On How We Treat Others

On how we treat others we do have a choice
It does not cost anyone anything for to be nice
The one who is warm and friendly has the inner glow
And is the person that others do wish to know
What has often been said i do say here again
Laugh and the World laughs with you as a truism remain
There is not any need for to explain
Why few do wish to know of those who like to complain
Where happy people are joy does abound
They bring it with them and share it around
The happy person brings joy to your day
Some thing beautiful for that you do not have to pay
On how we treat others we do have a choice
It does not cost you a thing to be nice.

We Learn From Nature

We learn from Nature something new every day
That we never stop learning only true to say
And the more we learn of Nature the more we realize
That we know little of her this not a surprise
Of her every day we do learn something new
Her wonders are many and her secrets not few
Her Mother Earth is the one who supports and feeds all
Living life forms from the great to the small
And this includes us humans to her we too belong
Those who take Nature for granted have got it all wrong
The one who does have the amazing power
Of growing a tiny dark seed into a beautiful flower
We learn of Nature yet of her little we know
Yet my wonder of her only does seem to grow.

Old James

Life can be quite tough as old James knows all too well
His addictions for years had him in earthly hell
He admits that to his nearest and dearest he has been unfair
But he has finally won his battles with his ghosts of despair

His addiction to alcohol and gambling for years were the bane of his life
And cost him the love of his children and wife
Many years of self induced poverty he has known
And now in his mid seventies he lives on his own

The cravings of his addictive mind he does deny
Ten years without gambling and his body of alcohol dry
So much to his demons in life he has lost
Addictions of any sort to the addicted one comes at some cost

In his mid seventies a likeable bloke
He enjoys a good laugh and can tell a good joke
With the help of alcohol and gambling anonymous he has returned from the brink of suicide
That he is a man of courage of him cannot be denied

For his alcohol and gambling addiction a huge price he has had to pay
As his ex wife and family does not wish to know of him today
But nowadays he lives with a smile on his face
And he is one who has been ageing with grace.

Yangery On A February Day

The paddocks are looking so brown, bare and dry
And no sign of rain in the sunny blue and gray sky
Black cattle from the sun sheltering in the shade of the trees
And warmth in the sunshine and warmth in the breeze
The farm dams of water near empty and bone dry every drain
Old Yangery is surely in need of some rain
Yesterday cool and windy today warm and sunny the weather acting strange
This well may be the symptons of climate change
A weather forecast high for the day of thirty degrees
And white butterflies seemingly playing in the warm afternoon breeze
With the sun on their dark wings chirping as they fly
Welcome swallows chase flying insects in the sunny sky
The sun shining bright in the sky blue and gray
It is warm and windy in Yangery on this February day.

You Find Life A Battle

You find life a battle and you have done it tough
You have been hungry and homeless and lived and slept rough
One who has often been down and refused to be counted out
That you are a survivor you leave none in doubt
The challenge of life you are one who does meet
But you have come a long way from poverty street
With a nice home and a job and a beautiful wife and young son and daughter today
You are one in life who has come a long way
The tougher side of life you surely have seen
Your parents in jail and homeless at fourteen
But you are one who with hope does keep the faith
And everything does come to those who do wait
People like you i can only admire
And of singing your praises i never could tire.

The Great Mother Earth

The great Mother Earth who does feed us humans all
And every life form from the great to the small
Us humans take from her and in return to her little give
Yet we are dependant on her for to live
Us humans in chemistry, science, medicine and technology have come far
And we like to brag of how marvellous we are
But for our material gain we abuse our greatest friend
The one for to survive on whom we depend
That the great Mother Earth is our truest friend happens to be so
But sad to say we have become her greatest foe
For our very survival on her we do depend
But we do not treat her as our greatest friend.

The Town's Quiet Achiever

He is not one of the self centered and proud
In public of his achievements talking loud
Yet there is no kinder than him in the town
He never turns his back on the one who is down

Every day of his life he plants karma's good seed
By helping anyone of helping in need
And for his kindness karma him will repay
What goes around comes around only true to say

Though not one of the admired of his side of the town
In his words he does never put anyone down
Not a community leader in any sort of a way
As the town's quiet achiever he is happy to stay

One who performs a good deed or two every day
Actions speaks louder than words as they say
Free of the shackles of pride and self conceit
A more humble person one could not wish to meet

For him there never is a loud hooray
The one who performs good deeds eevry day
Yet he is one i cannot help but admire
And of singing his praises i never will tire.

Black Shouldered Kite

She has her young to feed in stick nest on tall tree nearby
With flapping wings she hunts from the sunlit sky
On the one spot whilst looking towards the ground
To stalk small bird or small animal prey in the grass moving around
With dark patch on bluish wings and unders grayish white
The bird of prey known as the black shouldered kite
In Australia her sort are a common sight
They surprise their prey by dropping on it from a great height
Three to four white eggs blotched brown in Spring the female lay
To feed their young the parent birds take turns to feed their young by day
Like a kite hanging in the sky an amazing sight to see
Quite familiar birds to many and to me
One can say of them courage they does not lack
Humans walking near their nesting tree they even will attack.

White Fronted Chats

Of dark band around breast and neck and face and unders white to gray
And brown wings and bluish backs birds i do not see every day
They mostly live in flat shrublands close to the ocean shore
Among the birds of Australia as well known they are not to the fore
The female birds in looks plainer than the males white undersand head and wings backs and tails of brown
White fronted chats are never seen in the park of a town
Though i have seen them on the kelp eating sea lice on beaches by the sea
These quiet litle birds seem almost strangers to me
In neat cup of grass in low bush or grass tussock the female chat does lay
Three or four dotted brown eggs of a light pale to gray
Their breeding Season through Summer from mid Spring
And their song to it has a low metallic ring
White fronted chats are birds i do not see every day
But they are quite interesting in their own quiet way.

Lucy Said To Me

Lucy said to me do you miss Ireland far away
Since out of Australia she added  for a long period of time i could not stay
She did have me thinking for an answer to her question i felt lost
Migration to the migrant always comes at a cost
Such a question as this i have seldom been asked before
And though for thirty one years i have not seen Hibernia's shore
I do miss Ireland and in truth i can say
I do think about it more than once every day
As the migrant of Paris thinks of Paris and the migrant of Rome thinks of Rome
I too think of Claraghatles near Millstreet Town my first home
You surely miss Ireland Lucy said to me
And with her question i could not disagree
For i think of my first home more than oince a day
Though from there i have been many Seasons away.

Not Anything New

That the majority of the wealth of the World is owned by the few
Is merely stating a fact and not anything new
Even in so called prosperous Nations the poor growing poorer by the day Worldwide
And the gap ever increasing in the social divide
Though we all do have choices some are known to say
With millions of people it is not this way
Born to parents who live in extreme poverty
Of a poor and hungry existence is almost a guarantee
The people against the odds born to strive
Few of them to their fifties can hope to survive
It is true that we all do breathe in the same air
For millions of poor people life is so unfair
And that the most of the material wealth of the World is owned by the few
Is merely stating a fact and not anything new.

Where Finnow The White River

In the flat fields the rushes in clusters does grow
Where Finnow the white river to the Blackwater flow
Behind the gray clouds the sun hidden away
It is wet, windy and cold in Duhallow and Sliabh Luachra today

February in Ireland a cold and wet time of the year
Where birdsong is something that one does not hear
The soughing of the wind in bare deciduous trees
And the weather temperatures just above zero degrees

Cattle in farmyard sheds bellowing for silage or hay
They have been in sheds since November and in sheds have to stay
Until the milder winds of  April grass growth to the fields will bring
And deciduous trees will sprout their new leaves of the Spring

In February in Ireland near the calendar Spring
In the bare windswept groves one does not hear the birds sing
But Spring is approaching with the dawning of each day
To bring flowers to the old fields by the birth of May

From the Boggeraghs Mountains in their hats of snow
There is cold in the rain when the howling winds blow
Above the old fields where the rushes in clusters does grow
Where Finnow the white river to the Blackwater flow.

Still Living On

Rhyme is no longer literary fashionable and without having to suppose
Nowadays as a literary form it is seen as inferior to modern poetry and prose
But it may well make a comeback in the years ahead
Though rhyme is out of favour it is not officially dead
And though many dismiss it as of another time
It may come back in favour the literary form known as rhyme
For where there is life there is hope as the wise one does say
Though at peace in Mother Earth's bosom i know i will lay
The hope of the return to favour of rhyme to me a source of joy
As i loved reading rhyme poetry when i was a boy
And rhyme i recall was quite popular back then
But the boys of the nineteen fifties are now ageing men
And due to the literary critics and university dons
Rhyme is out of favour though still living on.

His Own Thing

He is not a member of any social or Sporting club
And he is never seen at the local pub
Waffling and drinking in a group of friends a few hours of time away
He does like his own company of him one might say
Of his praises you never hear anyone sing
The fellow who does like to do his own thing
One who seems happy to live outside the tribe
His type are rare and seem hard to describe
He is not a father or he has never been wed
Or he never talks of the women he has been with in bed
Or of his successes and his brand new car
Like many young males do in the local public bar
But he is unusual would you not agree
In this age of the selfie and the look at me.

Despite Our Advancement

Despite our advancement in science and technology in wisdom most of us humans seem lacking indeed
Since we abuse the one who supplies us with our every need
Our amazing Earth Mother the one who feeds all
Living life forms including us humans from the great to the small
For the damage we are doing to our Earth Mother today
Future generations of people the huge price will have to pay
So much natural beauty being destroyed every day due to human greed
For the extinction of humanity are we planting the seed?
Every day for industrial development more trees are being cut down
And birds and animals losing out due to human industry in every city and town
This World is for us to live in and with other life forms for to share
So much damage being done to our Earth Mother to create every new billionaire
Due to our greed for materialism it does seem to me
That we are abusing our Earth Mother would you not agree?

Rats And Mice

The means humans use to kill them may not be painless and nice
But despite trapping and poisoning they will never bring about the extinction of rats and mice
One female rodent can give birth to five hundred young a year
That this is their means of survival does seem obviously clear

For centuries humans have used cats and dogs for rodent control
This than rats more so than mice did take a greater toll
But baiting and trapping as a means of pest control has met with greater success
Still no shortage of rats and mice in the World nonetheless

As carriers of disease fatal to humans rats and mice are known
Over the centuries the number of human fatalities due to rodent spread disease into millions has grown
In dark holes and crevices in human homes they hide by day
From where you sleep the nearest rat or mouse may not be far away

Their secrets of survival their breeding capabilities and their sexual drive
And despite cats and dogs and baiting and trapping as a species they survive
Though to rid the World of them humans their best does try
Like rabbits they breed again and multiply.

Old Bill

From where he was born and went to school
Today old Bill is ageing far from Warrnambool
In Cairns in far north Queensland where it is warm all year
The flute like song of the pied butcherbird every day he does hear
Two years ago to cancer he lost Kate his wife
The mother of his children and his partner for life
In her prime years a dark haired beauty to behold
But sad for him without her he is growing old
Although with fondness he recalls Warrnambool
For him it is too far south and too windy and cool
So in warm and sunny Cairns he is happy to stay
Until the reaper of lives does come reaping his way
And far north of where he first saw the light of day
Where his wife's remains are his will also lay.

Your Past Goes With You

You cannot escape it no matter what you do
Wherever you go to your past goes with you
For as long as your gift of memory you retain
Your memories of what was in you does remain
Even the memories you would rather forget
You still do remember much to your regret
The memories are with you of Seasons long gone
And the clock on your life ever keeps ticking on
Though in memory you walk on a far away street
With friends of the past you will never more meet
Life is a journey as some like to say
That does end for everyone on some night or day
But for as long as the gift of memory you retain
Memories of the past until death with you bound to remain..

A February Day

In the sunny mostly blue sky just a few clouds of gray
The beauty of Nature is with us today
The warm air full of the buzzing of flies and nectar gathering bees
On a pleasant weather temperature high of twenty one degrees

Though the brown countryside is in need of some rain
With such pleasant weather it seems hard to complain
In the dry paddocks the cattle chewing their cuds do lay
Enjoying the warmth of a nice February day

With only the slightest of a coastal breeze
White butterflies flit around bushes and trees
Their lives as butterflies a few days maybe
From late Fall to mid Spring them you never see

With the sun on their wings in the summery sky
In pursuit of flying insects the dark swallows fly
One can only admire them these marvels of flight
Their aerial speed and dexterity makes for an amazing sight

The beauty of Nature is all around me
On this pleasant Summer's day in February
And the warbling songs are so pleasant to hear
Of the magpies who sing every day of the year.

Why Do We Elect Them

Why do we elect as our political representatives people who to each other are rude
Who every parliamentary sitting day carry on a verbal political feud
Who not unlike unruly children behave in an obnoxious way
Of us who elect them to legislate for us what does their behaviour say
Since those elected to parliament are representative of the voter majority
And we vote for those who think like us is how it seems to be
They become our reflective mirrors though most with this may not agree
Anyway this is how that it does seem to me
Though among every box of rotten apples there are always the good few
On saying that most politicians are far from good people is not saying anything new
Most politicians do not lead by good example and are far from good in any way
And most of the members of parliament are people in moral decay
Referred to as the honorable members though they do very little for their public esteem
By their behavious they are not honorable in most ways it does seem.

On Barnaby Joyce's Resignation

He has resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the National Party Barnaby Joyce
In the end it does seem he was left with little choice
Due to his infidelities and alleged sexual harassment against him he swallowed his pride
And to go to the back benches and take a huge cut in salary he did decide
But those politicians who at Barnaby's fall from grace snigger and guffaw
May do well to reflect since they are not without flaw
Since most politicians their craving for greater power do pursue
And to their higher selves they become untrue
Barnaby Joyce has lost most of his political power
And is losing his petals like a fading Autumn flower
Though his seat in Parliament he does retain
He may never lead the National Party again
For his moral indiscretions some price he did pay
But then such is life as the wise one does say.

Angela Merkel

That she is the World's greatest living political leader there can be no doubt
She has shown the World what compassion is about
The German Chancellor Angela Merkel the World leader for fair play
As a humanitarian she does lead the way
The banner of a fair go for all Angela Merkel did seize
When her Government gave home to a million refugees
Since their political leader is in a class of her own
Germany as a Nation in stature has grown
In a World of many mean spirited political leaders she is a shining light
A woman who leads with compassion and intelligence, wisdom and insight
In a World where racism and intolerance has reached a new height
Angela Merkel is one who does lead to unite
A more tolerant Human World she strives to create
And for this she is one we ought to celebrate.

In Duhallow Today

Far north in Duhallow where the Blackwater flow
In the fields of the badger and the silver backed crow
The wind from the Boggeraghs is blowing cold today
And the sun in gray rain clouds is hidden away

It is rain coat weather the rain drizzling down
And the waterways flowing bank high in flood waters of brown
The cattle in the farmyard sheds bellowing for silage or hay
It is wintery in Duhallow on this February day

The weather temperatures down to zero degrees
And the cold wind is soughing in bare deciduous trees
In the bare and wet fields no flowers to be seen and grass refuse to grow
Recently all of Duhallow was covered in snow

But each passing day one more nearer to Spring
When the wildborn nesting birds will whistle and sing
And the deciduous trees will sprout new leaves of green
And wildflowers will be blooming on the ditch of every bohreen

The gray fogs of rain cloaks the fields by the hill
And the winds from the Boggeraghs are blowing a cold chill
The sun in the rain clouds is hidden away
It is wintery, windy and wet in Duhallow today.

Since Time That Ages

Tomorrow will dawn and yesterday has gone
And time that rusts iron does keep ticking on
That the now is what matters only true to say
And at the stroke of midnight the past will be today
You may feel all powerful but time will prove you wrong
Since it has been known for to weaken the strong
The praises of celebrities the masses may sing
But an end to their glory time that ages will bring
To live to be happy should be your best plan
And this should apply to every woman and man
And try to help anyone of your help in need
They plant karma's reward those who plant the good seed
And since time that ages keep ticking away
Just live in the present and make the most of your day.

Good Friends Of Your Past

Good friends of your past you may not see again
But fond memories of them today you retain
Though today you may not recognize them if them you did see
Since you visualize them as they used to be
And though you have shed your last nostalgic tears
For your friends of the past you have not seen for years
You do think of them often though not every day
From your thoughts they are never that far away
Few things as they were in time known for stay
Your good friends of  the past in life have gone their own way
Though memories of old friends in your life does live on
You have forged new friendships and the past has gone
The now is all that matters in truth one can say
And at the stroke of midnight the past will be today.

Pride Is A Thing

It is something i learned as a boy in Millstreet
That pride is a thing that is linked to conceit
Most people in public do like to talk loud
Of the things in life that does make them feel proud
Pride of your country and your national flag
To many these are quite a common brag
Proud of your children and proud of your wife
And proud of your many successes in life
So many others do love to impress
With what to them is their idea of success
Others our praises we love to hear sing
This crave for recognition is a human thing
It is something i learned as a boy in Millstreet
That pride is a thing that is linked to conceit.

A Local Narcissist

Since of himself he only has great things to say
I feel glad that i do not meet him every day
He always tells me of his expensive new car
And of how on the social ladder he is climbing far
He tells me of his beautiful teenage daughters and his pretty wife
He refers to them as the jewels of his marvellous life
His daughters studying in college for their doctorate degrees
They both have won scholarships to him a saving on fees
As he waffles on to me i do try my best
For to feel interested and to look impressed
Whilst all of the time wishing he would be on his way
Meeting people like him never does make my day
As a local narcissist his sort are not rare
Of his life's successes he does love to share.

What A Shame This Would Be

The cricket fans and cricketers of Port Fairy of late hopping mad
Long billed corellas digging holes in the sports oval which leaves many feeling sad
With the Moyne Shire Council Members the Moyne Shire cricket boards their political levers pull
In their trying for to organize a long billed corella cull
Long billed corellas were in what is now south west victoria thousands of years before cricket and cricketers from England arrived
And many droughts and bad Seasons these white parrots have survived
There may be large flocks of them but their overall range it is small
And in fact as a species of birds they are not that plentiful at all
That their restricted range makes them vulnerable as a species there can be little doubt
One bad bird virus would wipe long billed corellas out
The cricket fans and cricket players on the Moyne Shire councillors waiting on the okay
For to authorize a corella cull and this could come at any day
And if this happens what a terrible shame this would be
Wildlife extinction has a strong link to human history.

The Beauty In Nature For All To Enjoy

The beauty in Nature for all to enjoy
I grew to love her as a very young boy
In the fields by my first home from here far away
I did love her then and i love her today
That Nature does have her own ways only true for to say
And for to view her great beauty we do not have to pay
On saying her wonders are many and her secrets not few
Is not saying any thing that is in any way new
Than Nature there is not any greater power
From a tiny seed she can create a beautiful flower
Us humans are part of her as much as an animal, bird or tree
Though with such thinking many may well not agree
I grew to love her in fields by a far away hill
And i love her today and i always will.

On Barnaby Joyce's Love Life

Sometimes falling in love can come at a huge price
The National Party Leader and Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce
For the love of another woman has left his family and wife
The media spotlight is now on his personal life
Some of his party members want to dump him as leader but the majority seemingly are on his side
Which in the National Party is causing a political divide
It looks like Barnaby now is not being judged as a politician but for his sexual drive
Though it looks like that until the next Federal Election as the National Party Leader he will survive
And until then as Australia's Deputy Prime Minister he will remain
And if he and the Government are re-elected his great job he will retain
Since Barnaby Joyce's love and personal life is no business of mine
On criticizing him on this one i must draw the line
As a politician he has never appealed to me
But then it is each to their own is how it seems to be.

Laugh A Lot

Of all of those who have migrated from the town one who will not be forgot
Young Joe the happy fellow whose nickname is laugh a lot
It is said that he is living somewhere in the U S of A
There is not one quite like him in the old town today

The town it is not quite the same since he left two years ago
There are not many people like carefree young Joe
The wanderlust was in him he went off to elsewhere
And took his laughter with him to the bigger World out there

Young Jill who truly loved him she was married today
In love she settled for her second choice life sometimes is this way
She is not the first or will not be the last that love has moved to tears
And lost love in the memory does linger on for years

The people who are carefree others do wish to know
Joe he will be remembered as one who had the inner glow
One who did love up to his given nickname of laugh a lot
And he is not one of the type who could easily be forgot.

Young Bill The Fearless Fellow

Young Bill the fearless fellow is not living today
For driving his car too fast with his life he did pay
His car failed to take a bend at speed and crashed against a tree
When he had many years of life in him he was only twenty three
For their only offspring his mum and dad in tears
The grief they feel at their loss will be with them for years
His young partner Rebecca grieves for the lost love of her life
To him she was bethroted she was to be his wife
Young Bill the fearless fellow danger signs did not heed
He was a young thrill seeker who loved to drive at speed
Tears were shed at his funeral a week ago today
For not respecting danger with his life he did pay
One who did not fear danger luck for him did not last
Death came upon him suddenly because he drove too fast.

Our Different Ways

Our different ways make us interesting one has to suppose
And few people go through life without making some foes
Not everyone you do know becomes your loyal friend
And some good friendships come to an acriminious end
Babies are born into life every day
And others do die life does work in this way
The longest lived human life in real time not a long span
On average a few years more for a woman than it is for a man
Those who help people of helping in need
For their future good karma are planting the seed
For your kindness to others karma you will repay
What goes around comes around life works in this way
And though self praise with many does seem an in thing
Leave it to others your praises to sing.

A Pleasant February Day

A pleasant February day in Port Fairy of twenty five degrees
With a nice freshening coolness in the ocean breeze
Blowing from Griffith Island where the Moyne River The Pacific does meet
And gently sough on the street trees along Sackville Street
A beautiful evening in the coastal town
To be voted the World's most livable one of it's claims to renown
The Port Fairy Music Festival in March brings visitors from far and wide
To the seaside Town in the Moyne  coastal countryside
A beautiful Town with a charm of it's own
For it's scenic views and beautiful beaches Port Fair is well known
Where the Moyne River by Griffith Island to the Pacific slowly winds it's way
It is peaceful and beautiful in Port Fairy today
Where the flute like warbling songs are so pleasant to hear
Of the magpies who sing every day of the year.

In The Age Of The Selfie

In the age of the selfie it does seem to be
The new in words of the present is you look at me
Since twenty first century technology has helped self promoters in a big way
So many craving attention in the World of today
Though this in itself is not anything new
So sad to realize the humble nowadays are few
And narcissism which has it's source in ego in many out of control
And even on some of those who once were humble is now taking toll
Since humility was to their disadvantage they came to realize
And that they have turned to self promotion is not a surprise
Though so many in a big way into me, myself and i
We are born as mortals and all mortals do die
In the age of the selfie many their own praises love to sing
Self promotion nowadays has become the in thing.

For The Wealthy Only

They only legislate for the financially and materially  well off why otherwise pretend
Any government is never a poor person's friend
For the working poor and those on welfare
Those elected to govern never worry or care
The inequality between people does not make for any sense
The wealthy getting wealthier at poor people's expense
With the ever widening gap in the social divide
Are we heading for a poor people revolution Worldwide
The sharp increase on those living in poverty could lead to widespread unrest
To promote inequality between people governments seemingly doing their best
The majority of the wealth of the World in the coffers of the few
And this is not anything that is in any way new
That governments legislate for the wealthy only seems true for to say
In a World where millions of people are growing poorer by the day.

The Former Champion

Voted the Country's best athlete when he was twenty three
But he is not the man now he once used to be
As the old saying goes he is over the hill
And as is said of time it does not stand still

He does not have children or never had a wife
Running has been his great passion in life
The years of hard running on his arthritic legs show
His fastest pace nowadays to say the least slow

Many years of running on hard surfaces on him has left it's mark
On the gravel pathway in the public park
He shuffles on slowly on tired arthritic feet
At marathon running never more to compete

Though memories of his greatness today living on
In his late seventies his best years long gone
The country's best long distance runner when in his life's prime
Though this is going back many Seasons in time

A humble enough man he never does brag
Of when great marathon runners behind him did lag
He is not the first or he will not be the last
To live with his memories of his glorious past.

The Old Sheepdog Trialer

The old sheepdog trialer he has passed away
The champion border collies he trained at rest also lay
As a dog trialer many say he was the best
Since he proved himself in many a dog trialing test
The old sheepdog trialer he had a long life
In his mid eighties survived by his wife
Many times a grandfather some of his direct descendants dog trialers today
For to trial and train sheepdogs is in their d n a
One who could laugh at life and tell a good joke
The old sheepdog trialer was a likeable bloke
Last year in September he breathed his last
His dad before him a champion sheepdog trialer in the long gone past
His exit from life was a painless release
The old sheepdog trialer he now is at peace.

If You Can Smile

Tomorrow is coming and yesterday has gone
And the now is what matters and life does go on
Are you presently happy and feeling okay
That life is what you make of it seems true for to say
One little worry to a big one can grow
The sad looking person few of wish to know
Laugh and the whole World does laugh with you
Is something that does happen for to be true
New friends for yourself you never will gain
If you are one who constantly complain
Since others they do have worries of their own
And perhaps far bigger than you have known
And though for you it may not be a great day
If you can smile you are doing okay.

You Can Only Give Life

You can only give life your very best try
In an honest way without trying to deny
Anyone the opportunity for to succeed
By your honest endeavours you plant karma's good seed
Far too many have become materially wealthy at others expense
To their sort to become wealthy by deception makes for good business sense
To be morally dishonest in their dealings with them quite okay
Far too many of their sort in the World of today
Those who become successful out of their honest endeavour have a right to feel proud
And their praises deserve for to be sung out loud
They are an asset to their side of the town
Since they became materially successful without dragging others down
You can only live your life in an honest way
And perfom if you can at least one good deed every day.

The Port Fairy Sheepdog Trials

In sheepdog trials perhaps Australia's premier meet
Where the best trial sheepdogs in Australia compete
For to become Australia's dog of the year
Where to win one needs more than luck seems obviously clear
In early February in the football oval in Port Fairy Town
Australia's top trialing border collies compete for sheepdog trialing renown
And bring to their female or male handler in sheepdog trialing Australia and Worldwide fame
And among dog trial handlers become a great name
In Port Fairy in February the weather is often warm and dry
And the sun does shine warm in the blue and gray sky
On the dogs and their handlers to work in warm humid weather it can be quite tough
And only the very best are good enough
For to become Australia's premier dog of the year
Where more than luck is needed is obviously clear.

People With Addictions

Many people have some addiction it does seem
Many of which does not enhance one's public esteem
Some of which alcohol abuse gambling or using narcotics which for finances or health not good in any way
But humanity is made of all kinds it does seem true to say
I too have an addiction and this is writing rhyme
That i have been doing since in my life's prime
And though in any way it is not seen as a crime
To many it does seem a huge waste of time
Since For it i never receive any pay
And this is not a recipe for success in the World of today
For to meet one with an addiction you need not tavel far
You need not go further than your local bar
And there are millions of them in the World out there
People with addictions are not scarce anywhere.

We All Are Individuals

We all are individuals with ways of our own
Doesn't matter if you have few friends or if you are well known
Your best friend at the present may be a future foe
That the now is not the future does happen to be so
Though many follow a leader it would be true to say
That followers too are individuals in their own sort of a way
On different things they have their own opinions as most individuals do
In some ways they are as individual as me or even you
We all are individuals even those in majority
Who on most things with each other are known for to agree
But even the like minded do not agree on everything
Of the praises of individuality i feel happy for to sing
How boring indeed we would be for want of a better name
If we did never disagree and on all things felt the same.

We Were Best Friends

In our younger years we were best friends going back five decades or so
But time with it does bring changes and this was a long time ago
Today we are friends but not best friends apart in our ways we did grow
We have changed in our ways and interests and our friendship has waned this i know
We have aged as quite different people and though as friends we do remain
The strong bond between us has weakened and may never strengthen again
His ideas of life to mine different we see things in a different way
And i know if you were talking to him of me similar things he would say
Nowadays we share little in common though we were best friends of the past
And friendships like most things undergo changes few things in life ever do last
Though we do share many good memories and when we meet we talk of the past again
When we had much in common and were best friends but as best friends we did not remain
We were best friends when we were younger but that was a long time ago
We have changed as we have grown older and time it has become our foe.

Joe And Kate

Joe is a happy old fellow always with a smile on his face
Yet to see him with a sad look on his features for such there is no space
He is one of those who takes joy with him and always a pleasure for to meet
Wherever that happens to be at on the park, shopping center or the street
For one who is friendly and happy he does have a cranky old wife
Kate is not the sort of woman to bring joy to any man's life
Sixty years married they have nine great grandchildren of marriage this does seem a long time
There has been many sunsets and sunrises since Joe and Kate were in their prime
It is said that opposites attract with Joe and Kate it is this way
In ways they are very different but as married and together they stay
Both of them in their early eighties time has left them looking gray
In sixty two hundred and forty Seasons and in that many a night and day
Joe and Kate in ways quite different but between them there is harmony
It is said that opposites attract with them this is how it seems to be.

Of Youth And Young Love

Of youth and young love stories are written and songs they are sung
But of course it is a fallacy that only the good do die young
I have known many good people who have lived to die old
But of them songs not sung and stories not written or told
Some good people die young and some live to die old and gray
Since life's reaper is not ageist in any sort of a way
Some die as children and teenagers and in their lives prime
And some are granted a longer spell of time
But there is fact in the saying and fact never lie
That the longer you live the sooner you will die
But that only the good do die young as a fallacy remain
This is something that seems beyond me to explain
But never believe everything you are told
Some good people die young and some good people live to die old.

I May Never

I may never climb Clara Mountain again
Or hear the breeding frogs croak in the water logged drain
When the mild winds of March from the Boggeraghs blow
And in the rushy old fields the male pheasants crow

Of life we all do have our own history
And we age with our memories of what used to be
Of people we have known and on our journeys have met
Those we remember with fondness and those we wish to forget

I may never again hear the migratory curlew sing
In Matty Owens bog on an evening in Spring
In the calm of the twilight just after sundown
In the quiet countryside just west of Millstreet Town

Our good memories age with us like good tasting wine
But the memories of a city raised person would be different to mine
And though different to mine a country raised boy
City raised people have their own good memories to enjoy

Though his song lives in me as a memorable thing
I may never again hear the male robin sing
When the hawthorns are in their white blooms of the May
In green old Duhallow from here far away.

The Fate Of The Leaves

The elite sports people in the World of today
Were born to be mortals in truth one can say
Great as they are one day they must die
In this respect they are no different to you and to i

Eventually they too will become victims of time
In ten years from now they will be past their prime
Though they will age with the memories of sporting renown
When they were admired as the best in the town

Though they have their trophies and medals in old age for to show
Time has left the champions of the past walking slow
Today's sports fans have their young champions to admire
And greats of the past them does not inspire

They were the sporting greats of long ago
Until eventually time too did become their foe
Brown leaves of the Autumn to the earth does fall
The fate of the leaves does apply to us all.

It Is Love Of Rhyme

For many years i have been a rhyming buff
Just one who has written a whole heap of stuff
Not one of the young brigade of rhyming men
Of years i have lived a year with three score and ten
Back in the early nineteen seventies going way back in time
In my twenty seventh year i penned my first rhyme
Since then so many Seasons have come and have gone
And time on my life ever keeps ticking on
I never refer to myself as a poet
Nor am i one worthy of literary note
I loved reading rhymes when i was a young boy
And penning them nowadays is something i enjoy
It is easy to write rhymes as most would agree
And it is love of rhyme that made a rhymer of me.

In Life There Is No Guarantee

At midnight today will be of the past and tomorrow will dawn but not for everyone
And feel glad that life's reaper has spared you to see the going down of the sun
How long will life's reaper ignore you the young generally outlive the old it seems to be
But this not always the case in life there is no guarantee
Life's reaper has claimed the lives of children and of healthy people in their physical prime
No guarantee the length of your life span the reaper can call on you at any time
Today some have seen their last sunset and tomorrow will not see the sunrise
The person who takes life for granted to say the least is not wise
Your life is the greatest gift you have a gift that you lose when you die
For to say that there are gifts that are greater would surely be stating a lie
Life may be hard for you but feel happy for every day you live for to see
It well may be the only life you may know of  but many with this may not agree
I am one who feels very happy for every day i live to see
For i know that time on me is ticking and life's reaper has not forgotten me.

We Learn As We Live From Life

Knowledge on bushes and trees does not grow
And the more of it you acquire so little of it you realize you do know
We learn as we live from life every day
We never stop learning it does seem this way
Those who think they know it all are quite lucky indeed
Of any more knowledge they are not in need
That they are not leaders of change is not any surprise
But then that ignorance can be bliss as a saying seems so wise
If we are open to learning knowledge we will gain
But that we do know little as a truism remain
That with we learn as we live is how it seems to be
This is someting that most with would surely agree
And those who think they know it all are quite lucky indeed
Of any more knowledge they are not in need.

The Little Ravens Or The Pale Eyed Crow

So many in south eastern Australia of them do know
The Australian little ravens or the pale eyed crow
In town parks and rural paddocks seen and heard every day
Quite intelligent birds as most corvids are of them one can say

Of dark glossy feathers and pale greenish eyes
For their intelligence at problem solving they never cease to surprise
I have seen them dip dry crusts of bread in the shallow margins of a dam or lake
The bread softer and easier for them to eat on this way they do make

On nest of sticks on branch of medium sized tree
In Spring and Summer pale green spotted eggs from six down to three
In place of her choosing the female bird lay
Her and her male partner mob any aerial predator that ventures their way

That they are quite intelligent birds i have come to realize
And by their appearance and long drawn out caws not hard to recognize
In south eastern Australia  most people of them do know
The little ravens or the pale eyed crow.

Wisdom Does Not Have An Age To It

Wisdom does not belong to the aged i have come to realize
I know of a few young people who are wise
And i know of a few ageing and aged not wise in any way
That wisdom does not have an age to it only true to say
The not wise they are many the wise they are few
And this is not saying any thing that is new
Some silly old leaders have started a war
And send soldiers to die for them to Lands afar
That few of the wise are entrusted with power seems a sad thing to say
So many arrogant leaders in the World of today
But having said that it has always been this way
For lack of wisdom and compassion in our leaders some price for us to pay
I know of a few young people who are very wise
And that wisdom does not have an age to it i have come to realize.

Middle Aged Jim

Middle aged Jim who does live on his own
He is not well liked or he is not well known
He does not have children or a partner or wife
He works but never does socialize and he lives a quiet life
But he proved himself the bravest one of the town
The day ageing widow Mrs Cartman's house burned down
He went through the flames and the smoke and brought the unconscious woman out
Of his courage that day he did leave none in doubt
It is thanks to Jim she is living today
He is my hero of him she does say
That he risked his life for glory none him could accuse
Since an award for bravery he did refuse
A moody loner in his mid forties his brown hair turning gray
But he is a man among men of Jim one can say.

The Happy People

The longest lived life in time not a long span
We quickly lose out on our youthful elan
And time never does wait for any woman or man
Live and enjoy life for as long as you can
Make the most of the now old age of you ahead
Only darkness and silence in the graves of the dead
We are born as mortals and it is not a lie
That the longer you live the sooner you will die
There is no joy where there is worry and stress
The gloomy mind it is closed to happiness
Laugh and others laugh with you happens to be true
If you are feeling sad few wish to know of you
Enjoy life if you can make the most of your day
The happy people do laugh their cares away.

Not A Success

Four decades of years past my physical prime
I am one of those who is running out of time
To most people i am one who is not a success
But then anyone i am not out to impress

But how does one define success anyway
It is relevant to each individual in truth one can say
The one who is successful to you may not be so to me
That success is how it is to the individual is how it seems to be

To material success many people relate
And the wealthy celebrities they do celebrate
But some see sccess in quite a different way
That we are individuals does seem true to say

To many i am a failure and this suits me fine
Since what they think of me is their business and there business is not mine
Four decades of years past my physical prime
I am one of those who is running out of time.

Neighbours And Strangers

When i said hello to him he seemed stuck for an answer to my greeting he did not choose to reply
To say the least to me he did seem indifferent which gives me some reason to wonder why
This could be is he hearing impaired or is it my accent my way of speaking he did not understand
For more than thirty years i have i have been in this Country but i speak in the accent of another Land
This is not the first time that him i have greeted but to my greeting he never reply
The next time we meet i will not say hello to him in silence we will pass each other by
What he thinks of me it is his own business and what i think of him he hardly would care
By sight only we do know of each other and nothing in common we do share
For all i know he might be a kind person one who is possessed of the inner glow
In friendships one who has been disappointed i am one person less for him to want to get to know
So he wants to keep treating me as a stranger with me suppose this has to be okay
We must live on as strangers with people sometimes it can be this way
Just one less for him for to get to know of  anyway this is how it seems to me
We live as neighbours and remain as strangers this is how he seems he wants it to be.

Australia

That it is one of the World's most amazing Countries there can be little doubt
Australia the vast Land of the sunny far south
Home to marsupials and megapodes and monoterene
Most of the amazing wildlife of Australia nowhere else to be seen
The home of acacias and pittosporum and many species of eucalypt tree
So much natural beauty in Australia to see
Beyond the big coastal towns and cities in the brown countryside
So many open spaces and so much  scenic beauty Australia wide
As a historical and cultural Country Australia takes pride of place
Home to the descendants of  the Dreamtime of people a very old race
They had lived in Australia for sixty thousand years or more
Before people from the far northlands arrived on the far southern shore
Home to many species of birds from the great to the small
Australia one of the World's most amazing Countries if not the most amazing of all.

Far Too Big A World

Far too big a World in a lifetime to see
With the saying of a small World after all many would not agree
Though many places i have lived in and i have seen quite a few
I like many do yearn to see places to me new
Though i have been to London and New York, Sydney and Melobourne and Tokyo in Japan
When compared to many i am not a well travelled man
When you travel a bit it may come to your surprise
That it is a big World you come to realize
I have seen Auckland, Adelaide, Brisbane and Christchurch far from my first home
But i have never been to Delhi or Paris or Rome
Some people from their first home never travel far
Happy to grow old where in life their roots are
With the saying it is a small World many woud disagree
There are so many big Countries to visit and see.

In The Park In The Children's Playground

In the park in the children's playground on a nice sunny day
The unbridled laughter of children at play
In thought carry me back to a place far away
Good old memories live on as the wise often say
In the park after school in the far away town
My schoolfriends and i chase the football up and down
As pre treen primary scoolgoing boys years from our physical prime
The memories live on through the Seasons of time
Going way back the years to many decades ago
Long before time was to become our foe
But all things do pass as boys we did not stay
My young friends of the past where might they be today
Are some of them like me ageing far from the park in the town
Where as boys we did chase the football up and down.

You Can Only Be

You can only be the best that you can be
This applies to everyone and everyone includes me
If we want a better human World to live in
With our own selves we have got to begin
In your words it is not very hard for to put others down
Though the judgmental never become the popular people of the town
Of more of the kind and compassionate the Human World is in need
Since of making a better World to live in they plant the good seed
If everyone had kindness and compassion and empathy
There would not be war in the World or crime or poverty
But sadly the selfless do seem far too few
And this is not saying anything that is new
I have come to realize to make a better World to live in
That with my own self i have got to begin.

Bernard O' Donoghue Of Cullen

The Whitbread Prize for poetry  just one of his many claims to fame
The name of Cullen's Bernard O' Donoghue is a great literary name
Among the poets of Britain and Ireland rated as one of the best
Those who know of good poetry by his poems have been impressed

Yet despite his many literary achievements he remains free of conceit
He remains as he was as a boy in Millstreet
An Oxford professor from Cullen in distance far away
Now in his seventies perhaps in retirment today

Bernard O' Donoghue of Cullen is more than a marvellous poet
He is one who is an all round writer of note
From his essays on history, culture and literature he has become widely known
One can say of him he is in a class of his own

That he is a Duhallow literary icon is now beyond doubt
His huge literary output well worth talking about
In his writing he never seems arrogant or rude
Among the great literary figures of Duhallow and Slibh Luachra him one has to include

A literary icon for to give him his due
To his higher self he remains ever true
Quite a cultured fellow his links to his past he retain
And his likes may not be seen in Cullen again.

Some Ageing War Heroes

Some ageing war heroes like to talk of wars they have fought in
Though many young men die for every war win
They wear their war medals on war memorial day
To honor their fallen comrades in lands far away
From their life's experiences many of them insights did not gain
For if asked by the government to go to war they would fight again
Their love of their country and their country's flag
To them is a passion far more than a brag
All men grow older but few do grow wise
Of the truth in this saying i have come to realize
The praises of dead war heroes old patriotic ex soldiers do sing
To die for your country to them is a glorious thing
With pride they carry the flag of their country today
A flag they fought for in a land far away.

On Internet Plagiarists

Some people online change or add a word to an original piece of writing and then do claim it for their own
And put their name to it as the author and due to this become widely known
They seek their fame at the expense of another this indeed does seem all wrong to me
Copyright laws online are so often abused by those who seek fame for themselves dishonestly
Plagiarism online it is not new which does seem quite a sad thing to say
Even though for the writing that you email to a website you have not received money in pay
When someone else claims your work and put their name to it how hurtful for you this must be
Such people should not be allowed on literary blogs or websites since of copyright they make a mockery
Such people are lacking in honor and are not an asset to any literary website
They steal from the original author since for themselves they cannot write
Online there are far too many plagiarists who give the internet a bad name
For another's work they take the glory they do not have any sense of shame
Claiming another's literary work is immoral but what goes around comes around  seems true to say
These people are lacking in honor and far too many of their kind in the World of today

Memories Of The Star Ballroom

We only have memories of the what used to be
And in mental images the past comes to me
Of  The Star Ballroom in Millstreet Town on a Thursday night
Good old memories remain as a source of delight

The young men and women who danced in The Star Ballroom where are they today?
Some of them are ageing in Lands far away
From the famed ballroom in the Town of Millstreet
On our nostalgic moments old friends we do meet

Dominic McSweeney the owner manager of The Star Ballroom back then
In his weekly Cork Examiner add had 'The Star Club where love stories begin'
Suppose many love affairs in the Star began
But not all of them would have lived for of time a long span

In the nineteen sixties in Ireland the showband era was in it's full swing
And the twist and rock n roll were then the in thing
But the showband era is now a memory of the past
As is said of life few things ever last

The young women and men back then in their lives prime
Like me would be feeling the passing of time
For eventually time becomes everyone's foe
And the ageing only have memories of the long ago

The showband era in Ireland is in the long gone
And of the Thursday night dance in the Star only memories live on
In the young women and men who danced there in or near their lives prime
And this is going back some five decades in time.

Money Is Most Important

When you tell me you have little money in truth you are saying to me
That many things you must go without few things in life now are free
In a World where millions of people try to rise above poverty
This is how it has been always and how it will always be
Everyone cannot be materially wealthy human life does not work in this way
And this is more evident than ever in the Human World of today
Some with more than enough and plenty with little live in every town
And for one to rise up others have to slide down
The poor in the many the super wealthy quite few
And this is not saying anything that is new
That the vast majority of people need money to survive is not telling a lie
For as long as they live until the day they do die
Yes for as long as they live until their last night and day
Money is most important and will always be this way.

This Amazing Land Of The South

Australia the big amazing Land of the south
Of often changing weather storms flooding and drought
Where in Summer in bush fires that burn far and wide
There has been grief and heartache and people have died
The land of the people of the dreaming time
That has inspired legends of story and rhyme
The true history in book form will never be told
Of a land young to some but in time very old
Australia wide has climates of varying degrees
Home to emu, kangaroo and koala and gum, wattle and pittosporum trees
Of Australia's flora and fauna so much to learn of and know
And of this amazing southern Country one's wonder only does grow
You could spend all of your lifetime driving about
And not see all of this amazing Land of the south.

Respect Is A Thing

Respect is a thing you must give to receive
This is something that should not be hard to believe
On saying  you cannot respect one who does not respect you
I only does say what happens to be true
How others feel of us in our body language we read
And lack of respect to mistrust only lead
You can only respect those who respect to you show
This is something that everyone can claim of to know
Respect as is said must be more than one way
You cannot respect one who unkind things of you does say
Respect has to be mutual as most would agree
How can i respect one who does not respect me
Where there is disrespect trust cannot grow
This is something that most people does seem to know.

I May Never Again

I may never again see Hibernia's shore
Or climb on the high fields above Claramore
Up to Clara Mountain on a day in July
When the warm sun of Summer shines in the blue sky

I may never again walk on Millstreet's West End
And revisit the past when i meet an old friend
And talk of the Millstreet of the long ago
Before time that rusts iron had become our foe

And remark how the changes in Millstreet not few
And of how time has brought wrinkles to faces we knew
On looking back the years time does seem to fly
Though memories remain of Seasons gone by

When the lark above Clara did sing as he did fly
Up to the cloud World in June and July
And around the Cork Kerry border one could view far and wide
The scenic and beautiful green countryside

When the whortleberries the tiny blue fruits of the heather are ripe for to eat
In the taste buds of the mouth such a delicious treat
Until the lure of adventure did take us away
From where we first looked on the bright lamp of day

I may never again on an evening in Spring
In Claraghatlea's leafy groves hear the nesting birds sing
Or in the fading twilight hear the lowing of a cow
In a darkening field by the river Finnow

Or hear the male snipe as he flies around
With his tail feathers above the dark rushy fields make a goat like sound
Such beautiful memories today i retain
That until death in me are bound to remain

I may never again see my first homeplace
Where to many mine years ago was a well known face
But the now is what matters and the now is today
And i only have memories of a place far away.

Enjoy Your Youth

Enjoy your youth for you will grow old
Of sad people stories are written and told
Of how their friends are few and few of them wish to know
Lucky are those who have the inner glow
Happy people are a pleasure to meet
They carry joy with them walking the street
And always bring a flutter of happiness to somebody's day
That a smile does not cost one only true to say
Time does not wait for anyone and it did not wait for me
For the sad young person how sad life must be
Enjoy your youth if you possibly can
For soon you will be an ageing woman or man
Time does not wait it keeps ticking away
And anyone does not grow younger by the day.

The Old Balladeer

He has sung his last song the old balladeer
Often at the local pub where he drank many a beer
As one who knew the words of many a song
He always felt happy in the sing along
A grandfather many times predeceased by his wife
He was one who did seem for to enjoy life
The town for him in it a happier place
He always did have a big smile on his face
The old balladeer was a likeable man
In his eighty fourth year of time quite a span
He had not been well for a short while when of a heart attack he died
His children and grandchildren at his bedside
He was quite a good person of him one can say
The old balladeer who was buried today.

There Is Power In Money

Suppose what always has been can be nothing new
The majority of the wealth and the material assets of the World is owned by the few
And millions of people in extreme poverty
It is money and lack of it creates inequality
Money is power as the wise one does say
There is so much emphasis placed on it today
The greedy one who last year made a million in profit this year is aiming for two
Money as is said can work wonders for you
The person with plenty of money many look up to and admire
And to be like her or him is someting to they do aspire
That the paper currency speaks every language happens to be true
And to have millions of it a dream many pursue
There is power in money as most would agree
This is how it is and how it always will be.

In Most Migrants

Though their loyalties to their families and new friends in their new country belong
In most migrants the love of the homeland is strong
Nostalgia dies hard as the wise one does say
With most migrants anyhow it is this way
For different reasons people do migrate
But the national day of celebrations in their homeland in their new country they celebrate
And though some migrants never return to their homeland again
The strong love of first home in them does remain
And surely will until the day they do die
Migrants who tell you differently to their true thoughts only lie
For to love one's first homeland is a natural thing
Of their love of country the balladeer sing
I have seen migrants with tears in their eyes listening to songs of their homeland
Their love for their country one can understand.

Everyone Needs It

Everyone needs it in moderation this thing known as pride
Though many behind it their insecurities does hide
And most people in some sort of a way can be insecure
And this even applies to the purest of the pure
It is true about pride it can come before a fall
And though this goes for many it does not go for all
In everyone's feelings pride does not take toll
Some does seem to have it well under control
They are siblings in some ways vanity, pride and conceit
And all are present where people do meet
Though a few near to perfect to be flawed is to be human we ought not to forget
The perfect human being has not been born as of yet
Pride in moderation is quite okay
That we all need a little of it does seem true to say.

Many Will Tell You

Many will tell you that from life you receive what is only your due
But for millions of people this cannot be true
In every country and in every city, village and town
There are people who are homeless and hungry and financially down
So many are doing it so tough in the Human World of today
That not everyone is equal only true for to say
It is true you know who your friends are when of help you are in need
And a friend at such a time is a true friend indeed
The gap between the wealthy and the poor as ever growing wide
So many growing poorer in the social divide
The majority of the wealth and assets of the World is owned by the few
And this sad to say is not anything new
That we receive from life what is only our due with i cannot agree
Plenty of room for debate on that one is how it seems to be.

Though More For Than Against

Many believe in this paradise known as heaven somewhere beyond the sky
Where good souls post bodily death with wings to does fly
And bad souls from the deceased body do fly to hell
Where they are condemned to angels never do dwell
For a good life after bodily death for their souls billions of people do pray
But whether their belief is right or not is not for me to say
Since i am not one of the religiously inclined
As is said of humanity they are of every kind
As in all groupings among religious people a majority good and a minority bad
To say that humanity to it can have a very dark side to say the least sad
So many heinous crimes have been committed in god's name
On the religion they say they belong to they only bring shame
Of a life for the soul after bodily death there is no guarantee
Though more for than against is how it seems to be.

Worry And Stress

Worry and stress does not mix for a good mental brew
And if you have worries your friends become few
The unhappy people lose the inner glow
One reason so few others of them does wish to know
Stress in your workplace and in your love life
Share a common source known as inner strife
Among the stressed happiness you won't find
Laughter is absent from the worried mind
Laugh and the World laughs with you as a truism remain
The meaning in this it's own self does explain
Laughter it is such a beautiful sound
Where it is happiness it does abound
Not a good mental mix worry and stress
Since they do have their source in unhappiness.

One Must Wonder Why

The financially and materially wealthy many people impress
And are widely lauded as a great success
But why they are admired one must wonder why
Since the Earth that feeds us all they try to destroy
They dig huge holes in Nature's soul
Mining for the Earth's resources is out of control
Most of us humans do not seem to care
For the Earth that creates every billionaire
Many who grow very wealthy from abusing our Earth Mother millions of people admire
And of singing their praises never seem to tire
It does not seem in any way right to me
And i do wonder why that this should be
Why so many admire them one must wonder why
Since the Earth that feeds us they try to destroy.

Down The Brown And Dry Paddocks

Down the dry and brown paddocks the creek trickling slow
And on a gray gum tree a dark pale eyed crow
Is cawing in the gloam just after sundown
In the countryside between Warrnambool City and Koroit Town

Though yesterday evening we did have some rain
The creek remains very low and bone dry every drain
The weather is moody and acting quite strange
Could it be that this has to do with climate change

For many years the industrial revolution has been out of control
And on the natural environment has been taking toll
For human progress in global warming the price we do pay
Two days ago it was forty degrees it is sixteen today

Human created pollution is blowing in the breeze
Perhaps one of the reasons for a drop in weather temperatures in two days of twenty four degrees
The sun bronzed paddocks are looking so dry
That us humans do not have a part to play in the weather mood swings only a fool would deny

The water levels dropping in every farm dam and lake
And yesterday's rain any difference did not make
To the brown creek that has not increased in it's flow
Down the brown and dry paddocks it trickles on slow.

We Never Stop Learning

It was not want or hunger that brought me far south
Of the fields of the badger and watewrways of the brown trout
But in search of adventure in the big World out there
The migrant will always be one from elsewhere

In my prime years i often daydreamed that i would be a poet
One seen to be as worthy of literary note
But daydreams as is known for few do come true
And what i daydreamed of not to be my due

Today i would be a stranger to many west of Millstreet Town
Where i used to live when my hair was dark brown
The passing of time has left me balding and gray
I have known of a far better physical day

We all have our dreams in life to pursue
In this respect i am no different to you
And though losing is a thing anyone does not choose
For one for to win others do have to lose

Far south of the fields of the silver backed crow
In the green countryside where the Blackwater flow
I am learning of life and Nature every day
We never stop learning it does seem this way.

The Best You Can Be

The best you can be is to live and let live
And be broad enough in your mind for to forgive
Anyone who has wronged you in any way
Just leave them to karma for their sins for to pay
It is not healthy for your mind for to harbor a grudge
Nor have you the right for to be anyone's judge
The revengeful sort sadly not in the few
And this is not saying anything that is new
We all have it in us good deeds for to do
The better World to live in begins with me and you
For a kinder and more compassionate humanity with ourselves we begin
By becoming better people we make the World better to live in
The best you can be is live and let live
And have in you the power to forgive.

Persevere With Life

Though financially you are one who is doing it quite tough
Why wish for to die you will be dead long enough
Buy a lotto ticket today your luck may be in
There is a huge jackpot draw tonight it may be your turn to win
The poorest are never the most popular in the town
It is true few wish to know of you when you are financially down
When you are short of money your friends always few
Just a fact of life that is not in any way new
Life on you is so hard you have known many tough years
Yet you keep on keeping on despite disappointment and tears
Today you feel suicidal you are without a friend
But you should leave it to Nature's life's reaper to bring your life to an end
So persevere with life better days of you may be ahead
And the fact of the matter is you will be forever dead.

He Is One

He is one of the high country many miles north of the big town
Where the brown creek from the mountain towards the big river travels down
At the start of it's long journey towards the distant ocean shore
The sound of it's familiar babble will live on forever more
At the start of his adventure in the bigger World out there
He plans to live and work here for a short while and then to move on to a big city elsewhere
He will not be hurrying back to the high country so much for him in the big World to see
On his next birthday he will turn twenty and of cares and ties he is free
Of life's ways he is only learning the wonder in his young mind does grow
Of life that has so many lessons and so much to learn of and know
He left the home of the wombat, koala, echidna, wallaby and kangaroo
Galah, emu and rosella and the black and the white cockatoo
The lust of the wander was in him for the bigger World out there
He will stay and work in the big town for awhile and then take the road to elsewhere.

Andy And Ann

The old fellow Andy says his neighbor the young beauty Ann
Has designs on him as her fancy man
But with his aging wife Kate he is happy to stay
When it comes to young women some old blokes do get carried away
And silly old Andy a granddad he is one of those
To think that his twenty two year old blond single neighbor a young town rose
Fancies him since she greets him with a friendly good day
That all men grow older but few do grow wiser does seem true to say
Ann a friendly young woman is only being nice to her aging neighbor and little else more
But Andy knows little when it comes to women though he is two years with three score
And that his young neighbor is only being nice to him he fails to realize
For his age he is one who is not very wise
Ann his young neighbore always does greet him with a friendly good day
And Andy does see this in a romantic way.

Their Put Down One Of the Day

What they think of you is not your business anyway
So why give time to worrying of what others of you do say
Today you are the one they choose to criticize
Tomorrow it will be someone else this you should realize
You just happen to be their put down one of the day
Their addiction is to be negative towards others it does seem their way
To be negative in their opinions and of them it seems true to say
That they never change as they are they does stay
The people who in their words enjoy putting others down
Have never been rare they are in every town
Their dislikes in life many and their likes are few
And to criticize every day they do find someone new
And as for you as others you happen to be their one to criticize of the day
That their to criticize targets are many does seem true to say.

A Warm Sunday In Late January

In the Moyne Shire on the warmest day of the year
The warbling of a magpie so pleasant to hear
A weather temperature high for the day of forty degrees
And warmth in the sunshine and warmth in the breeze

Between Warrnambool City and old Koroit Town
The countryside looking so dry and so brown
With the sun on their wings chirping as they fly
The dark swallows chase flying insects in the sky

In the park children's playground no children at play
For them it is an out of the weather day
Such high temperatures not suitable for outdoor fun
It is not a good day to be out in the sun

The farm dams low in water and bone dry every drain
And the dry countryside it is crying out for rain
In soaring and dipping temperatures the weather acting strange
Suppose much of this surely involves climate change

The weather temperatures soaring to forty degrees
And the warm air full of the buzzing of bush flies and bees
And gray moths and white butterflies seemingly dance in the breeze
Around the bushes and the sunlit trees.

On New Holland Honeyeaters

Of the garden birds of south eastern Australia among the better known
The new holland honeyeaters have ways of their own
With their long thin bills they live mostly on nectar they collect from the flowers on bushes and trees
In this way they are Nature's pollinators much like honey bees
Quite pretty to look at in their feathers of dark, gold and light gray
In backyards and gardens they are seen every day
And very distinctive in their scratchy type of song
Once seen and once heard one never again get them wrong
In a cup shaped nest felted with spider webs and lined with feathers, wool and bits of hay
On a tree branch two to three gray eggs with brown spots the female bird lay
Which she and her mate with aggression defend
At nesting time they do treat none as a friend
Lively and aggressive little birds with ways of their own
Of the honeyeaters of Australia among the better known.

In Duhallow And Muskerry

In Duhallow and Muskerry sport as usual is such a big thing
Of sporting greats stories are told and songs they do sing
Of gaelic footballers and hurlers and great road bowling women and men
As is said of the now it was often said of the then

Old timers in the pubs stories tell and yarns do spin
Of famous greyhound owners and their dogs and many a big track and coursing win
By Duhallow and Muskerry dogs of the long ago
That old stories do live from generation to generation does happen to be so

Like to most places to Duhallow and Muskerry time has brought change
But this in itself is not anything strange
But some things as they were as ever remain
And in north and mid Cork a fondness of talking of sports most people nowadays retain

In Duhallow and Muskerry many with sporting clubs games do play
Soccer, athletics, gaelic games, road bowling and greyhounds often the topics of the day
From generation to generation stories are passed down
In every village and in every town.

For Me To Say Differently

For me to say any differently would be to tell a lie
Since i hope to be rhyming until the day i do die
As a younger man i hoped i might become a poet
But now i realize that i will never become one of literary note
An addictive rhymer is the best i can be
An addiction in my lifetime of i will never be free
But writing rhymes i enjoy doing is all i can say
And i add to my numbers of them every day
And though my worth as a writer i have reason to doubt
No shortage of subject material for me to write rhymes about
And to write rhymes is as easy as the word can be
And most people surely with this would agree
But i hope to be rhyming until the day i do die
If i did tell you differently this would be a lie.

Koroit Truck Show Day

The afternoon warm close to thirty degrees
And little relief from the heat in the timid breeze
In Victoria Park in Koroit Town today
Where all sizes and all sorts of trucks are on display
Not built to be environmentally friendly of them one can say
But for industrial progress there is some price to pay
On the last Saturday in January on weather sunny and dry
With only a few gray clouds in the mostly blue sky
Victoria Park is full of trucks and people from places far and near
On what is for Koroit Town a big day of the year
In Victoria Park the truck fans in large numbers to see
Brand new trucks on display that when in operation are anything but pollution free
But the owners and makers and admirers of big trucks do not see themselves as environmental foes
As is said it does take all kinds one does have to suppose.

Old Fellow John

How sad indeed life can be for some like the old fellow John
Up to ten years ago bright and lucid all memories from him have gone
He does not even recognize his carer Kate his devoted wife
The mother of his children and his soulmate for life

Everyone to him is a stranger none he does recognize
He used to be one who was knowledgeable and wise
Since the only love of her life has lost all of his memory
How sad very sad this for Kate has to be.

He has lost his gift of speech one of the living dead
For him one cannot say better days are ahead
His devoted Kate remains his dearest friend
She will love him and care for him until his life's end

He cannot think or speak to eat by Kate he is spoon fed
And he spends most of his waking hours in bed
You and i are so lucky we could be like John
Whose great gift of memory from his mind has gone.

Warrnambool In January

From the ocean walkway the surf waves one does hear
Crashing on the beach that in distance is near
To the shady walkway flanked by coastal trees
On a pleasant enough January evening over twenty degrees
In the mostly blue sky just a few clouds of gray
For Warrnambool a typical January day
In the prime of the Summer by the southern sea
On a nice sunny evening such a nice place to be
A cool freshening breeze blowing from Stingray Bay
Earthly Utopia from Warrnambool is never far away
A poet of such beauty a great poem would write
For lovers of poetry to read and recite
The sound of the surf waves on the sandy shore
For to enjoy such beauty i could return for more.

On Australia Day

Many indigenous Australians say the government should change the date
So that all Australians united can celebrate
As a proud and unified people on Australia Day
That change can be for the better does seem true to say

Many Australian indigenous people to January the twenty sixth as Invasion Day refer
Another day for celebrating their Country they would much prefer
Their ancestors had suffered so much at the occupation of their Land
That their disappointment at the celebrations of January the twenty sixth not hard to understand

Since many of their ancestors in massacres died
The day of the occupation of their country by Europeans to them no sense of pride
For their disappointment at the day Australins celebrate them one can hardly blame
Since January the twenty sixth in their minds is a day of shame

A day that the nationalists and patriots waving their flags to the town and city parks throng
In the mood for drinking and eating, dancing, music and song
But many of Australia's first people do not join them for to celebrate
Which they certainly would if the government for Australia Day changed the date.

Here In Illowa In Victoria

In the brown countryside far south of Millstreet Town
To be in the World of the living my one claim to renown
In the sunny mostly blue sky just a few clouds of gray
In Illowa Victoria it is a beautiful day
Far south of where the Boggeragh Mountains wear their hats of snow
And the chill winds of Winter down the high country blow
Above the paddocks and gardens of Illowa white butterflies flying about
In the warmth of Summer in the sunny south
Though in the northern hemisphere each dawn one nearer to Spring
When deciduous trees will sprout new leaves and the nesting birds will sing
And the swallows return home to breed from warm lands far away
And the fields wear their beautiful wildflowers of May
In the mostly sunny blue sky just a few clouds of gray
Here in Illowa in Victoria it is a beautiful day.

The Yangery

Between Warrnambool City and Koroit's rural Town
Old Yangery today is looking dry and brown
Named after it's first people of the long ago
Going back the decades two centuries or so

Though the stories of their legends may be living on
The Yangery people from the Moyne Shire long gone
From where they hunted and lived and raised their families
And had their social gatherings and corroborees

Legend has it when the countryside now known as the Moyne Shire had more bushes and trees
The Yangery tribe gave shelter to shipwrecked Portugese
And that some of their women fell in love with the foreigners and gave birth to people of a mixed race
Where cultures do meet changes always take place

That time brings with it changes only true to say
Far less bushes and trees in Yangery today
In the Moyne Shire the tribe known as Yangery never to be seen again
And only their legends nowadays does remain

Above the sunlit brown paddocks in the blue and gray sky
In pursuit of flying insects the dark swallows fly
Where the Yangery lived many decades ago
That time with it brings changes happens to be so.

The Young And Old

The old can only reminisce on their physical prime
Though to do this they must go back decades in time
To their better years in the distant past
When they were fitter, stronger and healthier and could run and walk fast

The young in their life's prime are physically healthy and strong
And their energy levels remain high all day long
And they look forward in hope to the years ahead
Most of them will be strong and healthy when the aged of the present are dead

Humans to time lose their beauty like flowers of the Fall
It truly is a young person's World after all
They are the young women and men of the now
But eventually to time they too will have to bow

The old have their memories of decades long gone
And the clock on their lives ever keep ticking on
But one can only say of them that they did have their time
People age rather quickly past their physical prime.

Conservative Negative Governments

Conservative negative governments to money can only relate
They think that no other party should govern that they have a born right to rule the State
That the natural environment does not matter more old growth trees ought to be cut down
For to create more room for industry in the overpopulated big town
That there ought to be far more mining more huge holes dug into the ground
That there is no shortage of employment in places where mining holes abound
But they must not be that very clever if they do not realize that mining has a use by date
When the mine runs out of it's material assets for regret it is then too late
They forget that their material economy too does have a mother of birth
On which it's survival is totally dependent and her name it is Mother Earth
For abusing the one who does feed us the cost for us will be huge to pay
For the generations of people of the future and this seems a sad thing for to say
Many species of wildlife on the brink of extinction but with the conservative government this is okay
They order the removal of more old growth trees since of progress they are in the way.

The Great Poet Of The Wimmera Mallee

The poet of the Wimmera Mallee in his poems he is living today
He was not college educated one who lived life in the hardest way
Born in Penola South Australia he lived most of his life in Victoria in Nhill
With words he was surely a genius he did have the wordsmith skill
He was a true poet John Shaw Neilson few with him that one could compare
A poet despite hardship and poverty his type of person always rare
In the Town of Nhill the Neilson Cottage is a memorial to his lasting fame
One who lived and died as a humble fellow though his was a great literary name
A poet who glorified people and nature though long deceased his poems live on
When so many of his contemporaries to the ways of time have long gone
In his poems in them that have a natural beauty his genius one can recognize
He was one who did live his verses on reading him one does come to realize
The great poet of the Wimmera Mallee is one who proved that poets are born not made
In his poems today he is remembered as a doyen of the wordsmith trade.

The People Who Are Born Into Privilege

The people who are born into privilege but in some ways not unlike you and i
They too have been born as mortals and eventually too have to die
They are a symbol of class distinction the masses for this we can thank
The masses who uphold something ugly in this thing referred to as social rank

Also known as those born with royal blood though red is their blood just like ours when they bleed
To all others looked on by many as superior as if they are a non human breed
As if they are gods which they are not since none of them without some flaw
For those at the top of the social rank from others a different law

In the World there are millions of people who are homeless and hungry today
As the victims of human inhumanity in a fair World it would not be this way
We make gods of those born into privilege and in our greed for money poverty for many does create
In our admiration of those born into privilege class distinction we do celebrate

I have to admire the life's reaper the one with the scythe of death creates equality
The royals and billionaires and celebrities of the World will one day die like you and me
For this thing known as class distinction or in other words social rank
We can blame the gullible masses for this we have them for to thank.

They Are Great People

They are great people those who for others does care
The love they have in them they are willing to share
With anyone of love who is in need
Those who have love in them for to share have a great gift indeed
They plant the good seed of karma every day
And to help those in need of helping go out of their way
And for their acts of kindness karma them will repay
What goes around comes around seems true to say
Since of the needs of others they are always aware
Those of kindness and compassion have gifts that are rare
Though in the popularity list never to the fore
Of their sort the Human World is in need of far more
For their future good karma they plant the good seed
And of more of their sort the Human World is in need.

Not Everyone Does

Not everyone does love their national flag
Or of their nationality does love to brag
Of the praises of flag and country they never does sing
One might say of them this is not just their thing

Not everyone does join with the football crowd
In the noisy big stadium where the cheering is loud
They have other interests in life to pursue
That our different interestd makes us more interesting as people only happens to be true

Not everyone supports the big war parade
Where the names of dead war heroes are not allowed for to fade
The patriotic majority have their own home grown foes
In those who the celebrating of war does oppose

Not everyone to others themselves does promote
As the sort of people who are worthy of note
The humble may well be in minority
But they will not become extinct in the twenty first century

Not everyone drinks alcohol or patronize a pub
Or not everyone is in a community social club
If we all shared the same interests how boring we would be
With such an assumption would you not agree?

Many of us are quite different in our own way
And this makes us more interesting as people does seem true to say
If we all shared the same interests and in ways thought the same
We would seem very boring for want of a better name.