Happy Joe

It is true he is one who does not have a foe
Everyone who know or does know of him does like Happy Joe
He always seems happy a smile on his face
For sadness or worry in his mind there is not any space
Loyal to his pretty blond haired wife Linda his loving soulmate
With a six years old Daughter blond haired brown eyed Kate
Joe happy with his lot he never complain
His happy disposition for him new friends gain
One of the rare few who has the inner glow
His friends in numbers does regularly grow
Of likeable people it is a known fact
That like a magnet others to them they never fail to attract
And this is how it is with young Happy Joe
Happiness goes with him to wherever he go.

Remember Those You Judge

Remember those you judge who in life are not doing materially well
Like you too do have their own stories to tell
Of how they daydream of a better life every day
And hope that the lady of luck will come smiling their way
Financially successful they may well not be
But they are better friends of the natural environment would you not agree
Than the multi millionaires who pay workers to cut old growth trees down
For their business projects in every city and town
That they make millions in money seems sad for to say
On trashing the natural environment albeit in a legal way
The people you refer to as losers are not responsible for wildlife numbers on the decrease
And with the natural environment they live in peace
Which is more than can be said for those who make their millions at Mother's Earth's expense
Legal criminals who cause so much environmental offense.

A Little Bit

A little bit of love of self is a good and natural thing
But you ought to leave it to others your praises to sing
In this the twenty first century narcissism is rife
Some do see themselves as far greater than life

The look at me syndrome has spread Worldwide
And down to earth humility by it pushed aside
An endangered species the humble of today
And to say the least this does seem a sad thing to say

A quote from a wise one that itself does explain
Self praise is no praise as a truism remain
Leave it to others to give you the credit you are due
And to the gift of humility try to remain true

In this the age of the selfie it is seen as okay
For people with their smart phones to take photographs of themselves every day
Infatuation with self is not healthy for the mind
But such are the ways of the narcissistic inclined

One needs some love of self this is how it does seem
As it can be good for your sense of self esteem
But leave it to others to say nice things of you
And to the gift of humility try to remain true.

Not Honorable In Any Way

Referred to as the honorable members but in truth one can say
That most of them are not honorable in any way
Many politicians does seem to believe their own lies
The truth to their sort never hard to disguise
Like badly behaved children they trade insults in parliamentary sittings every day
The government and opposition members the game of point scoring does play
Most politicians are not known for their honor and grace
And do know how to lie with an honest looking face
That many politicians are deceitful there can be no denying
And they can hold their own with any when it comes to lying
Having this said not all of politicians are lacking in ruth
And at most of the times some of them do speak the truth
But why they are referred to as the honorable members one must wonder why
Since such a title to their sort ought not to apply.

John Lucey

John Lucey was well known around Duhallow in Millstreet Town into manhood he did grow
In his younger years he was a well known character not your mr average of Minor Row
He lived his life to others a bit different not the tribal sort in any way
One never could accuse him of being boring the World in need of more like him today

In his younger years he enjoyed every party he was not your average young sporting man
In Minor row in the old Town of Millstreet in life his journey for him it began
He had his fun enjoyed life and made merry but youth with anyone it does not stay
But he was one who enjoyed every party he made the most of his youth one would say

He was not one who would waste his time arguing on who was the greatest person of Millstreet
Or of politics or war get animated people like him one does not often meet
But he became the life of every party such celebrations he loved to attend
He liked his drink and was one who made merry and he was a nice person to befriend

John Lucey one who deserves to be remembered since the party side of life he did embrace
In his young years often the life of a party Where fun was he never felt out of place
It is so sad for to learn of the passing of one who to the small hours often partied on
And everyone who knew or did know of him will live on with their memories of John.

It Does Seem This Way

Of a life after bodily death how would i know
Since anyone has no real proof to show
Of a spirit World far beyond the moon and the stars
And jupiter, pluto, venus and mars
Many poor people struggling for to cope
Find that belief in a god does give them hope
Of a better life post bodily death
When they have drawn their last living breath
Many believe the soul has wings to fly
To the spirit World way beyond the sky
Yet many good living religious people who to their god regularly pray
Are not looking forward to their last living day
Which does say of them what they themselves dare not say
That they slightly doubt the existence of their god it does seem this way.

Some

Some men can be arrogant and some women can be vain
And about their husbands or partners to their female friends complain
And some men with their drinking friends in the pub much the same
For their loss of love their wives or partners they always does blame
Love like the flower that blooms quickly can also be quick to die
And few loves does last a lifetime to say differently would be a lie
Love of woman for husband and love of man for wife
And love of same sex couples too part of human life
But loves that last a lifetime are only of the few
And to this you may well say do tell us what is new
But better love and lose out rather than never love at all
Words i do remember and worthy of recall
Some men are not honorable and faithful do not stay
But the revengeful women for this does make them pay.

How It Feels Like To Be Happy

How it feels like to be happy i only know
That on bushes and trees happiness does not grow
I meet unhappy people every day
They could not smile for you if for a smile them you did pay
Our human moods often beyond our control
On the health of mind and body unhappiness does take it's toll
The financially and materially wealthiest person of the town
Is not very happy in her moods often down
A forty six years old grandmother she divorced her unfaithful ex husband three years ago
And now she believes that every man in the World is her foe
She is one of those love betrayed people who does generalize
But that anger and mistrust is eating her happiness she fails to realize
How it feels like to be happy ask one other than me
Since i am one of those who of cares is not free.

Without

Without national borders and religion and human greed
The World would be far better to live in indeed
And war and terrorism would become of the past
And the white flower of peace would be blooming at last

Without human interference for financial gain to habitat for wildlife for every girl and boy
There would be more species of animals and birds in the future for to learn of and enjoy
Each individual in their own self improvement with themselves must begin
For to make the World far better for all to live in

The people that so many look up to and greatly admire
In their sense of values and behavior towards our Earth Mother leave so much to desire
Of far more of the kind and the compassionate and caring humanity of is in need
Since for a better World for all to live in it is they who plant the seed

Of populist political leaders big noting themselves one quickly does tire
Of any hope for the betterment of humanity their types does not inspire
Since they seem so narcissistic in their ways and on their thinking small
And their idea of a fair go does not include all.

Nature's Beauty To View

Nature's beauty to view it is free
Even in the city parks you hear and see
Wild birds chirping and singing on the trees
Their pleasant music carrying in the breeze
Those who love Nature have come to realize
That her secrets are many this not a surprise
Though we learn something new of her every day
In life we never stop learning it does seem this way
My wonderment of Nature only does grow
Yet so little about her i can claim for to know
Us humans are mortals and time becomes our foe
But Nature lives on and her Seasons come and go
The wildflowers in bloom and birds whistle and sing
Such beauty to life Mother Nature does bring.

Money Can Buy

Money can buy you the great pleasures of life
The old bloke he has a young and pretty wife
His seventh by all accounts but perhaps not his last
Quick to fall in love and he falls out of it as fast

A great grandfather many times he may be old
But he is one who will not die of hunger, want or cold
Younger women fall for him in a big way
Money speaks every language as the wise one does say

His latest wife a pretty blond of twenty nine
In expensive restaurants they wine and dine
More than fifty years past his physical prime
Perhaps she only married him for a good time

Though time is not on his side he is eighty three
Money does speak every language as most would agree
That he likes his women pretty and young is obviously quite clear
He is not one who would marry an old dear

Money it does buy the pleasures of life
The old fellow he has a pretty young wife
His seventh in all so i have been told
And he is one of those who does not feel old.

Down To Earth Jim

To others he does seem a little bit rough
But as a person he is one who is good enough
From one in need of helping he would not turn away
And he is one who works hard for his take home pay
A loyal and loving family man down to earth Jim
His wife Joann and twin three year old daughters Kate and Hanna dependent on him
Not one of the more stylishly dressed a true blue collar man
He does have a loyal and pretty wife in Joann
One who drinks in moderation and makes the most of life
And is kind to his children and faithful to his wife
In his words he never puts anyone down
People like Jim are an asset to any town
Quite a likeable character down to earth Jim
The World is in need of more people like him.

Some New Challenge To Meet

In life every day some new challenge to face
And only the bravest one does lose with grace
For one to win big others do have to lose
And losing is something anyone does not choose
Though your mistakes in life you may live to regret
Your experience gained from them may serve you well yet
We learn from the past and we learn as we live
And in life to receive we must know how to give
There is always some challenge in life for to meet
From a young age people with each other for success do compete
For one to become the wealthiest person in the town
From the number one spot another has to slide down
You win some and lose some in life as they say
And you can make of this whatever you may.

North Of The Moyne Shire

North of the Moyne Shire in distance far away
In Duhallow i first looked on the lamp of day
And from a young boy grew into a man
But who knows where i will live out my life span

On looking back the years to Seasons long past
One comes to realize that time ticks on fast
Some i went to school with where the deceased are now lay
On how long we live Life's Reaper has the say

We learn as we live and life's lessons are not few
And this is not saying anything that is new
For our every mistake there is some price to pay
This is how life works it is always this way

That we learn as we live is not a lie
And we never stop learning until the day we do die
And the more we do learn the more we realize
That we do know so little this not a surprise

Of the fields of the badger and the waterways of the brown trout
My life's destiny has me ageing far south
In the Moyne Shire of Victoria time has left me gray
One who surely has known of a far better day.

Your Word Is Your Bond

To those loyal to their word respect and credit is due
Since to their higher selves they remain ever true
Your word is your bond or at least ought to be
But legal documents would not be needed except for dishonesty
Of dishonest people there are quite a few
And this is not saying anything that is new
Those whose word is not their bond to mistrust gives rise
And sadly nowadays to take one at their word is not very wise
Those who honor their word one can only admire
And of singing their praises i for one cannot tire
But sadly some known to trust for trusting some price did pay
There are no shortage of crooks in the Human World of today
Though your word is your bond is how it ought to be
This is not a safe way to do business in the twenty first century.

The Car Rallying And Racing Fans

The car rallying and racing fans are a breed of their own
For their passion for fast cars they are widely known
Quite different to the fans of the different codes of football
Suppose each to their own does apply to us all

The car rallying and racing fans are quite tribal indeed
Their common bond is they are lovers of speed
The champion car drivers they greatly admire
To be champion car drivers themselves they dream of and desire

They meet for a drink and to talk of cars at the local pub
And most of them are members of a car club
Not environmentally friendly people of them one can say
That racing cars cause lots of pollution with them seems okay

Suppose in their own ways to themselves they are true
And one has to say that this is to their due
In their passion for cars different to one like me
But each to their own is how it should be

The car rallying and racing fan does not dream of being the first man on Mars
He just wishes to be a champuion driver of fast cars
Though everyone his love of fast cars does not share
Those without some passion in life are quite rare.

An October Day

A light shower of rain the sun hidden away
Twenty minutes later to reappear from behind clouds of gray
With scarce little breeze on the warm side of humid one can say
Quite typical weather for an October day
In south west Victoria in the coastal Moyne Shire
On such changeable Spring weather no chance of big fire
That sometimes in the warmth of a Summer heatwave blackens acres of countryside
Australia for it's extremes of weather has become known Worldwide
Sporadic sunshine between light showers of rain
With such weather so healthy for the natural environment how can one complain
A weather temperature high for the day of a humid twenty degrees
And the nesting birds are singing on the bushes and trees
The coastal Moyne shire is looking so healthy and green
And Nature at her finest she is to be seen.

The Person You Are

It is not the size of your home or the size of your car
That tells me of the person that you really are
Since many who are materially successful in their ways are small
And their idea of a fair go does not include all
The Human World is mostly about things material and money in the bank
And those lacking in these things are low in social rank
Those who have to work hard for award wages pay
Will never be considered the man or woman of the day
Your material assets tells one little of you
It is not how much money you have but with what your money you do
If you are unwilling to help one of your help in need
Then for your future good karma you are not planting the seed
And it is not your big home or the size of your car
That tells us anything of the person you are.

Advice From A Friend

I have some advice for you my literary friend did say
Perhaps you ought to consider giving rhyming away
Since for it you never receive any pay
And money is most important in the World of today
His literary advice to me did seem lacking in ruth
But to advice insult can be taken on what to the adviser is truth
In any case his advice i will not be taking since i love penning rhyme
And what i love doing to me is never a waste of time
If i told him i was considering giving rhyming away i would be telling a lie
As i hope to be doing it on the day i do die
He seemed disappointed that i would not heed his advice
But added what you do in your life suppose is your choice
Rhyming my passion in life in death for me will only end
And though i did not take his free advice he remains as my friend.

Though Highly Educated

Some quite well educated people of Nature so little does know
They even think that the blackbird is a species of crow
Though highly educated professionals of uni degrees
They will tell you knowledge of no financial value to them on the birds and the bees
Though highly educated the point they do miss
That even to their sort ignorance can be bliss
Nature's beauty around them they fail for to see
But then suppose it is each to their own as most would agree
It just goes to show that there is far more to knowledge than most does realize
That many who are well educated know little of Nature is not a surprise
And in the twenty first century this is disappointing indeed
As Nature of many more friends is in need
Ignorance can have a space even in the most enlightened mind
To the natural beauty around them many seem mentally blind.

The Brave Dead Does Not Hear

There must be bloodshed, suffering and death for a war to be won
And the wife or partner, siblings and parents grieve for the dead soldier hero one
Who died in the bloody battle where the gunfire was loud
Of how brave he died of no consolation to them though he done his Country proud
Today the patriots on the sidewalks their flags and banners wave
At the big street war parade to welcome home the living brave
But the young dead war hero in the cemetery near
The bands and the loud cheering of the crowd does not hear
Those who celebrate dead war heroes the great gift of life are denying
Since life should be about living and not about dying
And though honor to the brave dead is only their due
That life is the greatest human gift happens to be true
A huge welcome for the young war heroes in town today
But the brave dead does not hear though nearby he does lay.

This Is How It Is

That money is important why otherwise pretend
The wealthy and the famous never short of a friend
The homeless of the poor streets so few of wish to know
They multiply in numbers and poorer they do grow
The majority of the Worldwide wealth in the coffers of the few
This is just a mere fact of life and not anything new
Though being poor, hungry and homeless anyone does not choose
For one to win in a big way others do have to lose
This is how it is and it always was and it always will be
For every newly proclaimed millionaire others nearer to poverty
People with each other compete for success every day
This is how it is and it always was and it always will be this way
To meet one in life doing it quite tough you may not need to walk far
And it is only the poor who come to know who their true friends really are.

No Cause For Pride

Though they may feel that they have the majority of people on their side
Governments who deny asylum to the stateless and dispossessed have no cause for pride
Refugee rights and human rights are one and the same
And to deny anyone of their human rights is a moral shame
War and famine refugees of the World their numbers every year multiply
Yet the Governments of some wealthy Countries asylum to them deny
This in fact is legal racism though many with this may not agree
How tragic and sad life is for every refugee
Treated as if they are bad criminals and held in detention for years
Instead of being afforded asylum they are reduced to tears
Millions of people in the refugee camps of the World of today
And from the shores of wealthy Countries boats carrying refugees turned away
People in need of asylum of such should not be denied
And governments of wealthy Countries who deny asylum to refugees do not have cause for pride.

In Illowa Today

It rained overnight the morning sky was gray
But the sun it is shining in Illowa today
Nature at her finest she is to be seen
And the paddocks are looking so lush and so green
The breeding frogs singing in every pond and drain
And on nutritious young grass the cattle weight does gain
White butterflies dancing in the coastal breeze
That is gently soughing in the leaves of the sunlit trees
The songs of the blackbirds so pleasant to hear
And the birds who do sing every day of the year
The white backed silver billed magpies with the warbling song
Once seen and once heard one can never again get them wrong
Nature at her very finest is all around me
And so lovely to hear the song of the pee wee.

Just One Of Many

For many years i have been a rhyming buff
Just one who has written a whole pile of stuff
I am not one of those to the literary fore
Rhyming is something i love doing and little else more
Though many may refer to themselves as a playwright or novelist or poet
There are not many writers of literary note
Though many not willing your praises to sing
Suppose confidence on self can be quite a good thing
Not everyone can become famous and great
And beauty on paper with their words create
The numbers of amateur writers have grown
And to make a fortune out of writing so few have been known
As for me for many years i have been a rhyming buff
Just one of many who has penned heaps of stuff.

We Live In The Present

We live in the present the past it has gone
Tomorrow is coming and life does go on
At the stroke of midnight the past will be today
And time does not wait as the wise one does say
Immortality for humans is based on a lie
Today people were born and people did die
And for all of us there is a final sunset
Some thing we do not wish to think of and that causes us to fret
We live in the present and we learn from the past
And time on our lives ever keeps ticking fast
The longest lived human life in time not a long span
On average a few years more for a woman than it is for a man
Time that rusts iron keeps ticking away
And at at midnight this evening the past will be today.

Of Migrant Nostalgia

Of nostalgic tears none left for to keep
In the migrant minds feelings do run deep
For towns and places in distance far away
From where they first looked on the bright lamp of day

The roads of memory that i often walk up and down
Always lead me back home to old Millstreet Town
And those streets i walked on many years ago
Long before time that rusts iron became my foe

I do feel age tiredness in my weary feet
And with time itself i now have to compete
Far south of Claraghatlea west of the Town of Millstreet
And the old rushy fields where the waterways meet

In my boyhood years old story tellers their tales did tell
Of the many miracles at Tubrid Well
And of the black and tans and the civil war
They now lay where their enemies and their heroes are

An often absent pupil of the Millstreet Primary School
Where i often sat on the dunces stool
But the bright boys of the school classrooms back then
Are either deceased or like me ageing men

I know that i may outlive this slipshod rhyme
But like all i too will have to fall to time
That we are mere mortals why otherwise pretend
And death is one who does not have any friend

Children sad to say are taught to compete
From a young age with other children of their street
For this thing that is known to all as success
In most of us there is this need of others to impress

From my original point i have tended to stray
Of migrants from their first homeplace living far away
When of their loss of nostalgia to convince you they try
Their deep inner feelings they only deny

As for me i do think of Millstreet every day
From where i live now in distance far away
But to live where i am now in my life's destiny
And in this Southern Land time may run out on me.

Christy O' Leary

Quite a likeable fellow as all who knew and knew of him would agree
Christy O' Leary will be sadly missed in Knocknagree
A man known and well liked in places far and wide
Beyond the borders of Duhallow and Sliabh Luachra's countryside
Quite an honorable fellow Christy lived as a good man
And as human years go his was a lengthy span
Though the breath of life from his mortal body has gone
He has many descendants and his genes will live on
One who lived his life in an honorable way
And he did have a good innings of him one can say
To the scythe of life's Reaper we eventually must fall
Since we are born to mortality and death is for us all
In Millstreet Hospital Christy O' Leary lived his last night and day
And in his home Village of Knocknagree his last remains lay.

Paul Fitzgerald

Sad news out of Duhallow for to read of today
Paul Fitzgerald of Banteer from life has passed away
On his ninety first year he breathed his last
On looking back the Seasons time seems to go fast
As human life goes the honorable man
Of time was granted quite a lengthy span
He worked with Stephen Jones in their chainsaw shop in Rathcooole years ago
Perhaps some three decades or more maybe so
In the united States Air Force in his physical prime
But eventually we all become victims of time
One quite kind and an honorable man indeed
And of more of his sort the Human World is in need
In life quite a good person of him one can say
By Cashman's Hill in St Mary's in Millstreet his last remains lay.

Puzzling To Me

The Australian Government being rewarded with a seat at the U N H C R seems puzzling to me
Since they are so cruel to every boat refugee
Asylum seekers are imprisoned in the worst of detention centers far from Australia's shore
And treated as the worst of bad criminals and little else more
And for this the Australian Government a major honor receive
A story of truth that any fair minded person would rather not believe
And sadly Austrlia's main opposition party says the treatment of refugees by the government is quite okay
That good people are made to suffer because of money, power and votes only true for to say
For rewarding Australia the U N H C R have done themselves a disservice it does seem
For this they do not deserve to be held in Worldwide high esteem
On rewarding the Australian Government the U N H C R have left themselves down
Their treatment of the dispossessed does not warrant such an honor and renown
Many asylum seekers are being held in Australian run off shore detention centers for many years
And for some of them it has ended in death and tears.

Looks Can Deceive

Looks can deceive it is always this way
Beauty is only skin deep as the wise one does say
Many glamorous movie stars only flatter to deceive
All around perfection any human being cannot achieve
Even the best of people are flawed in some way
We are born with flaws and as flawed we does stay
Until the reaper of lives on our existence calls time
For the poet a last poem for the rhymer a last rhyme
Too much love of self to narcissism gives rise
Of their own mortality their sort does not realize
But ageing and death is beyond human control
And time on the most arrogant too does take it's toll
That looks can deceive it is not a lie
But people grow old and beauty does die.

The Intolerant

The nationalistic and patriotic and flag waving kind
For war an excuse never fail for to find
By patriotism a warped love of Country and feelings of racial superiority the dream of peace always destroyed
And add to this religious and cultural intolerance the source of wars Worldwide
And that war leads to terrorism is not a lie
In modern warfare it is mostly civilians who are the people who die
War for the intolerant is their anger release
The people who with themselves are not at peace
On humanity Worldwide intolerance is taking it's toll
Mistrust of and disrespect of those different is not good for the health of the soul
Bombs and guns and weapons of mass destruction wars well may win
But in each individual peace comes from within
Nationalism and flag waving are breeding sources for warring kind
But what the Human World needs more of is the peaceable inclined.

The More We Do Learn

The more i learn of life the more i come to realize
That i do know so little this is not a surprise
But we learn as we live as the wise one does say
We never stop learning it does seem this way
Those who think they know everything are lucky indeed
Of any lessons in life they are not in need
The mind not open to learning knowledge will not receive
That ignorance can be bliss one can only believe
Time does tick on fast beyond our physical prime
But we learn as we live over decades of time
For our every mistake always some price to pay
And we learn as we live from life every day
But the more we do learn the more we realize
That we do know so little this is not a surprise.

Where There Is A Will

Homeless as a teenager hungry and living and sleeping rough
He is one in life who has known it quite tough
One of the children of the lesser gods
And one of the few who has beaten the odds

The son of parents who for drug dealing served time in jail
Seemed in life he was destined for to fail
Jailed in his late teens for stealing to buy drugs
He was dismissed as one of the town thugs

Who would believe then he would turn his life around
But where there is courage hope is to be found
One of the few who escaped Earthly Hell
He has a great story of success to tell

Anything is possible in life as they say
With a beautiful wife and two young daughters he works hard for his pay
One of the few for to rise above poverty and crime
A reformed young man in his physical prime

As a life's loser he refused for to stay
Where there is a will there is always a way
One of the real winners of the big town
Great men as is said cannot be kept down.

Tower Hill In Victoria

The blackbirds in Tower Hill do whistle and sing
On a beautiful day in October in Spring
The honeyeaters chirping on the sunlit trees
Their leaves gently stirring in the coastal breeze
The birds who do sing every day of the year
The warbling of the magpies so pleasant to hear
On a sunny temperature high for the day of 26 degrees
The warm air full of the buzzing of flies and nectar gathering bees
And Tower Hill looking so green after the recent rain
With such beautiful weather how can one complain
The black swans and their gray cygnets swimming on the lake
And the harsh cries of the dark coots one could never mistake
Earthly Utopia it cannot be that far away
From Tower Hill on this beautiful October day.

So Why Worry About

You are a good person who lives in the honest way
So why worry about what others of you do day
You do not owe them money and the law you obey
And any of your bills they do not help you to pay
Worrying of what others say of you seems a waste of time
You work hard for your livelihood and you are not one of crime
But your problem is you take criticism to heart
And of the negative side of humanity you do not wish to be part
On trading on insults some people believe
But on how we treat others in turn we receive
Eventually the bullies do receive their due
What goes around comes around remains ever true
Of the negative things of you others do say
Of worrying about it why even waste one second of your day.

Once Legends Of Rock And Roll

To fame and to fortune from life on the dole
Loved Worldwide by teenage fans of rock and roll
At their sell out live concerts a huge noisy crowd
Thousands of their young fans their names screaming loud

The legendary rockers where are they today
Some of them died young where silence is they do lay
And the others are showing the wear and tear of time
With only the memories of their glorious prime

On their bodies drugs and booze has taken toll
They used to be the legends of rock and roll
Three of their band from drug overdoses have died
Which in reality can be a form of suicide

They did have wild parties of drugs, sex and booze
But this is the life for themselves they did choose
And only the memories with them does remain
Of what used to be for them and will not be again

The money drugs, booze and the sex and the fame
But this has left them feeling weary and tame
And time that rusts iron on them taking toll
The surviving once legends of rock and roll.

So Many Must Die

So many must die for a war to be won
And everyday by people bad things to people are done
Moses fifth commandment many do ignore
Nowadays more people dying as victims of people than ever before
It is not good for the mind to be wishing on others ill
And if people wish to harm you then harm you they will
To make the World better to live in with yourself you begin
Some with their god out there do not have the god within
They believe that those who believe different to them deserve for to die
One can say of them that they believe their own lie
The seeds of hatred are sown in the mind
The Human World is in need of more of the compassionate and kind
Those who believe on a fair go for all their part in the betterment of humanity does play
In their practice of live and let live every day.

Rabbits

Their natural ways of survival seem obviously clear
One female rabbit can give birth to forty young a year
Though to make them extinct humans their best do try
The rabbits regroup and in numbers multiply
By human kind rabbits of persecution not spared
Myxomatosis, clavixal virus and being shot at and poisoned and snared
But the rabbits survive though their numbers fluctuate
And their survival as a species few do celebrate
They eat grass and destroy crops and dig holes in the ground
Much damage to land where rabbits in numbers abound
They are the great survivors of them one can say
Rabbits are creatures i see every day
Humans to make them extinct their very best does try
But that they are the great survivors of them one cannot deny.

How You Live Your Life

Live and let live and to your higher self remain true
And pay everyone the respect they are due
How you live your life it is all up to you
Your best is all that you can hope to do
For your future good Karma you can plant the seed
By helping the person of your help in need
Most of the kind and compassionate may be strangers to fame
But they do bring honor to their family name
For being kind to others they do not expect pay
And they help those in need of helping every day
That good is rewarded one can only believe
And those willing to give can expect to receive
Those who care about the welfare of others are good people indeed
And of more of their sort the human World is in need.

Money That Does Buy Most Things

Some people never seem to worry at all
A big problem to one to another seems small
You may be one of the materially wealthy of the town
But despite all of your money at times you feel mentally down

But money is quite important for to give it fair due
And that you are better off unhappy with it than without it happens to be true
With plenty money up the social ladder you will climb far
But it is only the poor who know who their friends are

Though money is quite important it does not guarantee
You of stress and worry that you will be free
Among wealthy people few happy of mind
Contentment more abundant among the middle class kind

Some of the town's wealthiest people do not sleep well at night
Though finnancially they are doing more than all right
Because of profits being slightly down from last year they worry and stress
Money that does buy most things cannot buy happiness.

I Have Travelled A Bit

I have travelled a bit been in many a town
And i have mixed with many races of black, white and brown
And i have come to the conclusion for racism in humanity there ought not be a place
As there are good and bad people in every race
Good people can be of any race or creed
And of their sort humanity of more is in need
You can help to make the World better to live in
By being kind to others this is never a sin
A racist person is one who is badly flawed
And racism in the Human World it ought to be outlawed
Some people in their thinking are very small
Their idea of a fair go it does not include all
Those who make a stand against racism one has to admire
And of singing their praises i for one cannot tire.

Happy And Sad

The unfriendly one who looks sad and feeling down
Is not one of the popular people of the town
Their sort not the people one wishes to meet
And they never does spread joy whilst walking the street
But the happy person blessed of the inner glow
Is the one that most people does wish for to know
A smile as is said does not cost one a thing
And a moment of joy to somebody may bring
Laugh and the World laughs with you as a truism remain
In the meaning of this does one need to explain
You cannot feel happy all though every day
And human moods are many seems true for to say
But the one who greets you with a smiling face
Is one who does bring joy to the gloomiest place.

The War Damaged Man

In the town he was born in and raised in he will live his last day
The ageing old fellow his hair silver gray
As a young man he fought in a war far away
Youth does have it's fling as the wise one does say
He is not a father or never has had a wife
Alcohol it has been the ruination of his life
An addiction that can have it's source in a war damaged mind
A false sense of happiness in alcohol he does find
Today he is haunted by bad things he did see
The deaths of some of his comrades live in his memory
His face in the local pub a familiar sight to see
Where he drinks until closing time almost every night
A likeable old fellow the war damaged man
His life's journey will end for him where it began.

Your Greatest Gift

The longest lived human life in time not a long span
So live for as long as you possibly can
Your greatest gift is your life as the wise one has said
Only earthworms live in the graves of the dead
Everyone does grow older but few does grow wise
That this can be so surely not a surprise
The wise person between people does not differentiate
And the millionaire and the pauper as equals does rate
So many people do crave some form of success
But life is the greatest gift we do possess
Of a life after bodily death is not for me to say
Only know for us all there is a last night and day
The deceased war hero is past being brave
Only earthworms live in the depths of the grave.

My Rallying Fan Neighbor

He lives in the house from me across the street
Though neighbors as such as strangers we do meet
To each other we do have little to say
Except for a nod of the head or a good day

A motor rallying and a car racing fan
In his interests to me quite a different man
We share nothing in common and would have nothing to talk about
And about me he feels the same way there can be little doubt

But he is more important a person to me why even pretend
Than one i never met a distant facebook friend
If i cried out for help my facebook friend would not reply
But my rallying fan neighbor might answer my cry

As neighbors but as strangers we do remain
And the reason for this to you i did explain
But he is more important than a distant facebook friend to me
Though everyone with this may not agree.

Success In Itself

Presidents, directors, managers and c e o's of every big bureaucracy
By their greed for material success help to give rise to inequality
It is a known fact for every new millionaire
That life becomes tougher on the working poor and those on welfare
Big company cost cutting for higher profits put more on the dole
And many poor people may never again be able to climb out of their financial hole
Many of the most materially successful of people are not good of mind
They are without compassion and would not know how to be kind
By many these people are greatly admired
And many to be wealthy as they are feel greatly inspired
And though the praises of the materially successful minority the impressionable masses may sing
Success in itself can be a relative thing
And the one who is successful to you may not be so to me
For to differ on this one we have to agree.

Annie

Without makeup she is ageing in the natural way
Her shoulder length straight hair it is silvery gray
She is what you see and appears for to be
The widowed great grandmother Annie she is eighty three
Her soulmate Tommy's remains in the nearby cemetery lay
Five years ago from cancer he passed away
In a one bedroom basement flat she lives on her own
Of far better and happier times she would have known
Annie is a woman who is ageing with grace
She greets everyone with a smile on her face
So down to earth and friendly a nice person of to know
She is one who does have the bright inner glow
A pretty looking woman of hair silver gray
She must have been quite a beauty on her day.

Far South Of Old Ireland

Young is a thing anyone cannot stay
Far south of old Ireland time has left me gray
Through coastal Illowa a freshening wind blowing from the bay
And so great to be living on such a nice day
October in the Moyne Shire a green time of year
The warbling songs of the magpies so pleasant to hear
The song of the blackbirds such a beautiful thing
Does bring back the memories of a far away Spring
When bluebells does bloom on the ditch of bohreen
And Nature at her very finest is seen
And the old fields lush and green after the recent showers
Are looking resplendent in their Nature's flowers
Far south of old Ireland i hear a pee wee
And Nature at her finest is all around me.

The Non Judgmental Kind

The non judgmental kind are not in the few
And this is not saying anything that is new
To their honor code they remain ever true
And credit to them for this is surely their due
To be judgmental of others is not their human flaw
They leave this to the judges of courthouse law
In their words they have no wish to drag others down
There ought to be more like them in every town
In me room for improvemenet in truth i can say
Since i too can be judgmental in my own sort of a way
Some people can be judgmental their sort one does meet every day
But live and let live as the wise one does say
I am only saying of what most are aware
When i say that judgmental people are not rare.

You And I

Suppose we must differ for to agree
In your expectations in life you are quite different to me
Your political views are quite different to mine
But this is your business and this suits me fine
That i lack in ambition only true to say
But you are quite different you are not this way
The only thing in common between you and i
Is that we were born to life to eventually die
But then how boring we would be for want for it of a better name
If in our ways we were similar and in our thinking the same
But credit to you since this is your due
And each to their own does happen to be true
We are very different in our ways you and i
For to say otherwise would be telling a lie.

Slaves Of Technology

She took a packet of cigarette roll paper and a pack of loose tobacco from her handbag
Saying to him this is cheaper than buying ready to smoke cigarettes as she rolled her fag
Whilst he sat there in pensive reflection on his cigarette puffing away
He replied in a slow drawl for the better smoke more money you must pay

They looked at their smart phones whilst blowing out some smoke
The pretty brown haired young woman and the blond haired young bloke
Both slaves to technology it would appear
That their phones held more interest for them than for each other seemed obviously clear

They did know each other obviously quite well
But whether as partners or friends it would be hard to tell
Perhaps both in their early twenties near their physical prime
And nothing strange in their behavior for their age and time

In the age of the smart phone and selfie over indulgence in self Worldwide
Smoking and looking at their smart phones on a street bench by the pub they sat side by side
And as i walked down the street in the bright sunlight
I reflected on what i had seen nowadays not a rare sight.

An October Day

My Worth as a writer i have reason to doubt
Though no shortage of subject material for to write rhymes about
On this beautiful and sunny day in October in Spring
The wild birds of Nature, chirp, whistle and sing
Earthly Utopia from here cannot be far away
In the mostly blue sky woolly looking clouds of gray
Of such natural beauty a poet would write
For lovers of poetry to enjoy and read and recite
A weather forecast high for the day of a pleasant twenty degrees
And the contented cattle lay chewing their cuds in the shade of the trees
In Nature so much beauty for to be seen
The sunlit coastal paddocks looking so lush and green
Utopia from here cannot be far away
So great to be living on such a nice day.

No Not A Town Hero

No not a town hero just an ordinary bloke
Who like to drink something stronger than lemonade or coke
Not a celebrity worshipper or a fan of sports and football
One who is content in his life overall
With a wife and two young children he works hard for his pay
He rises for work at dawn every working day
And on his way home from work he stops in at the pub for a beer or two
One who drinks in moderation as some cannot do
For the good deeds he performs he does not wish to be known
He helps his poor aged pensioner neighbor who lives on her own
Mow her grass and fix things in her home of repair in need
Of him she says he is a hero indeed
Without seeking reward or asking for pay
No not a town hero but good in every way.

Death Makes Everyone Equal

Death makes everyone equal though with this some may not agree
It does transcend the borders of inequality
James Shirley in his poem Death The Leveller said it all
The greatest to the scythe of Life's Reaper does fall
The remains of the one who knew of wealth and fame
In the cemetery as the deceased pauper the same
A mere fact of human life and fact never lie
We are born into life to eventually die
For the wealthiest like the poorest a last night and day
There are no lavish parties where dead people lay
In the darkness of the graves where silence is profound
Only earth worms live under cemetery ground
Though everyone with it may not agree
Death makes everyone equal is how it seems to be.

I Have Been Lucky

I feel i am one of the luckier of men
I have lived for many years six decades and ten
Some i went to school with not living today
Though the Reaper of lives too will come reaping my way
Yes the lady of luck she has been kind to me
I could have been born to be a refugee
Homeless and Stateless and doing it tough
And living the hard life, hungry and sleeping rough
Seventy years free of physical pain
I am one without any cause to complain
Far better people than i am at a young age have died
I feel lady luck she is on my side
Like everyone else my turn will come to die
But i have been lucky of this i won't lie.

The Cails River Otter Hunters

On going back long gone Seasons in years some six decades of time
To the mid nineteen fifties before the death of rhyme
Sunday hunting on foot was an in thing in rural Ireland then
The schoolboys of the fifties are now tired ageing men

In the waterways of Duhallow otters in numbers did abound
And where brown trout used to be abundant not many to be found
Which made the local fly fishermen rather angry for this the otters they did blame
And every otter for to hunt and kill was fair game

The anger of rod and line fishers against otters not hard to understand
And a thinning of their numbers by Duhallow anglers planned
In the Cails River west of Millstreet Town a rare thing a brown trout
And for the cause of their scarcity there was not any doubt

In the summer of nineteen fifty six on a Sunday in July
The sweet scent of hay was in the breeze and the sun shone in the sky
When to the Cails west of Millstreet the otter hunters came
To kill a couple of otters would give them local fame

When the hunting of otters was a favorite past time
Fair haired Michael Murphy of Millstreet town back then was in his prime
Quite a likeable fellow who enjoyed his pint of stout
Of their dislike of otters then fishers did leave none in doubt

Jim Lucey of the Station Road was then an ageing man
Of memories of hunting the decades he did span
His noble kerry blue dogs were canines without fear
Only stories of the bravery of their sort one does hear

Jerry O Ford of the Station Road his hair silver gray
For years hunting otters he spend many a Sunday
With a fox terrier and a wheaten terrier in his dogs he took pride
Their worth as earth dogs and hunting dogs of them could not be denied

Jer Long of Annagloor who lived by the river was there and he said otters every day he did see
One who knew in the Cails where otters used to be
Otters were the main reason brown trout were so rare
In the Duhallow rivers of fish they had eaten more than their share

Andy Duggan the barber one known for miles around
Had his fox terriers with him dogs unafraid to go to ground
A middle aged man then of greying hair of brown
With him he had a big two pronged stick for penning otters down

Hunting in those days a topic in every Duhallow pub
Paddy Joe Lehane, Tim Riordan and Mick the Jeweller of the Millstreet Foxhound club
Were at the otter hunt though fox and otter hunting not quite the same
What is hunting in Nature is hunting by name

Jimmy Cotter and his cross bred greyhound he was then in his life's prime
Hunting and rod and line fishing his favorite pastime
Why he did not like otters the reason not hard to understand
The number one predator of brown trout in the waterways of Ireland

They dug a few otter burrows and send the terriers to ground
But the otters for the dogs far too deep to be found
Otters are quite tough creatures for animals of their size
As every otter hunter does come to realize

But in Shannaknock their luck changed for the hunters this coud be a win
Quite a shallow burrows they send the terriers in
The dogs dragged the otter out but of their grip it broke free
And swam to a deeper burrow under the bank by a tree

For their otter hunt along the Cails nothing of which to crow
Of any proof of a kill they did not have to show
The Cails River otter hunters now in eternal peace lay
It can be said of them that they did have their day.

Beryl

She has died her gray hair a light chestnut brown
Beryl in her mind believes she is still the rose of the town
Though a divorced grandmother and the years on her physically show
How she appears to others she is not to know
Despite hair dyes and anti aging creams time has become her foe
Her body does not have the curves of decades ago
When she was the pretty young rose of the town
Despite her best efforts she cannot keep the kilos down
She still feels rather angry with her ex husband Fred
With a pretty young blond he shares a home and bed
Beryl has vowed to never again become any man's wife
She says she is happy in her single life
Proud and self conceited she has dyed her hair brown
She still believes she is the rose of the town.

Money Gives People Power

It does not matter much your skin color if you are born black, white or brown
If you are one who has little money you are not one of the influential of the town
Since money gives people power and influence this is how it is and will always be
With the saying money does speak every language you will not find many to disagree
A poor person will never win a seat in parliament unless she or he is sponsored by a very wealthy friend
People look up to people with money to say otherwise would be to pretend
That money is not that important since the opposite is the case
If you are one who has plenty money your's does become a well known face
You cannot buy food for your family if for it you do not have the money to pay
Yes money does speak every language despite what some of this does say
For to meet some very poor people you do not have to tavel far
But these true to say are the people who do know who their true friends are
It does not matter your skin color or of your nationality or race
If you are one with heaps of money your's to many becomes a well known face.

The Las Vegas Mass Murderer

The Las Vegas mass murderer why mention him by name
He does not deserve such recognition for his acts of shame
He murdered fifty eight people and hundreds did injure and terrorize
That this should happen in a Country without gun laws should not be a surprise
It has been said of him he was not mentally well in his mind
Though excuses for his sort does seem so hard to find
His mum and dad in him did not raise a good son
Plenty of people with mental illnessess never harm anyone
The reason for his murders of the law he denied
When he took his own life in the act of suicide
It is said he was not a terrorist though terror he did create
In his last living hour of anger and hate
For his heinous crimes why afford him the fame
Of giving him the recognition of publishing his name.

In A Tribal World

He was not there to support the local footballers in their big win
Not tribal in his ways the one who does not fit in
Not involved in sports this does not interest him at all
And this does include any code of football
An emerging young artist becoming quite well known
It is said by many into art his art is in a class of it's own
He is never there to join in the noisy hooray
When the local footballers for glory does play
In a town where the praises of sportspeople many does sing
He is one of the few who does his own thing
Not into sports or musical entertainment on any sort of a way
He is a fringe dweller of sorts of him one can say
Those not part of the tribe as outsiders do stay
In a tribal World it is always this way.

I Cannot Say

I cannot say i have been there and done that
Though i have logged trees in Duhallow and Muskerry and worked in pipelines in Ballarat
And worked as a young man in apartment buildings in the City of New York
Far south of my first homeplace in Millstreet County Cork
Worked on buildings sites in Melbourne and in the Yarra Ranges on high towers trimmed trees
Above electricity powerlines in weather temperatures of varying degrees
But many have seen more of the World than me
And been in more Countries and greater sights see
We learn as we live the wise one does say
And we never stop learning until our life's final day
Yet the one who has travelled is not in any way more wise
Than the one who has never seen a foreign sunrise
That many people have worked harder and done more things than i have i have come to realize
Yet we learn as we live though age does not make you wise.

One Would Think

One would think that god some pity would find
For the poor and downtrod and disadvantaged kind
The hungry, homeless and stateless in life doing it tough
Who are without hope living and sleeping rough
Cruelty in life is of varying degrees
For the majority of voter approval most politicians are cruel to refugees
Many in positions of power in their ways are quite small
Their idea of a fair go does not include all
People who believe the god they believe in the one true god
Only make life harder for the poor and downtrod
The only god i believe in is the god of the mind
The god of compassion who is loving and kind
Why so many with power who believe in a god in the sky
Can se so cruel to poor people one does wonder why?

Far South Of Claraghatlea

Where i grew to love Nature as a young boy
And learning of her way today i enjoy
Claraghatlea just west of the Town of Millstreet
In the green countryside where the waterways meet

I have not seen the gray fog quietly steal it's way
Across Clara Mountain for many a day
But the memories remain of the what used to be
And in visualizations the old fields i do see

Here in the Moyne Shire in distance far south
Of the fields of the badger and the waterways of the brown trout
I am learning about Nature every day
We do learn as we live it is always this way

In the home of koala, echidna, emu, wallaby and roo
And long billed corella and yellow tailed black cockatoo
Of the birds who do sing in all Seasons of the year
The warbling songs of the magpies every day i do hear

And the magpie larks known by their song of peewee
Are birds i hear often and often do see
Far south of Claraghatlea near the Town of Millstreet
In the green countryside where the waterways meet.

I Do Know So Little

The more i do learn the more i realize
That i do know so little this not a surprise
From the book of life we do learn every day
One does never stop learning it does seem this way
For our every mistake in life always some price to pay
That we never stop learning is only true to say
We have been learning from life before we learned how to crawl
This is one thing that surely does apply to all
Life for us has lessons until the day we do die
Yet we realize that we do know so little is not a lie
Those who believe they know it all are quite lucky indeed
Since of any more lessons in life they are not in need
Yet the more i do learn the more i realize
That i do know so little this is not a surprise.

The Unhappy Billionaire

There is none quite so sad as the sad billionaire
Far sadder of mind than the one on welfare
The praises of the wealthy and famous the masses may sing
But to feel unhappy though wealthy must be such a sad thing
For the materially wealthy one of the leafy side of the town
Who despite money and fame does feel mentally down
How sad very sad indeed life has to be
One poorer in some ways than many in dire poverty
Unhappy though of any of life's comforts not in need
The unhappy billionaire is a sad one indeed
Having lots of money can be a huge advantage only true to say
But all of the money in the World from one cannot keep the black moods away
And it is only too true that the unhappy billionaire
Is far more poorer of mind than the one on welfare.

Margaret MacCarron

For our early memories in time one must go back
Years ago the O' Donoghue family of Cullen lived near the old Millstreet Greyhound Track
Along with their mother Margaret, Bernard and Eileen
In the decades of time changes are to be seen

A kind and a beautiful person as all who knew her would agree
Margaret and her husband Patrick MacCarron in Bandon raised their family
From life sad to learn of her she has passed away
For all who did know her their saddest news of the day

One so humble in her ways and free of conceit
With a beautiful smile always a joy to meet
To her husband, children and grandchildren, siblings, relations and friends such a very sad loss
But in life as is said to bear there is many a cross

Though the life's breath from her it well may be gone
In memory she is one who deserves to live on
She left Inchaleigh near Millstreet Town in her physical prime
But eventually we all become victims of time

Deceased in her seventies she was not very old
One whose life story surely deserves to be told
Can only hope her passing from life for her was a painless release
In Bandon forever she now is at peace.

No Business Of Mine

He said to me why do you persist on rhyme
And on penning of doggerel keep on wasting your time
But this is his opinion and this suits me fine
For what he thinks of me is no business of mine
Though perhaps he may be right on what he does say
And i ought to give some thought on giving rhyming away
But rhyming is my addiction and addictions are hard to forsake
And even among the most determined of people habits are hard to break
Since i am one of those lacking in mental grit
What happens to be my greatest passion i feel no desire to quit
Though he advised me to have a try at writing modern verse as it may be worth my while
A bit late for me to change my writing style
He too has his opinions and this suits me fine
But what is his business is no business of mine.

Migrant Jenny

Migrant Jenny says she would be telling a lie
If she said she does not wish to go home to die
But her health is so poor the only reason why
Her doctor will not grant her written permission to fly
More than three decades past her physical prime
In Deteriorating health and running out of time
Since with the reaper of lives she soon does have a date
Nostalgia has returned to haunt her of late
She has never been to any man a wife
And she never has had children to carry on her seed in life
And though she has not felt any nostalgia for years
And for her past she thought she had shed all of her tears
She now yearns to return to that place far away
For to die where she first looked on the lamp of day.

Need One Say Anymore

Are you one of those quite unwilling to give
Remember it is not how wealthy you are but how well you do live
They are poor of mind those who live to receive
On reaching for the higher self they do not believe
That for them to grow richer others may have grown poorer they seem to fail to realize
But with their sort this never is any surprise
In their way of thinking compassion and kindness are totally wrong
In humanity such things ought not to belong
On saying the unwritten commandment is observed by more than a few
In truth is not saying any thing that is new
The kind and compassionate are great people indeed
They never ignore those of helping in need
Those less fortunate than us we ought not to ignore
Is a fact of life of this need one say anymore.

Annie

Though Annie was born in a Land far away
Home is where i live she is known for to say
A single grandmother in her early fifties of one offspring Bill
She was born and raised in a town by a far away hill
One aging with grace her shoulder length wavy hair silver gray
She was quite a beauty in her prime day
Back in the years when her hair was dark brown
And she was the young rose of her first hometown
Annie she never was any man's wife
And nowadays she does not have a man in her life
Though the Seasons on her are beginning to tell
For her years she is one who looks rather well
Home is where i now live Annie does say
Though far north she first looked on the lamp of day.

Jimbo

Jimbo who has just turned eighty is as strong as an ox
One who is not in a hurry for the forever box
Bald on the top with gray hairs on his broad chest
On the coldest of weather all he wears is a pants, boots and a sleeveless vest
Divorced from Linda his ex wife for many years
Their marriage for her it ended in tears
When she discovered he was having an extra marital affair
Back when he had a head of light brown hair
The octogenarian great grandfather who barracks for the local football club
Drinks beer with his years younger mates at the local pub
For to refuse a drinking challenge he has never been known
At drinking with men half of his age he can hold his own
A bald headed octogenarian as strong as a bull
He walks home from the pub sober though of beer quite full.

A Sunday Hunt

From the overnight rain the by road was wet
As by the cottage of Con C the hunting party met
All of them locals for a Sunday of fun
In rain coats and second hand clothes not expecting any sun

On a Sunday morning in September in the Fall of the year
The sound of the wind in the trees rather pleasant to hear
Across the face of Clara low fogs of rain did crawl
On a typical enough morning for the early Fall

The brothers Con, Jerry and Michael O' Connor were there
In anticipation a chase of a fox or a course of a hare
Young tall and sturdily built Michael Murphy of Shannaknock with browny his cattle dog
Arrived for the hunt via a shortcut through the bog

The sons of Con D and Kitty O' Connor Denis, Maurice and Con
And lively young Patie and foxy haired John
And Maurice O' Connor of Shannaknock with a female black greyhound
One who knew the countryside for miles around.

Connie Tarrant of Liscreagh he was nine or ten
More than a dozen years from his prime days back then
One who had been looking forward to this Sunday hunt for awhile
On his carefree young face he had a big smile

Shannaknock's young Robby Murphy from the house near the bog
Brought with him for the hunt his hunting and fighting dog
A star underage forward with Millstreet Gaelic Football he did play
Until his life's destiny did take him to the U S of A

Donal Hickey of Inchaleigh as a hunter well known
With three of his fox terriers as earth dogs in a class of their own
To go to ground for fox or badger courage they did show
And good at flushing rabbits from thorny brakes and briery hedgerow

Jimmy Cotter of Murphy's Terrace in Millstreet a hunter of Duhallow fame
Most of the fields for miles around he did know by name
He had with him for the hunt two three quarter bred greyhound
Dogs that could run all day without tiring over the roughest of ground

The sun it was hidden behind clouds of gray
As through Den Corkery's fields the hunting party walked their way
The darkening rain clouds told of rain ever near
That it would not be a day for hunting to all it was quite clear

The gray clouds began to weep and the rain bucketed down
On the green countryside west of old Millstreet Town
To a shed in Pat Joe Hickey's farmyard that to them was nearby
The hunters scurried to with their dogs they would not reach home dry

Their hunt ended for them almost as fast as it began
Less than an hour of walking in the fields in time just a short span
Of one course or chase they did not have to tell
But blame this on the weather it did not serve them well

A tale from the west of Millstreet Town many decades ago
And to the teenagers back then time has become the foe
A few who took part in the hunt are not living today
And time that rusts iron keeps ticking away.

The Power It Is In You

The power it is in you it is within
You can help to make the World better to live in
By being kinder to others no act of kindness too small
And carry the flag of a fair go for all
What goes around comes around seems true to say
For your kindness and compassion you will be rewarded in a positive way
Some of their own needs only feel aware
They are not of much use to humanity those who do not share
There is more to living of life than thinking of your own need
One of the main reasons of inequality is human greed
Millions of poor people doing it tough Worldwide
The gap keeps on widening in the social divide
You do have the power in you it is within
For to make the World better to live in.

Death Of A Refugee

At least of his cares he is finally free
He died on Manus Island the poor refugee
A Tamil from Sri Lanka in detention for years
The poor bloke his passing has gone with few tears
Without hope of freedom and mentally unwell
The poor man had lived in his own Earthly Hell
A political football of him one can say
How wrong people should be treated on such a way
For years without hope his mind in mental strife
He believed his way out of his troubles was to taKe his own life
For his death the Papuan and Australian Governments each other does blame
Just political point scoring without any shame
All he wished was for a life free of harassment in him nothing bad
The way he lived and died was so tragic and sad.

War And Terrorism

Of war and terrorism we may never be free
They are closely related is how it seems to be
The difference between them seems hard to explain
As they both give rise to death, grief and physical and mental pain
Many glorify war but in truth one can say
That war leads to terrorism it is often this way
Terrorists kill people and soldiers do too
But what is murder to me may not be so to you
Territorial and cultural and religious wars have been going on for years
Extreme violence only gives rise to death, suffering and tears
Humans are deliberately killing humans in the World every day
This is the price for major conflicts we do pay
War and terrorism are related is how it seems to be
Though many with this may well disagree.

One Big Competition

The Human World one big competition every day people with each other compete
For success and all that goes with it and always some challenge to meet
Most wish to be wealthy and famous but winners as such in the few
For winners there has to be losers this is not saying anything that is new
And most things revolve around money and money has it's source in greed
The reason the poor are never looked on as winners is materially they failed to succeed
Many heroes and heroines are flawed people though they are not looked upon on this way
Few of the honorable and compassionate ever looked up to and of the majority what does this say
By those who are wealthy and famous so much of Nature's beauty destroyed
That our Earth Mother due to human greed for success suffer should never be a source for pride
Compared to the one who supports us and feeds us our greatest achievements seem small
Most human achievements when put in perspective are not that important at all
The Human World one big competition is how it seems to me
Though this is just my personal opinion with which many would disagree.

Self Conceited Joe

He feels that he is a gift to woman kind
But with self conceited Joe it is all in his mind
He says of the town's best he can have his pick
But his only lover Sally last year decided to give him the flick
She told her friends he was not the sort for her
That a far humbler man than him she would prefer
He says he has been taking a rest from women of late
And it has been awhile since he has been on a date
Not handsome he is powerfully built broad shouldered and tall
Though to most women his sort would not appeal at all
For self confidence one who does carry the flag
Of his pretend achievements he likes to brag
His girl friend Sally left him a year ago
She fel out of love with self conceited Joe.

Jim And Kate

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder may happen to be true
And arguably the finest in the town is young golden haired Sue
But middle aged Jim with this does not agree
He says my wife Kate is the fairest to me
With primary school going children Joe and Ann
Jim of his wife and children is a very proud man
Suppose it is good to see a man feeling so proud of his children and wife
And so very content in his lot in life
The seeds of good friendships by him and Kate are sown
In their community they are well liked and well known
In their teen years lovers they have been married for twelve years
In their love union no regrets or tears
Sue is the town's fairest many would agree
But Jim he will tell you that Kate will do me.

Grand Final Day 2017

For the winners there is many a rapturous hooray
Life is mostly about winning it does seem this way
For the losers as is said the band seldom play
And it is all about winning on Grand Final Day
At the M C G in Melbourne a huge noisy crowd
The fans of Adelaide and Richmond waving their flags and buntings and the cheering is loud
For the winners the bragging rights the glory and the fame
And only one group of fans will be celebrating at the end of the big game
A weather tempertaure high for Melbourne for the day of eighteen degrees
Of spasmodic showers and a freshening breeze
Blowing across the M C G from Port Phillip Bay
With the sun at times peeping from behind clouds of gray
As Adelaide and Richmond compete for the 2017 A F L Premiership Flag
For the winners the glory and the right to brag.

Gay Bashers

It is said that in what seems an absurd opinion some truth you will find
Such as gay bashers themselves are homosexually inclined
That by physically assaulting a homosexual person their own sexual desires they suppress
And self loathing in their violent and criminal behavior they do express
What stories you choose to believe is up to you anyway
That gay bashers are latewnt homosexuals is not for me to say
But what we dislike in others in our own selves we do see
May well be a truism would you not agree
That for their sexual preferences people are assaulted in a violent way
In this the twenty first century seems a sad thing to say
It can be a sense of guilt and self loathing that lead some to violent crime
And many found guilty of gay bashing in prison have served time
It is said that gay bashers are latent homosexuals make of this what you may
And if this is true or not is not for me to say.

Your Dogs

For their unconditional love all from you they do need
Is a walk every day a few pats and a feed
Than your dogs you do not have a truer friend
Dogs love you for who you are they could never pretend
In the eyes of your dogs you are a true great
When you come home from work they greet you at the gate
With welcoming barks and wagging of tails you they are happy to see
To them you are not one of mortality
For their loyalty and devotion dogs are loved Worldwide
For to save the lives of their masters they are known to have died
For as long as they live loyal to you they do stay
Your dogs will love you until their last night and day
For their unconditional love from you they only need
A walk every day a few pats and a feed.

Is How They Are

To help others you often go out of your way
And you perform at least one good deed every day
But there are those of you who even does say
That you must be a fool to help others without asking for pay
The words of a wise one worthy of recall
In life you win some but you don't win them all
Kind people the greedy could never understand
When they do help others they expect cash in hand
They never help those who of help are in need
And sad to say their sort are not a rare breed
To be wealthy and famous in life they desire
And those who help the poor and the homeless they could never admire
Sadly to meet their sort one does not travel far
But then as is said of people how they think is how they are.

Timothy Leary

Timothy Leary spent years in prison to experiment in drugs was his only crime
Born in Springfield Massachusetts in nineteen twenty he was a man way ahead of his time
President Nixon described him as America's number one public enemy which was a deliberate lie
His promotion of L S D was to help people something he maintained until the day he did die

In a conservative age of political correctness Timothy Leary became a wromged man
Controversy it did remain with him until the last day of his life span
Married five times he did love many women to his life beautiful women did come and did go
He was one who believed in polygamy which helped to make for him many a powerful foe

One can understand why women loved Leary he was quite different to most men of him one can say
He was a genius as well as witty and charming some women did fall for him in a big way
Yet all of his love affairs ended in heartache he was one who in love just could not stay
Just like a flower love that blooms quickly often as quickly can fade to decay

Timothy Leary a non conforming genius he was a character of a great mind
Those who knew him well say of him a great fellow and in his ways he was generous and kind
On his seventy fifth year in nineteen ninety six he died of cancer from life his was a quite painful release
Though long dead he remains a legend to many Timothy Leary may he rest in peace.

It Is Always The Poor

That human life is taken so cheaply the thought rather chilling
Trillions in money spend on weapons for killing
That money and power does corrupt there can be no denying
In a World where millions of people of Malnutrition are dying
Weapons of mass destruction are being used every day
Where murder in war zones is seen as okay
Revenge killing in terrorism by those who believe they have god on their side
Violence is on the increase Worldwide
Pity the stateless, the homeless, the poor and downtrod
And those who do suffer because of war over god
Many looked on as heroes that the masses do laud
Are narcissistic people who are badly flawed
Life on the poor of the World getting tougher
And it is always the poor in war who do suffer.

The Great Usain Bolt

The many times Olympic and World Champion the great Usain Bolt
He raced to the line like a champion thoroughbred colt
Recently retired his best days are gone
But the legend he created in athletics live on
Surely the greatest Olympian of his time
He raced like a hunted gazelle when in his life's prime
A marvellous personality and so quick on his feet
His fame will surely outlive the legendary athlete
One who was never found to be wanting when put to the real test
In Jamaica a Country of many champion sprinters Usain was the best
Never more to compete at the Olympics and the World Championships again
Since youth is a thing one can never regain
He raced to the line like a champion thoroughbred colt
The Pride of Jamaica the great Usain Bolt.

Far South Of Duhallow

Far south of Duhallow for me no wealth and renown
And today i would be a stranger to many north in Millstreet Town
From there i have been many Seasons away
Time with it bring changes only true to say
But as most people nowadays have come to realize
That it is rather easy for to visualize
In fancy i can hear at the dawn of a Spring day
The nesting birds singing in groves far away
Far south of Duhallow in the southern Spring
The golden billed blackbird does whistle and sing
The magpie larks in the paddocks are singing pee wee
And a magpie is warbling on a tall gray gum tree
And blowing from the nearby Pacific a freshening breeze
Is gently soughing in the bushes and trees.