma

The law may not catch up with you but on some future day
To Karma for your crimes you surely will pay
What goes around comes around only true to say
We sow our own Karma life works in this way
On some way or other you will pay for your crime
If the law does not catch up with you Karma will in time
The great power of Karma cannot be denied
And from it for you there is nowhere to hide
The law of the land may not put you in jail
But Karma will get you it never does fail
To find anybody who to others have done wrong
The honor of the World's greatest criminal detective to Karma belong
If the law does not catch up with you Karma will one day
What goes around comes around seems true to say.

The Young Rose Of Rathmore

Years ago in the nineteen fifties she was the young Rose of Rathmore
Until the yearn for travel took her to live on a foreign shore
To the United States of America and the great City of New York
From her Hometown in east Kerry quite close to the border of Cork

With dark wavy hair to her shoulders and pretty eyes of nugget brown
In her early twenties she was the Pride of Rathmore Town
But the yearn for travel was in her in Rathmore she would not stay
In those days she was many destined for the U S of A

She left Rathmore in December when the Paps peaks wore hats of snow
And the cold bleak winds of Winter in the Sliabh Luachra Town did blow
She sailed on ship from Cobh to New York from her Hometown far away
She would be in her late seventies if she is living today

Did she fall in love marry and have children or as childless and single did remain
Do not know or if she ever returned to visit Rathmore Town again
In her early twenties quite a beauty she was the young Rose of Rathmore
Until the yearn for travel took her to live on a distant shore.

What You Put Into Life

What you put into life in return you receive
A saying that so many on seem to believe
But of the truth on this i for one just cannot say
Since many hard working people i know of are quite poor today
Good people who live in an honorable way
Makes me wonder at times does honesty pay?
Many who become financially very wealthy out of the labor of others for themselves are doing quite well
They pay their workers low wages whilst their products at a huge profit they do sell
From the hard work of their employees they are enjoying the good life
The wealthy business man live in a big uptown house with his family and wife
Whilst his workers are struggling just to make ends meet
They are among the poor people of their street
Whilst their employers in top restaurants dine and socialize
What we put into life in return we receive to some doubt does give rise.

You Are Doing Okay

Life has it's laughter and life has it's tears
And life has it's good and it's not so good years
To most people anyway this does apply
But to make the most of your life your best you can only try
That in humanity there are all sorts does seem true to say
And most people are quite different in their own way
Suppose we would seem quite boring for want of a better name
If in our ways and our thinking we all were the same
But treat other people as you would like them to treat you
And to live and let live try to remain true
You may not be among the wealthy people of the town
But if you are willing to help one in life who is down
And perform a good deed or two every day
Then in life as a person you are doing okay.

At The Happy Hour

At the happy hour at the local pub there is cheaper beer
An hour of laughter and song and cheer
The happy patrons are smiling in delight
From eight o clock till nine on Saturday night
The football fans discussing the game of the day
On their faces the winning and losing fans their feelings on display
The winning fans smiling the losing fans looking sad
In sport as in life there is the good and the bad
On Saturday night at the local pub between eight and nine
For an hour drinks cheaper to buy hard liquor, beer and wine
The bar room is full the publican doing a brisk trade
Even on happy hour a huge profit by him is made
The football fans are discussing the game of the day
On the faces of the winning and losing fans their feelings on display.

Freddy Joe

Though one i see often not many of him does know
Yet my respect and admiration for him it only does grow
This frail octogenarian his hair silver gray
His terrible past is still with him and till death with him will stay

His father and mother died when he was a baby boy
And his younger years spent in an orphanage brought to him no joy
As a ten year old his unhappiness in life for him began
When he was sexually abused by a so called devout clergyman

This sexual predator robbed him of any happiness in life
He has grown old without any children or a partner or a wife
The biological clock on his life as ever ticking fast
And all he has left are the bad memories of his terrible past

He found comfort in alcohol to ease his mental woe
Any happiness in life for him was not meant to be so
All because of a bad person who a false public image did portray
One who took his secrets to the grave with him and for them was not made to pay

The tragic story of his life to me in tears he told
When out walking always on his own he looks so frail and old
His past will haunt him to his grave from him it will not go away
All because of one very bad human being this is so sad to say

An octogenarian victim as a boy of evil crime and sin
Of an opportunistic predator masquerading as a man of god who did not have his god within
Still haunted by the awful crimes committed against him from many years ago
That ruined any chance of a happy life for poor sad Freddy Joe.

A Place To Call Home

We all have a town or a city or a place to call home
To some it is Paris or London or Rome
Or Moscow or Sydney, Dublin, Montreal or L A
To them remain home though from there they live far away

For us all there is a place where we first saw light of day
Though some did not remain there for to grow old and gray
They left for adventure and to live from home far away
And in their adopted home feel content to live and stay

To some home is Christchurch or Rio in Brazil
And though they left in their prime years of their own free will
To seek a new life and adventure from their first home elsewhere
When they answered the call of the big World out there

To some home is Berlin or Tokyo in Japan
Though from there they grow old as a woman or man
And to some home is Capetown, Amsterdam or New York
And home to me is Claraghatlea in Millstreet County Cork.

In This The Age Of Advanced Technology

In this the age of advanced technology people with big egos abound
Wherever people with mobile phones are of you are around
You notice they are texting or taking selfies self absorbed in their way
Narcissistic love of the self an in thing of the Human World of today
And though many use their online blogs their own praises for to sing
Modern technology in many ways is quite a good thing
It can be quite educational for those of the accumulation of knowledge inclined
So many informative sites online for to find
But for the self absorbed the internet has become the in thing
Where their own praises in their blogs they do happily sing
And the internet only bigger egos does create
In those who to self only can only relate
Young people texting and taking selfies in numbers of me all around
In this the age of advanced technology big egos abound.

In The Things I Dislike In Others

In the things i dislike in others i only do see
The things in reality i dislike in me
Perhaps they mirror the flaws in my personality
At least anyhow this is how it seems to be
The one you do not like on some latent way
In personality is not that unlike you does seem fair to say
Though many with such thinking may not agree
In those i dislike i believe some of my own flaws i do see
The flaws we dislike in others make them hard for us to admire
And though human perfection is something many do desire
It is something the more perfect cannot even hope to achieve
To be flawed is to be human this much i do believe
Though any other human being i refuse for to hate
That the flaws i see in myself in others i dislike to i can relate.

The Politicians

The politicians tell the majority of the voters what they wish to hear
Of who they should trust and of who they should fear
Of who should be kept out of the Country and who should be welcomed in
The politician who thinks differently to the voting majority a seat in parliament cannot expect to win
The majority of the voters are anti refugee
People from war and persecution their homelands do flee
Since they think they may be terrorists so in detention they can stay
So to keep ourselves safe from them we must lock them away
On some remote island till some Country's government to take them does agree
It is not our fault if they are poor and scared and only know of poverty
When most politicians talk of a fair go they do not mean a fair go for all
Most of their kind lack in compassion and in their thinking are small
That most politicians are the voice of the majority seems a sad thing to say
Suppose this is how it is and it will always be this way.

For Every Winner There Are Losers

For every winner there are losers this is life as the wise one does say
But your turn will come for winning for you there will be a better day
In the World there are many losers and big winners only in the few
I am only saying what is factual and this is not anything new
For every millionaire many poor people life it is always this way
The happy winners celebrating for them many a loud hooray
Suppose we all cannot be winners though losing none ever does choose
The winners are happy and smiling it is not a nice feeling to lose
Young John the artist is smiling one of his paintings has won a regional art prize
A winners prize of two thousand dollars a happy glint in his brown eyes
Like every winner he is smiling he is flushed with the joys of success
So many now do wish to know him a winner never fails to impress
Today you were not a winner but hope in you for better not dead
And as is said hope springs eternal and better days of you ahead.

The Worst Of Bad People

The worst of bad people in the Human World of today
As teenagers and young adults off of the honorable road did stray
As children with their young friends games they did play
But sadly in life they seemed to lose their way
All children are born with their god within
Their innocent young minds are untainted by sin
By bad company and bad mentoring they are lured into crime
And in prison spend most of their physical prime
To the harming of others some are readily inclined
There is a lot of darkness in every criminal mind
Love and compassion and empathy for others not in them to show
Though as children they too did have the inner glow
The worst of bad people who in life have lost their way
As young children with their young friends children games did play.

Knowledge And Wisdom

Many educated people are not very wise
Which in itself should not be a surprise
For knowledge and wisdom are different in every way
As different as night would seem to be from day
Not every wise person one time has left looking gray
Though the one of wisdom young or old is one with little to say
And quite good at listening one who never does shout
A wise person is never one with a big mouth
Wisdom a gift one is born with it does not come by choice
So many like to hear the sound of their own voice
The person of wisdom is never arrogant or proud
They choose their words wisely and never speak loud
Knowledge and wisdom are as distinct as night is from day
They are very different in every way.

Old George From Athens

Old George from Athens his hair silver gray
And surely he has known of a far better day
The last time the shores of Greece he did see
Was when he left it by ship in nineteen fifty three

A woman he loved more than words can say
Anna his Aussie wife of six decades last year passed away
Far more to him than a devoted wife
She was his soul mate the great love of his life

Ten times a great grandfather he lives on his own
And happier times he would surely have known
All he has are good memories of what used to be
Few people known to go through life sorrow free

The sad look of grief on his face looks never lie
He will be grieving for Anna until the day he does die
George in his eighty fifth year lives on his own
And far happier times in life of he would have known.

Human Beings Every Day

Human beings every day with each other compete
And some not satisfied to be best on their street
Yearn to be best in the World and famed and known everywhere
By everyone in the big World out there
Some do have their mentor in U S President Trump
His brain is one massive egotistical lump
If he is your hero then good luck to you
Not much for the natural environment and poor people you will do
How he became the President of a great democratic Country as a mystery remain
And for an ordinary fellow like me far too puzzling to even try to explain
Our heroes and heroines i have come to realize
Say more of us than words can say this not a surprise
Everyday for success and attention people with each other compete
And the down to earth and humble one does not often meet.

The Octogenarian Stan

All he has are memories of the long ago
His biological clock keeps ticking on time has become his foe
In the nineteen fifties and sixties in his prime a handsome looking man
The years catch up on everyone as they have caught up on Stan

Tall and muscular and well built when his hair was light brown
He was the man in demand by the young beauties of the town
He does not have children that he knows of or he never had a wife
Though he is one who did have many women in his life

In his eighties living on his own time on him ticking fast
He has only memories of his good days of the past
Shoulders drooped and balding head and hair of silver gray
Not the man he used to be youth with none does stay

The years on his body does show and time keeps ticking fast
And all he has are memories of the long gone past
Of every time he walked on the street young women looked his way
When walking in the town he goes almost unnoticed today

He is not the handsome man that he used to be
One who truly looks his years of four score and three
In his prime the pin up male of the town the octogenarian Stan
Time that does rusts iron has made him an old man.

I Never Thought I Would Be So Long Away

I never thought i would be so long away
From the place where i first looked on the lamp of day
Claraghatlea less than two kilometers from Millstreet Town
Where old Clara Mountain does ever look down

On the Cork Kerry border that stretch far and wide
Of Duhallow and Sliabh Luachra's green countryside
Old Clara i may never climb on again
But good memories of what was in me does remain

Of the Boggeragh Hills in their white hats of snow
When the wintry winds in the gray sky did blow
And the cattle in the farm yard sheds bellowing for silage or hay
In the gray dawn of a cold Winter's day

I retain happy memories of the Duhallow Spring
When in the leafy woods and groves nesting song birds do sing
And the hawthorns are cloaked in their white blooms of the May
Old memories die hard as the wise one does say

And wafting to me from Meadows far away
I get the sweet scent of grass mowed for silage or hay
In beautiful weather in June and July
Mental images are with me of Summer's long gone by

Of the fields of the badger and waterways of the brown trout
It was the yearn for wander that brought me far south
Of the fields that in fancy i often walk on again
When Clara is half cloaked in the gray fogs of rain.

A True Friend For Life

Your partner has left you and with her taken the children to live with her new intimate love friend
Your love for each other has come to an end
But your dog true to you is happy with you to stay
For as long as she or he live till their life's final day

The love of dogs for their masters is an unconditional thing
And every day to you such joy they do bring
The love of your dog for you is an unrequited love indeed
For a walk every day a few pats and a feed

Fond memories of my past dog friends remain evergreen
Brandy, Rose and the two Jacks, Pudsy, Jedder, Rupert and Bobeleen
There is a special place for them in my memory
And in fancy from time to time they visit me

For as long as she or he in them do have life's breath
Your dog will remain true to you until death
You may lose the love of your partner or wife
But in your dog you do have a true friend for life.

The Power To Do Good

Of making the World a better World to live in you most certainly can
By becoming a better woman or a better man
Yes you can make the World a better World to live in
The power to do this it does come from within
Though this thing known as power by many misunderstood
You do have it in you the power to do good
Some people use their power in a negative way
Respect to the feelings of others they never do pay
As a sense of superiority and for material gain they keep others down
And sad to say they are not rare in any town
Good people do not have their god in material greed
And of more of their sort the Human World is in need
The power to do good only comes from within
Yes you can make the World better to live in.

On Margaret Court's Anti Gay Rant

Margaret Court the great Australian tennis player some claim her to be the greatest of all
In her prime years the best in the World but in thinking she seems rather small
She has publicly stated she does not like gay people to speak her beliefs is her right
That because Qantas does support gay people she will never more board a Qantas flight
Margaret Court is a religious person and on her religious views quite extreme
Her idea of a fair go does not include everybody which does nothing for her public esteem
She may have been an all time great tennis player the one many tennis fans celebrate
But in her thinking she seems rather ordinary her sort are quite far from great
Because of her sort gay people have suffered Worldwide and have often been reduced to tears
And in some Countries today are publicly flogged and shamed and imprisoned for many years
Margaret Court's anti gay rant on her behalf was not wise as a person she seems far from nice
To her opinions she is quite entitled but some opinions do come at a price
Margaret Court was a great tennis player some rate her as the greatest of all
But as a person she seems rather ordinary since her opinions leaves her seeming small.

All Humans Are Not Born Equal

All human beings are not born equal but death as is said makes all equal indeed
And there is no such a thing as a true blue-blood red is the blood we are born with to bleed
The millionaires money may help them to live longer but all people are mortals and this not a lie
The president the monarch the famous and the wealthy are born as mortals and all mortals eventually do die

The gullible masses who create celebrities help to create swollen egos as well
But big egos die with the death of the body before the tolling of the funeral bell
We are born into life naked and helpless and as helpless we will die one day
The very wealthy their money may help them to live longer but eventually the reaper of lives will come reaping their way

It is said money speaks every language with this it seems hard for to disagree
You cannot live well and enjoy life if you are in dire poverty
One can only admire egalitarians who treat everyone as equal and same
That they are fighting what is a lost cause to say the least does seem a shame

All human beings are not born to be equal this is how it is and will always be
Though death who does claim everybody does bring about equality
We are born into life naked and helpless and as helpless one day we will die
And the fact is death does make everyone equal and fact as is said never lie.

That Happiness Is Infectious

That happiness is infectious only true for to say
And every happy person makes new friends every day
Those lacking in humor few of wish to know
One reason their friends in numbers never grow
A very old saying that's not hard to explain
Laugh and the World laughs with you as true does remain
Very happy people with some joy to spare
A little of their gift with others always willing to share
This morning i felt unhappy things were not going my way
But on the street meeting a friendly stranger brought some joy to my day
With a sense of warmth in her cheerful hello
She was one of those who had the inner glow
Quite a beautiful person in her charming way
She did help for to bring some joy to my day.

Blind Helen And Jill

A pair out walking i often do meet
Whenever i am in the park by main street
Blind Helen and Jill her black labrador friend
For visual guidance on her she entrust and depend

To Helen and Helen only Jill's loyalty belong
The bond of trust between them it is strong
On their feelings of love and loyalty to their masters dogs never lie
Jill will love Helen till the day she does die

Helen in her thirties does not have children or a partner or was never anyone' s wife
Having Jill as her friend the great joy of her life
Jill more than a seeing eye dog to her is the greatest friend she has ever known
Since receiving her as a pup from the seeing eye dog foundation their bond of love and trust has grown

In her three years old labrador Helen has a true friend indeed
Since Jill remains true to the history of the faithfulness of her breed
In the park them out walking i often do see
As well as her visual guidance her constant companion and one who offers her love and loyalty.

What If I Never

What if i never see Millstreet Town or Claraghatlea again
Or walk in the old fields in the winds of rain
When the hawthorns are cloaked in their blooms of white to gray
And the nesting birds are singing in the prime of the May

It was my love of adventure that brought me far south
Of the fields of the badger and the waterways of the brown trout
To the coastal countryside of emu, koala and gray kangaroo
And white long billed corella and dark brown yellow tailed black cockatoo

For my years i cannot boast of material gain
And of what was i only have memories to retain
Yet on a calm Summer's evening i fancy i hear
The call of the migratory cuckoo distinctive and clear

What if i never again see the Boggeraghs in their hats of snow
When the cold winds of December in the gray sky do blow
I left old Duhallow but it followed me
And i live with my memories of what used to be

Though i often do think of my friends of the past
In decades of absence few friendships are known for to last
Some of them in Duhallow are aging and gray
And to them i may well be a stranger today

And what if i never again hear the lowing of a cow
In the calm of a Summer twilight by old River Finnow
In the fading light just before moon-rise
Such things i see and hear when i visualize

What if i never again see Hibernia's shore
Or climb on the high fields of old Claramore
In this great Land i would be happy to live until i die
If i did tell you different this would be a lie.

Aged People

Aged People are dying in nursing homes every day
Most of them through natural causes though some of neglect in some way
There has even been a few cases of proven foul play
And this seems a sad thing for to have to say
Many people in aged care centers die after a fall
Which cannot be a pleasant way for to die at all
And few ever do die without any pain
In most cases that death does not come easy as a fact does remain
For me too old age in time is not far away
It may be in a nursing home i may spend my last night and day
Since in reality human immortality is based on a lie
Eventually everyone does have to die
Aged people are dying in nursing homes every day
And how you and i will die we do not know for to say.

It Is Not An Excuse

It is not an excuse for you to use for a serious crime
That as a young person you have known of a hard time
Many young people who have known it far tougher than you
Bad things to others never would do
Live and let live to us all does apply
The truth in this saying does seem hard to deny
Others have sinned against me is not a good defense
For you to be used as an excuse for a serious offense
There are plenty of people in every town
Out of work financially and mentally down
Who have never known of a real happy day
Yet they never harm anyone in any way
Though they even have known it tougher than you
To others any harm they never would do.

Kurri Kurri

A place in the woods of the Moyne Shire countryside
That is not a tourist attraction or known far and wide
Kurri Kurri that does have an aboriginal name
That ought to be for it a just claim to fame
Though little about Kurri Kurri is known
It is a beautiful place with a charm of it's own
A peaceful spot to visit on a nice day in Spring
When the wild birds of Nature do whistle and sing
With strong links to the Moyne Shire's aboriginal race
kurri Kurri is quite a tranquil place
Where peace and beauty and serenity meet
Far from the traffic of the noisy street
A beautiful place with a charm of it's own
Though so very little about it is known.

So Many Who Thought

So many who thought they were Irreplaceable in cemeteries do lay
And life without them goes on it will always be this way
Up the steep hill of success you may have climbed quite far
But you are not as important as you think you are
Life will go on without you as it will without me
We are like tiny grains of sand is how it seems to be
The longest lived human life in time is not a long span
It is from an act of Nature your journey in life began
It is often said of success and truer words not said
That it is linked to the ego and can go to one's head
So few do remain humble of those who have achieved wealth and fame
But then we may seem boring if we all were the same
That we are born as mortals is definitely not a lie
And life will go on without us on the day that we will die.

Dan Tehan Always Smiling

Government Minister Dan Tehan seems quite happy he has a toothy smile
But like most politicians he may not be free of guile
He has every reason for to smile for himself he is doing okay
With power at his disposal and a huge after tax pay
The federal Member for Wannon in Victoria's south west
Well up in the Liberal Party like many politicians good at feathering his own nest
The Liberal National Government he is a Minister in does not govern for those in poverty
To govern for the wealthy only is in their history
For a hero the poor people of Wannon should not look to Dan
But if you are a Wannon millionaire he surely is your man
That he is doing quite well for himself there can be little doubt
Dan Tehan always smiling he has much to smile about
A south west Victoria political power-broker and a financially well to do
Had i Dan Tehan's salary i would be smiling too.

Whenever I Do See Ann

Whenever i do see Ann she is always on her own
Since her long time partner Jimmy last year passed away only sadness she has known
Sixty years together in time so many years
Her grief at his passing has not been healed by tears

Since she never had children he was her truest friend
But all good times as is said eventually do end
Never officially married though they lived as man and wife
They loved each other truly and their love was for life

Ann is not a vain person her shoulder length hair is gray
She does not use dyes or makeup aging in the natural way
But for one in her eighties quite attractive one can say
She must have been a beauty way back in her prime day

She has a sad look on her face and looks do seldom lie
Perhaps grief will be with her until the day she die
Jimmy died suddenly of a heart attack Ann still grieves at her loss
Though few ever do go through life without having to bear some cross

In the cemetery a half a kilometer from where she live her soulmate is today
Twice a week she visits his grave fresh flowers on it to lay
Though never officially married they lived as man and wife
And they loved each other truly their love it was for life.

When I Am Of The Deceased

When i am of the deceased some who did know of me
May say he was a rhymer one of the ordinary
For many years of his life he was a rhyming buff
And he was one of those who wrote reams of rhyming stuff
He was not well educated to be one of literary note
Though so much time and effort to writing rhymes he did devote
On writing rhyming verse he wasted so much time
But at least he is at peace now he has written his last rhyme
At least one can say of him that he did do his own thing
The praises of so many in his rhymes he did sing
And though he like many others once aspired to be a poet
He will not be remembered for any rhymes he wrote
One can only hope that from life his was a painless release
He was not a bad old fellow may he now rest in peace.

Of the Inequality In Humanity

Of the inequality in humanity how can one explain
When somebody's loss becomes another's gain
For every wealthy person many in poverty
One only must wonder why this has to be
A well publicized fact and this is nothing new
That the majority of the material wealth of the World is owned by the few
And though living poor is something the vast majority of people would not choose
For one to win big many do have to lose
There are winners and losers in all aspects of life
And few happy faces where poverty is rife
Not many paupers achieve the status of millionaire
The rags to riches stories in the Human World are rare
The gap between the wealthy and poor is growing ever wide
And so many losing out in the social divide.

Duhallow In June

The scent of freshly mowed grass in my nostrils so sweet
That comes wafting to me from the fields near Millstreet
Though the sky above Duhallow is overcast and gray
There is no talk of rain in the weather forecast today
Making the most of the dry weather in Nature's own light
The silage harvesters working from dawn till the gloam before night
I fancy i hear them from here far away
The past may be gone but old memories stay
Of green old Duhallow with June in her prime
And scenes that have inspired song, story and rhyme
In pursuit of flying insects across the gray sky
The dark barn swallows do chirp as they fly
In my pleasant memories of the what used to be
In the wind the sweet scent of mowed grass does come wafting to me.

Behind The Gray Clouds

Behind the gray clouds the sun hidden away
It is threatening rain in the Moyne Shire today
Though the Wintry weather not cold it is breezy and cool
In the coastal countryside between Koroit and Warrnambool
The flute like warbling is so pleasant to hear
Of the birds who do sing every day of the year
The white backed silver billed magpies with the beautiful song
Once seen and once heard birds you cannot get wrong
And none could mistake the call of the pee wee
Dainty black and white mud nesting birds one often hear and see
Nature's wonders are many and her secrets not few
And every day of her we learn something new
In the lush green paddocks the contented cattle chewing their cuds do lay
Earthly Utopia from this place cannot be far away.

Always Some Challenge To Meet

For him it has not been a very good day
From his place of work he has drawn his last pay
On the business he worked for the banks did foreclose
Life has it's good and bad times one has to suppose
For financial support a wife and three young children on him depend
When down on your luck you do need every friend
And jobs are so few in a high unemployment town
You know who your friends are when you are financially down
He drew his last take home pay with a heavy heart
On Monday he will begin his search for a new job start
But he feels that good luck will come his way
Hope does spring eternal as the hopeful do say
For a job start with other job seekers he has to compete
In life there is always some challenge to meet.

It Is Ego Related

So many out for to make for themselves a name
Everyday competing for material wealth and fame
The impressionable the praises of the wealthy and famous do sing
This need for recognition is an egotistical thing
That for some to win big many have to lose out
This is what human life seems for to be about
The one with a billion in money does crave for more
But this is how it is where greed is to the fore
Yet the Reaper of lives treats all lives as the same
The one who is not impressed by money and fame
For every wealthy person many in poverty
In a fair and just human World this never would be
So many out to make for themselves a name
It is ego related the yearn for wealth and fame.

He Is Not My Foe

He really dislikes me for he told me so
Though i do not look upon him as a foe
I never wronged him in any way or he never wronged me
We just look at life one might say differently
On our political views polar opposites with me this is okay
But he looks at this in a different way
My socialist way of thinking does not suit him well
He says all left wingers are destined for hell
We used to be friends but nowadays when we meet
Only silence between us when we pass on the street
To me he no longer wishes to speak this is his choice not mine
But if this is how he wants it with me this is fine
We were on speaking terms up to three months ago
And i do not dislike him since he is not my foe.

You Can Be Anything

You can be a poor one a never do well
But of your life you do have stories to tell
And you have your dreams in life for to pursue
Though dreams as we know do not always come true
But you can imagine yourself as a great
The one that the masses wish to celebrate
Though poor in reality wealthy and famous in your mind
In your own thoughts greatness you can find
You can climb Mt Everest go beyond the stars
And be the first person for to walk on Mars
Or at the Olympics a gold medal win
If you are poor to the reality of the truth never give in
For in your imagination you can be anything you wish to be
And escape for awhile from your reality.

With Yourself You Begin

An Olympic Gold medal you may never win
But you can make the world a better World to live in
By being honest and caring and compassionate and kind
The ego of light it does darken the mind
Kindness does beget kindness as the wise one does say
Though some people do not see it in this way
Those into helping others are good people indeed
And for their future good karma are planting the seed
You may be materially successful a known multi millionaire
But if with others you are not willing to share
And live only for self and do not believe
That those who willingly give in other ways do receive
To make the World a better World to live in
Do not leave it to others with yourself you begin.

Not Of The Few

Judgmental people are not of the few
And this is not saying anything that is new
There are millions of them in the big World out there
Judgmental people you will meet everywhere
For their unsolicited opinions on others they never receive any pay
Self appointed judges of them one can say
They are not rare those in their words who like dragging others down
There are many of them in every village, city and town
Those whose idea of a fair go does not apply to all
Some in their opinions one can say quite small
It is not a hard thing to harshly criticize
And that some enjoy doing it is not any surprise
But it does take all kinds as the wise one does say
And to be human is not to be perfect in every way.

Myself To Blame

Since i have been doing it for many a day
Seems a bit late for me now to give rhyming away
Some four decades of years past my physical prime
Writing rhyme i feel for me is a huge waste of time

Far too many years of my life to writing of rhyme i did devote
Yet i remain as an amateur writer unworthy of literary note
At the average life span of human males of ten years with three score
Something i enjoy doing and little else more

It is not for my lack of literary renown
That of late i have been feeling mentally down
My greatest achievement in life does seem small
In any way one not successful at all

Not financially well off and a stranger to fame
For my lack of success i have myself to blame
My physical best years are in the long gone
And the clock on my life ever keeps ticking on.

The Silver Backed Crow

They live in the woods of the foothills where the bracken does grow
The bane of sheep farmers the silver backed crow
Since of new born lambs they do pluck out the eyes
By their actions to the loathing of mountain sheep men for them they give rise
By sheep farmers it is something quite often said
That they feel happy to shoot a silver backed crow dead
To crows, dogs and foxes they lose many lambs every year
And at the deaths of the killers of their lambs they do not shed a tear
But despite persecution the silver backed crows do survive
Though to rid the woods of them the shepherds do strive
As vermin by governments they are classified
But that they are Nature's survivors of them cannot be denied
They live in the woods of the foothills where the bracken does grow
The bane of sheep farmers the silver backed crow.

Richie Kavanagh

From Fennagh in County Carlow a talented and funny man
His hilarious songs will surely outlive his lifetime span
The amazing Richie Kavanagh people like him are so rare
His gifts of joy and laughter with others he does share

Not the usual sort of singer though in the Worldwide web famed and known
One can say of the amazing Richie he is in a class of his own
Such a funny likable character his kind not often seen
True genius lives for decades and remain as evergreen

Richie Kavanagh's health has not been good as has been reported of late
One can only hope he soon grows better in his songs such joy he does create
The world needs people like him where they are laughter does abound
The joy that does live in them they like to share around

Through the medium of the Worldwide web he enjoys a Worldwide fame
As a singer of his own original funny songs he has climbed the hill of fame
Of joy and laughter in the World his kind does plant the seed
Of more people like Richie Kavanagh humanity is in need.

He Told Me

He told me i am not a good writer my rhymes are sloppy and rough
Which is deflating to my ego to think i am not good enough
Though of course i have human feelings which he did not seem to realize
Some people who think they are clever in their divulged thoughts are not very wise
But the criticism of so called experts will not stop me from rhyming only make me more determined to keep rhyming on
I will rhyme for as long as i can write though my best years in life are long gone
Though written and verbal attacks hurt my feelings since i am human after all
Some people though well educated in their words do prove themselves as small
His words on me far more than critical were spoken for to cause offense
For one deemed as well educated he seems to lack in common sense
For education does not make one a nicer person since niceness does come from within
Those who in their words do offend you will never have you as a friend
When he told me i was not a good writer he was telling me something i already knew
On saying some in their words can be deliberately offensive is not saying anything that is new.

Sally Of The Gold Coast

A beautiful young woman of this little doubt
Sally of The Gold Coast is living far south
Of her home City in the sub tropics of beaches and sun
But youth must have it's fling and travel for her is fun

Brown eyes and shoulder length dark wavy hair her ancestry she can trace
To the people of the Dreamtime Australia's first race
A nugget brown beauty with a wonderful smile
Down to earth in her ways and untainted by guile

On her twenty second year near the prime of her life
There are quite a few men who would love her as a wife
But she has travelling to do and places to see
And for now she wishes to stay single and of any love commitments remain free

Far south of the sunny Gold Coast where the Autumn weather is more windy and cool
She lives in the south western Victoria's coastal City of Warrnambool
Beautiful Sally of The Gold Coast with sunshine in her smile
Charming and down to earth in her ways and untainted by guile.