We Are More Like Them

Some animals and birds are bound by territory
This is how they are and how they will always be
Like us they have their borders to defend
In their ways like many of us why otherwise pretend
Many of us humans our superiority to all other life forms do not try to disguise
But we are more like them than most of us would wish to realize
That most human beings like most animals and birds are territorial does seem right
Like them for our borders we are prepared to fight
We may feel superior to all other life forms but with them much in common we does share
Other life forms killing each other beacause of borders like we do is not rare
The big difference is that other life forms in killing feel no wrong
The guilt conciousness to humans only does belong
But we are not different to them in every way
Since people die defending their borders every day.

Never Among The Nice People

No joy on meeting one of self conceit
But nice people are always a pleasure to meet
The down to earth friendly person in truth one can say
Never fails for to bring joy to somebody's day
Sad to think that snobbish people are no longer in the few
Though this is not saying anything that is new
When you bid them in passing a good day or hello
Why they are stuck for an answer one does not need to ask why so
Perhaps it is just that they feel superior of mind
To down to earth you of the ordinary kind
Most down to earth people may be strangers to renown
But they are the social foundation of every town
But those who are full of their own self conceit
Are never among the nice people to meet.

The Former Wife And Child Beater

He used to beat his children and his long suffering first wife
But what goes around always does come around in life
The wife beater is with a husband beater today
She bellows orders at him and he does obey
He only hit her once and she hit him back
And she fully angered went on the attack
A few kicks and punches and he hit the floor
She made sure that he would hit her never more
What goes around comes around in truth one can say
The former wife beater is the bashed husband of today
Our past does catch up with us in some sort of a way
If the law does not catch up with us to Karma we must pay
The strongest and biggest meet their match in life
And the former wife and child beater has met his match in his second wife.

You May Be Young And Healthy

You may be fit, young and healthy and in your physical prime
But the Reaper of lives on you may well call time
The Reaper of lives who wields the scythe of death
At anytime can rob you of life's living breath
You may be quite young with years on your side
But on how long you live Life's Reaper decide
You know not the moment or the time of day
That Life's Reaper from you will snatch life's breath away
You may be a vibrant young woman or man
With everything in life for you going to plan
But the funeral bell that tolls for the old
For the young and the healthy also has tolled
You may be young and healthy and in your physical prime
But the Reaper of lives on your life may call time.

On Success You And I

On success you and i cannot agree
Those who are successful to you are not so to me
Of the praises of celebrities you love to sing
But success as is said can be a relative thing
On your idea of success you are one of the majority
Which leaves me as one of the minority
A successful person to me is loving, caring and kind
And on the helping of others is always inclined
Our views on success poles apart you and i
Though on some things as most do we see eye to eye
Your ideas of success are quite different to mine
Suppose we must agree on this to differ and this suits me fine
You and i look on this in a different way
But it is each to their own as the wise one does say.

Their Laugh Of The Day

Perhaps in her eighties her hair silver gray
The hat off of her head by the wind blown away
Into the saltwater and washed out to sea
Two male teenagers nearby fun in this did see

It was an embarrassment for one who was proud
To be laughed at by young cads since their laughter was loud
She did seem upset very much so indeed
And walked to her car and quickly drove off at speed

The young bucks greatly enjoyed their laugh of the day
At an aged woman's expense which seems sad to say
But those whose laughter does come at another's expense
Does lack in compassion and in common sense

Of the feelings of others their sort not aware
That she did look embarrassed they did not even care
They laughed loud as the hat off of her head was blown into the bay
And by the retreating waves to sea carried away.

We Can Only Live In The Now

From there i have been many Seasons away
And there to many i would be a stranger today
Claraghatlea two kilometres west of Millstreet town
Where i used to live when my hair was dark brown

Where i lived the physical best years of my life span
And where from a child i grew into a boy and from a boy grew into a man
But going back the years this now seems long ago
And time that rusts iron has become my foe

Today i would be a stranger to many in the Town of Millstreet
And few i know there i would happen to meet
The mentors of my childhood years among the deceased now lay
And my friends of my younger years like me have known of a better day

The old fields i loved in my memory remain
And on my flights of fancy i walk on them again
Where i grew to love Nature when i was a boy
And learning of her ways today i enjoy

I may never see old Duhallow again
Though memories of what was in me does remain
We can only live in the now as the wise one does say
And at the stroke of midnight the past will be today.

Warrnambool In May

The day it is sunny and breezy though cool
In the often windy City of Warrnambool
On changeable weather in the southern May
With the calendar Winter just a few weeks away

In the sunny coastal City a weather temperature high of seventeen degrees
With a refreshening coolness in the strengthening breeze
In the south west City blowing from Stingray Bay
On what is for Warrnambool a typical late Autumn day

Warnambool a nice City to visit at anytime of year
Even in Winter though sometimes windy the sky often sunny and clear
A temperate climate of sufficent rain
Why most Warrnambool people love their City goes without need to explain

Warrnambool a nice City to vist for a holiday
Where some holidaymakers have been known for to extend their stay
Today though breezy the sun is shining in a sky blue and gray
In Warrnambool typical weather for May.

The Joyful Lilt Of Laughter

The joyful lilt of laughter is such a marvellous sound
Happiness is in the air where mirth does abound
The people who laugh readily are nice people to know
And it truly can be said of them that their friends in numbers grow
Few ever wish to get to know the sad sacks of the town
They do seem to be short of  friends those in mood often feeling down
Those who enjoy a good laugh have a gift that is rare
The joy that bubbles in them with others they do share
That laughter is the best of medicine as a saying remains true
Whenever you are laughing the World does laugh with you
That everyone like the happy one as a truism remain
They attract people to them and every day new friends does gain
Laugh and the World laughs with you with this most would agree
The one who enjoys a good laugh does promote gaiety.

Laughing Kookaburras

One of the largest members of the kingfisher family
The laughing kookaburras as a family proclaim their territory
With a prolonged loud cackling for which they are widely known
Distinctive in their habits and with ways of their own
They nest in a hollow log  or in a cavity of old tree
The female she lays white eggs of four or two or three
Last year's family help the parents the young for to rear
Among birds such behaviour to say the least rare
Known to kill small snakes and skinks and other smaller prey
As well as the young of other birds this is their natural way
Quite big non fishing kingfishers of mottled brown and gray
They are birds i see often though not where i live every day
For their prolonged loud cackling they are known far and wide
They call out as a family group in the treed countryside.

So Many Poor People

The majority of the wealth in the Human World is owned by the few
And this is not saying anything that is new
So many poor people in the World today
And this in itself seems a sad thing to say
For every new millionaire more are in poverty
In a fair Human World this never would be
That life is unfair for many there can be no denying
Every day of malnutrition people are dying
Poor people trapped in war zones injured and dying every day
This is how life is for for the underclass and perhaps will always be this way
For the poor of the World life is an upohill fight
And the wealthy getting wealthier this does not seem right
To be poor and without hope any one would not choose
In a World where for one to win many have to lose.

Old Luke

Old Luke in his eighties once did say to me
I am not what my mum and dad wished me to be
Like my older deceased brother Dr John for years a respected M D
But we all look at life in our ways differently
Mum amd dad and my brother John in eternal rest lay
And life's end for me cannot be far away
Soon i will be with my beloved Joan in her grave
Five years ago she succumbed to cancer to her end she was brave
My son and daughter and my grandchildren sometimes visit me
But mostly i must do with my own company
Luke who worked on building sites all of his working life
Alone in his eighties without his beloved wife
His mum and dad who for him had a great career plan
In their kind hearted son they did raise a good man.

Mountain Duck Or Australian Shelduck

Mountain duck or Australian shelduck in south eastern Australia one see often though not every day
From lakes or water dams never far away
As big as a small goose of black, chestnut and white
Nature writers of them few stories ever write
On log stump or in old rabbit burrow the female bird lay
Ten to a dozen eggs of white to pale gray
The male and the female parental duities does share
And of the young ducklings always take good care
The male and the female apart not hard to identify
As the female has a white ring around either eye
By sight or by sound not hard to recognize
With a loud honking call even for birds of their size
Mountain ducks i see often though not every day
From water they are never that far away.

Far Too Many Poor And Homeless

Far too many poor and homeless people in the World today
Without a home to live in or a bed on which to lay
In draughty disused factory doorways trying to sleep hungry at night
Mere survival for them is an uphill fight
Every day for them in life a new challenge to meet
Never an easy day for the homeless of Poverty Street
Without a postal address of any opportunity in life denied
In a World where the gap between the wealthy and the poor keeps growing ever wide
Without a home to live in or a job struggling to cope
For a better future they feel little hope
In a World where the majority of the material wealth is owned by the few
To say poverty is rampant is not saying anything new
And though losing in life anyone does not choose
For one to win big many do have to lose.

The Wanderlust In Him

The wanderlust in him for places elsewhere
So he went to see life in the big World out there
Far from the wooded hills of the gray kangaroo
And the big dark brown parrots known as yellow tailed black cockatoo

In a big eastern city he is living today
With his wife and young daughter and another baby on the way
Content in his life though sometimes he does visualize
The laughter of the kookaburra in a country sunrise

And male koala high on a gum tree
In his hoarse voice proclaiming territory
Though in the city for the long stay
The country from his thoughts never far away

He miss the call of the currawong
And the butcherbird's familiar bubbling song
But with a two year old daughter and a pregnant wife
He is settled in to city life.

The Boys And Girls Of My Boyhood Years

The boys and girls of my boyhood years where are they today
Some of them are ageing in Lands far away
And some of them in or near their first home does stay
And where the deceased are some of them does lay
Memories of what was in me does remain
And though many of them i may not see again
I remember them when i think of the past
Though time on my life ever keeps ticking fast
Today if i met them perhaps many of them i would not recognize
Age changes faces i have come to realize
The boys and girls of my boyhood years i may not see again
Only the memories of them i retain
Of the what used to be and the forever gone
Only the memories now living on.

The Young Man Without Fear

The funeral bell for him he did not hear
He was buried this morning the young man without fear
His parents, siblings, girlfriend and friends at his graveside in tears
So young for to die only twenty years

The young man who loved speed luck with him did not last
This often does happen for those who drive too fast
On a narrow roadway at speed he could not negotiate a bend
His car crashed against a big tree and brought his life to an end

One does need some fear in life to survive
If he had some today he would be alive
Those who dice with death never live to grow old
Life's end can come early for the fearless and bold

Suppose he was born for to live a short life
He did not live to father children and make his girlfriend his wife
There is a lesson in his death for those who wish to heed
You are dicing with death when you are driving at speed

The dreams he had in life he did not live to achieve
Those near and dear to him his passing left to grieve
A narrow bend on the road he could not negotiate
As he was driving too fast speed did seal his fate.

Big Brother's Disciples

Human existence seems to revolve around material success
You are judged by your job or your postal address
You are even judged by the company you choose to keep
And you follow flawed leaders as if you are a sheep
You are judged by the size of your home or your car
But you are never judged for the person you are
You may be compassionate and generous and kind
But big Brother's disciples to your goodness seem blind
Your empathy, kindness and compassion never taken into account
To them such things to nothing does amount
Big brother's disciples really good people never celebrate
Their own material flawed gods they only help to create
And since they are in majority it is they have the say
Of who should be admired and celebrated in the World of today.

The Brave Willy Wagtails

Of Australian small fantail birds surely the best known
The brave willy wagtails have ways of their own
White unders and head and wings and tail dark
And over their eyebrows a long thin white feathered mark

Their long dark tails ever switching to and fro
Said as a means for flushing flies this well may be so
The female lay brown dotted white eggs of two sometimes three
On neat cup nest of bark felted with cobwebs on low branch of tree

Aggressive for their size in defense of their territory
They are quite amazing for their bravery
They mob magpies and crows and birds of prey
And somehow from their territory manage to drive them away

Sometimes they sing at night they have a scratchy song
Once seen and once heard them you never again get wrong
Of human kind little birds that are never shy
They never seem nervous with a person nearby

Known and familiar birds Australia wide
Of town parks and gardens and of the countryside
To be brave and fearless in their ways they are known
These cheeky little birds with a charm of their own.

Claraghatlea's Toughest Ever

Last year Michael Kelleher without an anaesthitic had a sun spot removed from an eye
Which left the operating surgeon and her assistants wondering why
That not even once during the surgery he did cry out in pain
His forbearance to suffering seemed beyond them to explain

Though a quite painful procedure as quite stoic he did remain
Claraghatlea's toughest ever is never one to complain
Quite strong for his years of three score and ten
He is as he always was a man among men

Of the fields of the badger and waterways of the brown trout
As a young man Michael Kelleher he journeyed far south
Married to a good Australian woman Rosemary Cronan Kelleher they are grandparents today
He is one who did work hard for his every pay

He still talks of Claraghatlea and Millstreet Town
Where he lived as a boy when his hair was light brown
He has lived in Australia for a fifty years time span
But the love of the first homeplace remains in the migrant man

That during the surgery he remained as stoic to the surgeon and her assistants a surprise
But that they were dealing with Claraghatlea's toughest every they did not realize
Michael Kelleher as ever never one to complain
And until the day he does die this is how he will remain.

She Is On The Man Market

To humility she is one who gives the lie
She uses anti ageing creams as well as brown hair dye
To make herself look younger she hides her wrinkles and covers her gray
That she is on the man market it does seem this way

Her husband last year to cancer lost his life
For three decades they had lived as man and wife
As a result of their marriage a son and a daughter and seven grandchildren in the World today
She may be in her sixties but young she wishes to stay

Her late husband a quiet man never one to socialize
And she very different up the social ladder has always yearned to rise
Their love for each other long before his death had died
She did not shed any tears at his graveside

At social occasions and community gatherings she is one often seen
On the look out for a new husband she is on the dating scene
Hopefully for a man with a huge property and heaps of money on the wealthy side of town
Not for her a bloke who is fainacially down

At her husband's passing she did not shed any tears
She is on the man market and looking well for her years
A wealthy unattached uptown man would suit her quite fine
In upper class restaurants she would love to wine and dine.

I Only Have The Mental Pictures

I only have the mental pictures of beauty i have seen
Like bluebells in May on the ditch of a bohreen
And old fields resplendent in their Nature's flowers
Looking lush and green after recent Spring showers
Tadpoles wriggling about in the waterlogged drain
Of Nature so many beautiful memories to retain
And on happy moments for to visualize
Such beautiful memories to nostalgia gives rise
I grew to love Nature in fields far away
And of her i am learning new things every day
And the more i do learn the more i realize
That i do know so little this not a surprise
Old memories to me remain a source of joy
Of where i grew to love Nature when i was a boy.

Many Of Us

Many of us humans are prone to conceit
And many of us are guilty of deceit
And many of us are greedy in some sort of a way
The perfect human being is not living today
In this the twenty first century the egotistical are not few
And this is not saying anything that is new
Us humans compete with each other for this thing known as success
And vain in our ways others like to impress
Humilty nowadays seems a thing of the past
One of the things in life that did not seem to last
In a World where many for themselves wish to make a name
And yearn to be billionaires and know of great fame
You will not meet a humble one on every street
In fact they are becoming harder to meet.

When The Last Breath Of Life

When the last breath of life from the last of my generation has finally gone
Life on Planet Earth will surely go on
Though many of our achievements may be lauded as great
On our negative impact on our natural environment nothing for us to celebrate
Nothing for humanity to feel proud of on our treatement of the one who feeds us all
Though our contributions to life compared to her achievements seem small
From our earth Mother the one we depend on for to live
We take and we take and in return to her nothing give
To our Earth Mother the one on whom for everything we depend
We do not treat her as we should as our greatest friend
For our abuse of our Earth Mother future generations of people will pay
For the pollution and abuse of her resources by us the living of today
From the earth Mother who feeds us and we depend on to live
We take and we take and in return to her nothing give.

A Stranger To Everyone

Lost in the big town his English not good
Struggling when he is speaking for to be understood
So few can help you when they do not know what you are speaking about
With his sort of a problem most people would be happy to be without
The language barrier always gets in the way
When people struggle to understand to them what you have to say
Few who can speak his language here he can hope to meet
Not one familiar accent to him on any street
His accent and language none can understand
Life can be tough on the migrant from a far off Land
Who cannot speak the language and struggles to communicate
Language a communicative barrier between people create
A migrant far from home and in mood feeling down
And a stranger to everyone in the big town.

Of The What Used To Be

I may never walk on the old fields again
Or see Clara half cloaked in the gray fogs of rain
And in Spring see tadpoles wriggling in the waterlogged drain
Only memories of what was with me now remain
The scream of a barn owl in the still air of night
That has rats and mice scurrying for cover in fright
Where i grew to love Nature from here far away
And of her i remain a student today
Her wonders are many and her secrets not few
And everyday of Nature we learn something new
Yet the more i learn of her the more i realize
That of her i know little this not a surprise
I left the old fields some of the bigger World for to see
And all i have left are the memories of the what used to be.

Old Garrett

Of his travels he has many stories and tales
Old Garrett whose life's journey began in Cardiff in Wales
At a young age the wanderlust in him for the World out there to be seen
He said goodbye to his mum and dad and his younger brother Glen when he turned nineteen
Nothing nostalgic in Garrett he says the World is his home
He has seen much of Europe been to Berlin, London, Paris and Rome
Travelled in many Countries in South Africa worked for a few years in Capetown
When he was in his prime years and his hair was chestnut brown
Of his years of travelling he talks about today
In Canada and South America and in the U S of A
Been to Moscow and Delhi and Beijing  and travelled in Japan
Garrett in his late seventies is a well travelled man
He does not know if any of his love affairs did bring children though he never had a wife
And somewhere in Australia he may live out his life.

Those You Wish To Forget

Though them you wish you never had met
Them it does seem you will never forget
For as long as in the World you do live
Though them over time you have come to forgive

And just like the good person you really are
For them you do not take your dislike too far
Since dislike can lead to hatred and hatred can lead to serious crime
That culminates for the offender in years of prison time

Not everyone you have known to you have been kind
Some to take advantage of you were all too inclined
Few live a lifetime without making some foes
For many this is how l;ife works one has to suppose

Since you never does take your dislike of anyone too far
Feel proud of the person that you really are
In life we remember with fondness kind people we have met
And then there are those  you wish you could forget.

An Unpredictable Thing

Life can be an unpredictable thing
Who is to say what tomorrow will bring
One of the poor of the town yesterday
Last night lady luck she did come his way
The lucky fellow his luck was in
In tattslotto he did have a huge jackpot win
Yesterday from struggling financially to an overnight millionaire
He has become one of the lucky rare
Yesterday his buying a lotto ticket proved well worth his while
Today he is one who has reason to smile
Though poor financially with hope he kept faith
Everything does come to those who do wait
Yesterday the lady of luck she was smiling his way
He has no financial worries today.

Not Every

Not every good man who lives a good and moral life
Is lucky enough for to have a good wife
And not every good woman is married to a good man
Not all things in love and life does go to plan
Even the near to perfect couple are in minority
Perfection it is not for humanity
And love like a flower that comes to bloom quickly is as quick to decay
So few madly in love for long periods of time in love does stay
Some people go through life without knowing love at all
And of love happy or painful memories do not have to recall
Suppose one could say they are lucky in a way
That the sad memory of a love's disappointment is not with them today
Not every good woman and man have a good husband or wife
But then there are some disappointments in life.

Puffed Head

A young stud of the town is how he does feel
Though to many local young women he does not appeal
His own praises he is one who does love to sing
But then as is said youth must have it's fling

In his early twenties near his physical prime
He too will be tamed by the one known as time
It takes only a few silly women a big ego to create
They have an egotistical young bloke feeling he is a great

Any semblance of humility in him is long dead
He does live up to his nickname of Puffed Head
But sad to say young men of his sort not rare
Every town of them does have it's own share

Of his sexual prowess he does love to brag
For boasting he does help to carry the flag
But most local young women not attracted to him in any sort of a way
You cannot win them all as the wise one does say.

Duhallow In May

The birds sing and whistle in the dawning gray
In the woods and groves of Duhallow from here far away
And the hawthorns resplendent cloaked in their white blooms of May
For to describe such beauty no words for to say
The old fields lush and green beautiful in their Spring flowers
That have been brought to bloom by the mild late April showers
In Duhallow May is a beautiful time of year
The song of the migratory cuckoo one regularly does hear
The swallows back home to breed chase insects as they fly
They are the long distance speedsters of the sky
Their mates sit on their eggs in their cup shaped nests of mud on shed rafters nearby
Too fast for aerial predators for to kill their young will be flying by July
When the nesting songbirds of Nature does whistle and sing
Duhallow does look beautiful in the Spring.

Of The Saltwater Bay

On the still shallow waters of the Saltwater Bay
The terns are diving for tiny marine life today
The sun out and shining with only a slight breeze
Of beautiful weather for late Autumn of around twenty degrees
A beautiful day to spend an hour or more
Just watching the waves gently lapping on the sandy shore
The mewing of the gulls as they fly unmistakeable to hear
From this place where earthly utopia does have to be near
Alone with Mother Nature on a morning in May
Such beauty around me to describe i do not have words to say
Such natural beauty everywhere around me
I feel rather lucky as the word can be
Where the terns are diving for tiny insect prey
On the calm shallow waters of Saltwater Bay.

The Best Things In Life

It is true that the best things in life they are free
Nature's beauty around us we need not pay for to see
For a walk in the park such a beautiful day
With the sun shining bright in a sky blue and gray
A cool sort of freshness in the mild coastal breeze
And birds chirping and whistling on bushes and trees
In the southern May and the calendar Winter near
The weather quite beautiful for the time of year
The deciduous leaves on their trees turning brown
And departing their branches and slowly drifting down
To the earth that creates and receives life for to decay
We too like the leaves will return to earth one day
And though not everybody with this would agree
It is true that the best things in life they are free.

Portland In Victoria

A big coastal Town that is widely known
Portland in south west Victoria has a charm of it's own
The people of Portland quite a welcoming race
And they help to make their Town quite a welcoming place
Quite a liveable seaside Town not too big or too small
And houses to buy or rent there not too expensive at all
One hundred kilometres from Warrnambool in Victoria's south west
As a place to visit surely one of the best
With beautiful beaches as one of it's claims to renown
One can say of it quite a beautiful Town
Not an expensive place for your next holiday
Of Portland most people have nice things to say
A big coastal Town in south west victoria that is widely known
Portland it does have a charm of it's own.

It Is Said About Poets

It is said about poets that they are in the few
Though this is not saying anything that is new
But who is or is not a poet ask one other than me
Since even literary critics on this does not agree
Though many refer to themselves as a poet
Only few are seen to be worthy of literary note
And even some of the minority adjudged to make the literary grade
Do not remain famous and from memory fade
But if you believe you are a poet then you must be one is how it seems to me
For we are what we think we are is how it seems to be
But it is the literary critics that writers to the status of poets elevate
Though their chosen one many may not see as great
And who is or is not a poet ask one other than me
Since i am not a literary critic nor i do not have a literary degree.

Near Where The River Meets The Sea

Sitting at a park table enjoying cake and tea
Near where the river does meet the sea
Such a lovely place for one to be
Some of the best things in life they are free
A sound that is forever more
Of the huge surf waves rolling to the shore
A sound that is as old even as time
That has inspired the artists and the writers of song, story and rhyme
To those with such gifts Nature without doubt
Inspires them to sketch and write about
A precious memory for to retain
For to visualize and for to visit again
Of the park bench near where the river meets the sea
In the sunshine enjoying your cake and tea.

It Saddens Me A Little

It saddens me a little for to have to say
That i would be a stranger to many in Millstreet today
Even a stranger to many in Claraghatlea my first homeplace
Where years ago mine was a familiar face
I am one who has known of a better day
Time has left me wrinkled and balding and gray
Some thirty five years past my physical prime
I am one of those on the wrong side of time
On those old streets i often did walk up and down
A stranger to many now in Millstreet Town
Where many young locals of me would say
This old fellow he must be from far away
Where many looked on me as one of their own
Today to most people there i would not be known.

The Songbird Of Freemount

A beautiful young woman many people admire
The Songbird of Freemount Elle Marie O' Dwyer
The Pride of the Village in the green countryside
Beyond old Duhallow one known far and wide

The great traditional singer from the place where Allow waters flow
Her wavy hair to her shoulders as dark as the wing of a crow
Her fan club in Ireland in numbers does grow
Of a successful career as a singer she is one who does know

Her voice so melodious, distinctive and clear
Ahead of her greater times it does appear
In her physical prime her's is a well known face
A beautiful singing voice from a beautiful place

The Songbird of Freemount famed and widely known
Her beautiful voice has a charm of it's own
Of singing her praises her fans never tire
The beautiful dark haired Elle Marie O' Dwyer.

At Any Time

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
And the song 'The longer You Live The Sooner You Will Die'
Is a fact of life and fact never lie
Death it can come to us at anytime
People die young and old and in their lives prime
And as is said of time it does not wait for anyone
Not for the president and the monarch and their daughter and son
On your life the Reaper of lives has the say
And sooner or later will come reaping your way
That to live a good life you must give to receive
On such a philosophy i for one does believe
And those willing to help those of helping in need
For their future good karma are planting the seed.

Mada And Ted

As is said about dogs they cannot shed tears
Mada and Ted had been canine friends for years
Mada in peace now at Illowa lay
With Ted left to grieve at her passing today

Mada will be missed by Jenny and Ross
But her passing to her friend Ted comes at a greater loss
He will grieve for her in a far deeper way
And wonder how come with him she did not stay

That dogs do not have their own canine friendships would be to pretend
Mada she was Ted's greatest canine friend
Dogs do not know their life's journey will end
And death is a thing they cannot comprehend

Sadly missed by her human friends Jenny and Ross
Mada she has gone from Southern Cross
Her best canine friend Ted is feeling so sad
Together so many happy times they had

Like humans dogs for their friends also do grieve
Those who tell you different themselves only deceive
Poor Ted he is worthy of sympathy
Since he is wondering where his friend Mada might be

Life in the Moyne Shire as usual goes on
Though Mada from Southern Cross she has gone
Ted for his absent friend is left to grieve
But that time is the grief healer one has to believe.

Few Things As They Were

Self important people may feel that they are it
But they do lack in humility and do not have a sense of wit
At their social evenings  with each other for attention they compete
They are not the type of people i do yearn for to meet

They like to tell anyone they meet that knowledge does not grow on trees
And that their chil;dren are in top career jobs thanks to their uni degrees
For rank and class distinction they do carry the flag
And at their social gatherings they surely love to brag

The humble nowadays fewer in truth it can be said
That in this twenty first century humility is all but dead
One does grow tired of braggers since they are not in the few
To say the Human World is not short of them is not saying anything that is new

They like themselves that bit too much in truth of them one can say
With their bragging pages on facebook with photos of self and family on display
Humility does seem a thing of the past
Few things as they were ever does seem to last.

What We Receive From Life

We receive from life what is only our due
Some times may be so but is not always true
I have known people who have worked hard beyond their lives prime
And have retired with little to show for their time
To be wealthy and famous some luck one does need
Without ii in life it is hard to succeed
It is a tough climb to success from poverty
That few do succeed in doing is how it seems to be
And though losing is a thing anyone does not choose
For one to win big many have to lose
This is how it is and how it will stay
As sure as tomorrow will follow today
What we receive from life is not always our due
This is something that does happen for to be true.

In Centuries From Now

In centuries from now stories will be told
Of legendary people of the days of old
And for the returned from war soldiers a big street parade
It is out of young warriors that heroes are made
And there will be more elite sports people and popular entertainers for to celebrate
The impressionable masses their own heroes create
And ageing men in pubs past greats will recall
Though change does occur some things don't change at all
And with every new midnight another day gone
And time that rusts iron does keep ticking on
And people are quickly beyond their lives prime
Eventually everyone lose out to time
In centuries from now people for jobs will compete
And in pubs and clubs to socialize will meet.

Welcoming Koroit

With links to Indigenous and Irish cultures two of it's claims to renown
Koroit in Victoria a historic old Town
For the annual Lake School and Irish Festival it has become widely known
With the best of the south west Koroit does hold it's own

Where many locals greet a visitor as a well known face
It's friendly people make Koroit such a welcoming place
Of the Moyne Shire one might say a gem in the crown
There is so much for to like about Koroit Town

Every day for itself Koroit new friends does gain
And old friends from the past often return for to visit again
Just a nice town to visit for a short or a longer stay
Of Koroit many have only nice things to say

Where most locals greet strangers with a welcoming smile
A visit to there well worth anyone's while
A gem in the crown of Victoria's coastal south west
Among places to visit it rates with the best

Life To None Is Indebted

Those who believe that life does owe to them only disappointment on themselves does bring
For life to none is indebted and does not owe anyone anything
Some do blame life for their misfortune when they have none other to blame
But life is impervious to human criticisms and does not have a sense of shame
Life does not bring you misfortune or life does not give you success
Life is a gift in it's own right the greatest gift you do possess
For their hardships and lack of money people blame life every day
But to our praise and our criticism of her life does not have anything for to say
We depend on life to be with us when we talk of times of us ahead
For when life does remove her gift from us to all feelings we become dead
No point on complaining to life when the journey on you is rough
Since life is not the one to be blaming when times on you they are tough
Life is not the one to be blaming when you feel deprived of success
Life does not owe us we owe life for the greatest gift that we possess.

The Clocks On Our Lives

The clocks on our lives ever keep ticking fast
And each day we do live one nearer to our last
Make the most of each day life is a precious thing
Who knows for to say what the future will bring
Some of the town's wealthiest people are not so today
Where the dead are their last remains lay
To the scythe of life's reaper all lives does fall
And to the dead fame and money is of no use at all
Life is not all about what you do for yourself but also what for others you do
Treat other people as you would like them to treat you
Live and let live as the wise one does say
And give to receive life is this way
The clocks on our lives does keep ticking on
And at the stroke of midnight today will have gone.

Sacred And Straw Necked Ibis

Though different in colouring of similar family
Straw necked ibis and sacred ibis in mixed flocks i often see
Sacred mostly white with head and tail of dark brown
Are birds often seen in the parks of the town
Though straw necked mostly dark brown are birds of the countryside
And though often seen in mixed flocks they are not hard to differentiate
Though when it comes to breeding with each other they never mate
With long curved bills for probing for slugs in softer ground
Often in mixed flocks in huge numbers they abound
They both lay white eggs on stick nests over water as birds they are well known
Though similar in some ways they both have ways of their own
Familiar birds in their range many of them can say
Sacred and straw necked ibis i know of but do not see every day.

My Worth As A Rhymer

My worth as a rhymer i may have reason to doubt
But for me no shortage of material for to write rhymes about
It is something i love doing in truth i can say
The rhymes keep on coming to me every day
It is easy to write rhymes as most wouod agree
And one rhyme leads to another is how it seems for me
There are rhymes every day in the things i do hear and see
A magpie is singing on a windblown gum tree
And the magpie larks in the paddocks are calling pee wee
To write rhymes is easy as easy as can be
To say i am a poet myself i would only deceive
But that i was born to write rhymes this i do believe
With rhyming words i am one who loves to play
And the rhymes keep on coming to me every day.

Noel C And Green Glens

The Green Glens Entertainment Arena in Millstreet Town to Noel C Duggan and his family belong
It was named by Noel C years ago in honour of his favourite song
Known as The Green Glens Of Antrim that remains famous today
Old songs live on through decades of time though people grow old and gray

Green Glens was built as a horse jumping arena and is now known Worldwide
Far beyond the Town in view of Clara Hill of Duhallow's green countryside
Big show jumping events held there every year as well as other forms of entertainment as well
Of the famous entertainment complex so many stories one could tell

A renowned entertainment arena in County Cork that has inspired song. story and rhyme
The Eurovision Song Contest and a World Championship fight held there going back the years of time
Green Glens was a Noelc C Duggan dream that for him did come true
He has done much for Millstreet Town for to give the man his due

Millstreet Town in County Cork between Killarney and Macroom
Famed horsemen have jumped their horses there such as Harvey Smith and David Broome
And other stars of the show jumping  World far too numerous for to name
For to win the Millstreet Showjumping Derby a claim to showjumping fame

Green Glens a famed entertainment arena in Duhallow's Millstreet Town
Has claimed for Noel C Duggan and his family their own spot in renown
An octogenarian and Duhallow's greatest dreamer he will dream until the day he die
And that a dreamer lives forever is surely not a lie.

On Hares

Hares are related to rabbits but otherwise different in every way
As they do not have burrows they rest in the open by day
At twilight from hiding they venture out
For to nibble on young grass and their territory for to roam about
The female hare gives birth to two to three young which she hides in different spots in the daylight
And come for to suckle them in the darkness of night
Hares much larger than rabbits and mostly russet brown
Are animals of the countryside never seen in any park of any town
Hares are fast creatures and quite skilful indeed
For to escape from predators they uses their dodging skills and their speed
I have seen them in coursing parks give the run around
To very fit and bred for speed coursing greyhounds
Yet i have also seen them killed and the pain in their death cry
Remains with me today though many years since then have gone by.

What Happens To Be True

I only do say what happens to be true
A better Human World to live in begins with me and you
To the suffering of others we are too often blind
If each individual grew more compassionate and kind
The benefits that would accrue from this would be to everyone's gain
Hopes for a better and more compassionate Human World in the future one can only retain
If we all grew more caring for each other how great this would be
That in this we do have a choice with seems hard to disagree
A better and a kinder Human World to live in is up to us all
Any act of kindness in any way is never too small
The kind and compassionate are great people indeed
And every day for their future good karma they plant the good seed
That to make a better Human World to live in begins with me and you
And with everyone else so happens for to be true.

Duhallow In May

In the leafy groves of Duhallow from here far away
The nesting birds of Nature are singing today
And the hawthorns are cloaked in their blooms of white to gray
And the old fields lush and green in their wildflowers of May

When the voice of the migratory cuckoo one does hear
May in Duhallow is a lovely time of year
Everywhere fresh looking and green after the recent rain
Visual memories of such beauty a lifetime to retain

In the fields of the badger and waterways of the brown trout
For a writer so much beauty for to write about
Cattle out of wintering sheds from months of eating silage and hay
On nutritious young grass are gaining weight by the day

The dark swallows are chasing flying insects in the sky
Their young will have grown and be flying by July
In mid Autumn with their families they will migrate south
To the warmer climates where there are plenty of flying insects about

New glossy green leaves on every deciduous tree
In Duhallow in May so much beauty to see
Such beautiful memories a lifetime to retain
For to visit again and again and again.

Though For Everyone

Though for everyone their dreams does not come true
Everyone in their life has some dream to pursue
Everyone dreams of better days ahead
Those without dreams are of the living dead
Though few as is said in life their dreams achieve
On yourself you surely ought to believe
Hoipe springs eternal words from someone wise
Who knows one day your dream you may realize
Though with your life's setbacks you are struggling to cope
Giving up on your dream is giving up on hope
Of a better future and this for you is sad
Though life at present for you is going bad
To your dream despite all you ought to cling
The future to you much better may bring.

June Has The Loveliest Smile

It is true that a smile does not cost one a thing
And a flutter of joy to someone else it might bring
June she spreads joy when walking on the street
She smiles and says hello to everyone she does meet
Her husband John last year of cancer from life passed away
As the love of her life in her mind he will stay
For as long as she will live her love for him she will retain
The death of a loved one gives rise to mental pain
John was two years older than June she is now twenty five
In her memories of him he is well and alive
She carries her sorrows with bravery and grace
And she always does have a big smile on her face
A beautiful woman of shoulder length raven hair and eyes of light brown
June has the loveliest smile in the town.

When Those You Complain To

When those you complain to of your life's troubles of their own troubles have more than enough
No point in you grumbling of how times on you are tough
With your financial situation they cannot help you in any way
And money speaks every language as the wise one does say
Though verbal support from your friends to you does count
Their sympathetic words to you to little does amount
Since financially they cannot help you they themselves are in poverty
Of debt just like you they may never be free
The wealthy and the poor with each other never socialize
And this true to say is not any surprise
Birds of a feather mostly flock together with humans it mostly is this way
This is how it was and it is and how it will stay
And those you complain to of your poor financial situation may express sympathy for you
But nothing else for you to help they can do.

On The First Of May

It is such a beautiful and sunny day
And for coastal south west Victoria quite warm for the first of May
A weather temperature high of a pleasant twenty degrees
With only the slightest of a mild coastal breeze
Blowing up the hill from the saltwater bay
And not one rain cloud in the sky of blue and gray
On such beautiful weather for the time of year
The warbling flute like notes of the magpies so pleasant to hear
And the magpie larks in the greening paddocks are calling pee wee
Where so much natural beauty is all around me
The last month of the calendar Autumn and Winter is near
But the sunny sky of any rain clouds is clear
Where from Earthly Utopia cannot be far away
It is so good to be living on such a nice day.

Of Her We Do Learn

We never stop learning in truth one can say
And of Nature we learn something new every day
But the more we learn of her the more we realize
That of her we know little this not a surprise
Such joy to so many Mother Earth's beauty bring
Yet there is more to the bird than the song the bird sing
And all things in Nature does interrelate
Since Nature all life forms is known to create
And if there is a god then god is a she
Nature is her name and her beauty is for all to see
The one with the amazing creative powers
Who from tiny seeds creates beautiful flowers
And of her we do learn something new every day
We never stop learning since life is this way.

Though Some Of Me May Not

Though some of me may not have nice things to say
I cannot dislike anybody this is not my way
Dislike leads to hatred this is not for me
And with the saying of an eye for an eye i could never agree
With someone you feel has wronged you why try to even the score
Revenge never eases bad feelings only leads to more
Those who do wrong by others to karma will pay
What goes around comes around life works in this way
You cannot like everyone you know of or know
But never allow liking to disliking grow
For dislike often leads to hatred and hatred can lead to serious crime
Such as serious injury or even murder and years of prison time
Though some in their words of me have been unkind
To seek revenge on them i never feel inclined.

Of Harry And Meghan

Of Harry and Meghan i have heard more than enough
We never do hear of those doing it tough
Who are homeless and hungry and in life struggling to cope
And of a better future do not live in hope
This wedding of Harry and Meghan in the news every day
I wish it were over and done with is all i can say
Suppose the reason for this is the wedding of celebrities and royals newspapers and magazines sell
Though the numbers of their admirers by one i refuse for to swell
Of Harry and Meghan i only wish for the best
But of news of them my ears do need a rest
All this fuss about Harry and Meghan whilst thousands of homeless people of hunger slowly die
Those who tell us all people are equal are those who believe their own lie
Of Harry and Meghan far too much of late
Celebrity worshippers and royalists their own small gods do create.

Joe And Tim

Old Joe's big german shepherd Tim his protector and mate
Without Joe's permission will not allow anyone to enter his premises he stands guard at the gate
The old man says his faithful dog is his greatest living friend
For true mateship and protection on him he can depend

Old Joe a great grand dad lives on his own since the death of Jane his wife
He always feels safe as he knows his dog would defend him with his life
Tim a powerful black and tan three year old quiet and fearless one might say
Where Joe is you can feel assured Tim is not far away

Old Joe in his late eighties is frail and gray but one thing of him is clear
That the neighbourhood thugs will not bother him since Tim his dog they do fear
They would not dare burglar his house they fear the big dog's teeth
He may be frail but with his dog he feels the safest on the street

When Joe is out walking Tim is always at his side
On his devoted canine friend the old man takes great pride
Though frail and gray he know his dog the brave and faithful Tim
Without hesitation would give his life in defense of him.

We Learn From Life

We learn from life for as long as we live
And the happiest are those who for to receive do give
Though being financially poor anyone does not choose
For one to grow wealthy others have to lose
Why this be so is beyond me to explain
But it is a fact of life that will ever remain
So many poor people in the Human World of today
Who are hungry and homeless and living life in the toughest way
The victims of oppression and war, droughts and human greed
Of more wealthy people with kindness and compassion the Human World is in need
For every financially well to do person many in dire poverty
In a fair to live in Human World this never would be
They are good people those who for to recieve do give
To their higher selves they do know how to live.

Old Memories To Me

Old memories to me remain a source of joy
Of where i grew to love Nature when i was a boy
The memories of the old fields in me does remain
And on my visualizations i often walk on them again
When the hawthorns are cloaked in their blossoms of pale gray
And the nesting songbirds are singing in the prime of the May
And the old fields lush and green resplendent in their Nature's flowers
That have been brought to bloom by the mild Spring showers
Such beautiful memories i have to retain
That in reality i may not see again
Where from a boy i grew into a man
And where the journey in life for me began
And where i grew to love Nature i remember today
Good old memories live a life time they do not fade away.

The More I Learn Of Life

The more i learn of life the more i realize
That so little i know of it this not a surprise
And what applies to all and all includes me and you
Is that in life we never stop learning happens to be true
And despite your great talents that bring you financial success
Life remains the greatest gift that you possess
Of singing life's praises seems hard to resist
For without it as beings we would not even exist
The lessons in the book of life not in the few
And everyday from it we learn something new
We learn as we live as the wise one does say
Life has a new lesson for us every day
And we never stop learning from life until we do die
Those who do tell you different believe their own lie.

The Lane Brothers Cows And Calves

In the twilight in the paddock to where i am near
The Lane Brothers black angus cows bellowing to their calves i do hear
Their darkness in the twilight make them impossible to see
Though they are less than three hundred metres from me
Their young calves as their mothers were born hornless and black
To their devoted parents in a weaker bellow call back
For security and love and protection a young calf can depend
On it's adoring mother as a trusting friend
The Lane Brothers cows and calves i see every day
In the big paddock from where i live just across the way
In the twilight and dark nights of them i lose sight
But i often see them as dark shadows in the moonlight
In the fading twilight with night to Illowa near
The Lane Brothers cows and calves bellowing i do hear.

Where The Creek And The River Does Meet

I do love the place far from the noisy street
Out there where the creek and the river does meet
Where there are not any factories with tall chimneys anywhere nearby
Puffing up the gray smoke of fossil fuel for to pollute the sky
Where the songs of the birds on the nearby sunlit trees
Are carrying in the freshening afternoon breeze
Their natural music is so pleasant to hear
In a place that to Earthly Utopia is near
Far from the industrial town where only human created noise does abound
Where the creek joins the river only natural sound
The sweet babble of the waterways and the music of birdsong
For to visit or live in where Nature resides i am one who does long
To be far away from the noise of the street
Out there where the creek and the river does meet

Anthony Brady's Goats

Were i born a wordsmith story teller or poet
Skilled with words and one worthy of literary note
Of Anthony Brady's goats i surely would write
A story to read or a poem to recite

Across from the old Koroit railway station in a small fenced paddock they spend their time
A brown and white and a white goat perhaps past their lives prime
Both with round galvanize shelters as protection from too much exposure to sun, wind and rain
In their shelters looking out on their surroundings sometimes for hours they remain

Tethered with long chains to ground stakes to confine them to territory
Perhaps they would climb over the paddock fences if they were allowed to roam free
Yet they are content and have enough to eat
And when tired they do rest in their sheltery retreat

If you are walking or driving by Koroit's old railaway station Anhony Brady's goats you will see
Content looking enough confined in their territory
I often see them when i am driving that way
Seemingly content in their paddock though there they must stay.

My Thoughts Far Away

My thought far away from where the noise volume is loud
Of the heavy metal band and the noisy crowd
What is music to many is only noise to me
But then if we all liked the same things how boring we would be
Though not into music in any big way
It is each to their own as the wise one does say
The music of Nature is what i like best
When from the loudness of people my ears need a rest
I go for a walk in the mild evening breeze
The birds sing and whistle on the sunlit trees
All alone with Nature i find peace of mind
One happy among Nature i am of that kind
I have always loved Nature and doubtless i always will
Until the heart in me by death is rendered as still.

Wealthy One

Wealthy one you have heaps of money for to satiate your greed
Yet you are not one who sows karma's good seed
For you are quite selfish so much so indeed
You never would think of helping one of your helping in need
A big company c e o with two bigs cars, beautiful children and a beautiful wife
One can say of you that you have made it in life
With an annual salary of millions for making huge profits for your company by making many unemployed
Out of the misery of others you wear the look of pride
For those doing it tough in life one thought you do not spare
Since by making big companies wealthier you have become a multi millionaire
By you causing unemployment your company financially does grow and grow
And extra billions in annual profits they do have to show
Yet you are one who has failed for to sow Karma's good seed
You never help anyone of your helping in need.

A Sound Of The Bog

It followed me south from the bogs far away
The male snipe in his territorial display
Above the brown bogland he makes a fast drumming sound
With his tail feathers as he flies around
All night under a darkened sky
He drums out his love calls as he does fly
Until the light of dawn creeps through the clouds of gray
He flies down to the bog for to rest for the day
In my nostalgic moments i often does hear
A sound of the bog in the Spring of the year
The past may be gone but the memories remain
Of a familiar sound i may not hear again
Memories of the snipe's courtship and territoril display today i retain
Why we miss somethings of the past beyond me to explain
In Spring all night long above the bog until the dawn of day
The male snipe does fly in his courtship display.

Koroit's Irish Festival Day

The sun shining bright in the sky blue and gray
On old Koroit Town on Irish Festival Day
The singers and musicians do sing and do play
The music and songs of Ireland from Koroit far away

In Koroit Town so much of the non sporting culture of Ireland is made
On Irish Festival day on Commercial Road a huge street parade
With the banners and flags of the Counties of Ireland on display
Old allegiances does live on as the wise one does say

The last Saturday in April is always a big day in Koroit Town
That for it's strong links to Ireland can claim some renown
Many of the sons and daughters of Ireland going back a century or more
Arrived to settle in the place now known as Koroit from Hibernia's shore

Many of the descendants of Ireland of their heritage feel proud
And on the last Saturday in April in Koroit Town help to swell the numbers of the crowd
In the famed Moyne shire Town they come to celebrate
Their links to their ancestral hisory on their calendar a date.

The Past Lives In Us

Just like the lines of  a known and famed song
Wherever we go to the past goes along
Even the memories we would rather forget
Are living in us much to our regret
Some may remind you the past it has gone
But in you as you know it is living on
And will be with you until the day you do die
For to believe different would be to believe your own lie
Only in death of memories of the past we will be free
It lives on in you and it lives on in me
And for as long as the gift of memory we retain
In memory we will go to the past again
The past lives in us and in us will stay
For as long as we live until our last night and day.

You May Say

You may say i am off of the mark and in my thinking i am wrong
When i say that all of the material wealth we possess to someone else belong
Eventually all of the wealth we possess came from the earth that we live on
The earth that we will return to when the life from us has gone
The parents pass their lives material gains on to their daughter and son
The things that in life that respect and admiration is won
But material wealth is something in some ways from others we gain
It is an energy we cannot create though this seems hard to explain
That money in life is most important happens for to be true
And the dream in life of having lots of it many do pursue
But even money has it's source on the earth on which we live
It is an energy of power that we receive for to give
To others for services rendered for to be shared around
That has it's source on a tree that grows on nature's ground.

It Is Human After All

Though your happiest of memories are of the good times you have had
In life there are good times and times that are sad
And your happiest memories can have you close to tears
As you think of the good times of your younger years
Life is your greatest gift for which you should feel glad
And little point in complaining that life is treating you bad
For we must accept what life to us does bring
As is often said of it that it does not owe us a thing
In life for us some new challenge every day
This is how it is and will always be this way
It is those who have known tough times the good times truly appreciate
Their happier times have them in a near to blissful state
Though in your worst days you feel the unhappiest one in the town
It is human after all at times to feel down.

The Giant Tortoises

The giant tortoises of the Islands of Aldabra and the Galapagos live to be very old
Some up to and beyond two centuries as we have been told
This is twice as long as the longest lived woman or man
Of living time for an air breathing creature this is quite a long span
For a land dwelling reptile this seems such a long time
In their fiftieth year they are in their lives prime
They are heavy reptiles many of them over two hundred pound
Though even in their home islands in large numbers they do not abound
Of so little of them and their ways of i can claim to know
I have seen them in zoos they seem lumbering and slow
Perhaps their slow and easy going ways one of the reasons they live for so long
Those who claim that stress shoretens life are surely not wrong
The giant tortoises of Aldabra and the Galapagos live for a long time
In their fifties they are only in their lives prime.

Angie

Gone from the old town a beloved face
And none it does seem for to take Angie's place
For she was a very good person indeed
Always willing to help one of helping in need
In her early twenties in a motor car accident she lost her only child Ann
And five years ago she grieved for her beloved husband Stan
And Angie in her early sixties was buried today
Of cancer she died and free of pain she now lay
Such a kind and compassionate human being so full of good energy
And her in the flesh we will never more see
And this seems a sad thing for to have to say
And to realize life ended for her in a slow painful way
There has to be a heaven for her kind one has to believe
And all who knew angie her passing does grieve.

One God For All

Most religious people claim the god of their religion is the true god
Of gods then there are many though this does seem a bit odd
Then what goes for those who believe on one god for all
Though their sort in numbers does seem rather small
A god for all people of every race and creed
Does seem quite an appealing idea indeed
Far too many wars for god would you not agree
One god for all would bring World harmony
At least in the World of religion anyway
There would be no wars for god if all to one god did pray
For Mother Earth's resources there could be wars obviously
As well as wars for cultures and borders to repeat history
But if all believed on one god this would be a great thing
And less tension between people to the human World it would bring.

Egotistical People

Egotistical people are not or will never be rare
Of them on my travels i have met quite a share
In fact every day of their sort i meet a few
In this i am saying anything that is new
It is human to have ego as is all known too well
But some more so than others their egos far easier to swell
Those who uphold the rank order in every town
Look up to some and on others look down
Though their praises i never will be one to sing
In some ways i pity the egotistical as too much of ego can be a mind destroying thing
They lose out on kindness, compassion and on empathy
Three of the greater gifts of humanity
For class distinction and social rank
The egotistical in some ways we do have to thank.

To Be A Better Man

Material Wealth and renown i feel no desire to pursue
To my own self i can only live as true
The challenges of life every day i do meet
With others for success i feel no desire to compete
We came to life with nothing and with nothing we will die
Those who tell you different believe their own lie
Into self promotion i have no wish to be
If i were this way it would only make a hypocrite of me
I live in my own way and do my own thing
And of my own praises i have no right for to sing
I only want to live to be a better man
And help the one in need of helping  if i can.

Brave In The Extreme

Your cause is worth fighting for but not for it to die
To say any different would be a lie
Sacrificing and losing your life for any cause may be seen as brave in the extreme
But otherwise rather foolhardy is how it does seem
Today they are honoured and remembered with pride
The brave fighting under their Country's flag who in foreign fields died
Though the odds stacked against them they refused to retreat
And they fell under gunfire in a noble defeat
But what did they die for in fields far away?
These noble young men who are remembered today
Most of them did not have the chance to father children since they were so young
And not of much use to them today if their praises are sung
It was their government sent them far from home to die
In their fight for freedom which was based on a lie.

In Nature Great Beauty

To view it money we do not have to pay
The beauty in nature we see every day
It is all around you and it is all around me
On all Seasons in nature great beauty to see
The more we learn of nature the more our wonder of her does grow
Yet so little of her ways we can claim of to know
Her wonders are many and her secrets not few
And this is not saying anything that is new
I grew to love nature as a young boy
And learning of her ways today i enjoy
But the more i learn of her the more i realize
That of her i know little this is not a surprise
It is all around you and it is all around me
In nature great beauty for all for to see

Spotted Necked Doves

Spotted necked doves who were introduced from Asia to Australia
In some south eastern towns and parks and in the outskirts one does see
On flimsy flat stick nest the female lays her pale eggs
On high bush or a lower branch of a tree

With pink feet a gray and brown bird with white dark spotted neck band
Of human kind most of them rather shy
If human comes near to them they take to flight
And into bush or tree are quick to fly

Their familiar coos from once heard are unmistakeable
From once seen and heard birds you will know again
Why some birds by their voices or appearance are easily recognizable
Is something way beyond me to explain

Spotted necked doves are birds i do see often
And once seen and heard are easy for to recognize
Often seen in towns and in the countryside nearby
They have a rather loud coo for their size.

There Are Others To Care About Too

I know where my life's journey began but i don't know where it will take me to
And i do not crave recognition for anything i do
We came into this life poor and helpless and cannot take anything with us when we leave
And we leave all behind us what in life we do achieve

Though the praises of life and some people and nature i does sing
Life it does not owe me any recognition or anything
And this is not any sense of false humility
How i look at life is my reality

When compared to nature the greatest achievements of humans seem small
And as for me i have nothing to boast of at all
I just wish to live out my time as a far better man
And help anyone in need of helping if i possibly can

My journey in life began in view of hills far away
And who knows where i will live my last night and day
In life it is not all about the good for yourself that you do
Just remember there are others to care about too.

I Feel I May Be

I began writing rhyme in nineteen seventy three
And addicted to rhyming i feel i may be
At twenty seven years of age in my physical prime
And this is going back many Seasons in time
In rhyming for me never money or fame
Yet it is something that i do love doing just the same
The only reason that i do write rhymes every day
Did i not enjoy doing it i would have given it away
To write rhymes is easy as easy as can be
Anybody can do it you can have this from me
But if you are materialistic to you i can say
In writing rhyme do not waste your time of day
As for me i hope to keep on rhyming until the day i do die
If i did tell you different this would be a lie.

Not Any Truth On This Saying At All

Women can be the downfall of men those words i recall
Though in truth there is not any truth on this saying at all
Like women men for their own downfall must take take the blame
And are fully responsible for their own shame
It is not true that that the man by his new lover from his wife was lured away
Since it was not with his wife he chose for to stay
In some circumstances we all have our choices in life for to make
And feelings can be hurted with love and loyalty at stake
That some women can be to blame for leading some men astray
In truth is not truthful on any sort of a way
People fall in and fall out of love every day
That a woman can be the downfall of a man is not a fair thing to say
That women can be the downfall of men seems all wrong to me
It is just an old saying that with i cannot agree.

A long Way From Here

A long way from here to Hibernia's shore
And further to Clara above high Claramore
The old hill in Duhallow that ever looks down
On the green countryside and on Millstreet's rural Town
My journey in life it has brought me far south
Of the fields of the badger and waterways of the brown trout
From where my journey in life in Claraghatlea began
And where from a boy i grew into a man
Of life and of Nature we learn every day
We never stop learning in truth one can say
Far north i grew to love Nature as a young boy
And learning of her ways today i enjoy
In Illowa home to emu, koala, wallaby and gray kangaroo
And echidna, long billed corella and yellow tailed black cockatoo.

Many Of The Wealthy Successful

Many of the wealthy succesful and famous so arrogant does seem
So full of themselves in their public esteem
So cocky and arrogant and egotistical as well
At their celebrity status their egos does swell
That success does swell egos in truth one can say
Of the humble successful not many today
The look at me syndrome has spread Worldwide
Narcissism does have some of it's source in pride
Of the egotistical sort in the World quite a share
And the humble of mind sad to say does seem rare
It is not saying anything in any way new
On saying the down to earth wealthy are of the few
In the twenty first century narcissism is on the rise
And this in itself is not any surprise.

On Internet Trollers

To be nasty in your words is no claim to fame
All internet trollers should hang their heads in shame
They fancy themselves as critics but true critics for their criticisms receive pay
And an internet troller to a critic different in every way
Internet trollers behind their nasty words do cower
Their nasty opinions they should save for people with power
But they undermine people with little power in their written attacks instead
In every internet troller compassion and empathy is dead
All internet trollers web masters ought to disown
Since they surely does not deserve to be widely known
On the frailty of others they only like to prey
Far too many of their sort in the Human World of today
At ruining people's self confidence far too often they do succeed
Of their sort the World wide web should not be in need.

On The Death Of Sam

That your dog is your best friend many would believe
For the loss of his dog Bruce Lowenthal does grieve
It is said that Sam died a victim of snakebite
He was brave to the end the brave west highland white

At memories of Sam, Bruce still reduced to tears
His faithful canine who had travelled in his truck with him for years
As an amiable fellow Sam had won his renown
As the favourite dog of Many in Port Fairy Town

Of courage Sam was never in need
He was a dog who was true to his breed
Cats climbed trees for safety when Sam was about
And many a big possum died in his mouth

But in Port Firy Town Sam was everyone's friend
And to his favourite human Bruce he was faithful to the end
But for his fearlessness and bravery with his life he did pay
And Bruce lost his best friend in such a tragic way

There will never be another dog in Port Fairy like Sam was again
In his lifetime a new human friend every day he did gain
And though for his best human friend and mentor Bruce his death was such a sad day
Dogs like humans born to die in truth sad to say.

In The Groves Of Claraghatlea North

In the groves of Claraghatlea north  the birds are singing today
I fancy i can hear them in the distance far away
And in the rushy old fields where the waterways do meet
The male pheasants are crowing near the Town of Millstreet
On my many flights of fancy the memories come to me
Of my younger years in Duhallow that at most times were carefree
And the fields where i first grew to love Nature as a schoolgoing boy
And learning more about her today i do enjoy
The old fields looking resplendent in their Spring flowers
In full bloom in mild weather in the sunshine and showers
Of the fields i loved when younger only memories i retain
Though on my flights of fancy i often walk on them again
But the now is all that matters as the wise one used to say
And at the stroke of midnight the past will be today.

Judy Buckley

In Claramore as Judy Pomeroy she first saw light of day
And later became the wife of Denis Buckley of Mount Leader from there not far away
A good mother to her children and to the late Denis a good wife
In view of Clara Mountain she lived most of her life

In her lifetime Judy Buckley never sought the public limelight
I remember her as quietly spoken, dark haired, tall and attrcative and of build slight
Near the Town of Millstreet she spent most of her years
And her family and friends would have farewelled her in tears

Though the dead never hear for them the tolling of the church bell
Eventually for all from life there is a final farewell
Judy Buckley passed from life in the Prime of the Spring
When in the groves of Mount Leader birds whistle and sing

All we have are our memories of the long gone past
And the clocks on our lives ever keep ticking fast
When i was a boy Judy Buckley was a beautiful young woman in her life's prime
Though this is going back many decades in time

Gone from Mount Leader a well known and loved face
She now is at peace in her last resting place
Under the earth of St Mary's in view of Cashman's Hill
Her heart that beat with kindness is forever still.

Life Has It's Moments

Life has it's moments of laughter and life has it's moments of tears
On the life's journey we are on there are sad and happy years
Memories stir up human feelings and such feelings do run deep
For people we loved and laughed with at their passing we do weep
All you have are photographs and mental images of people you never more will see
But true enough time is the healer even of the saddest memory
And though the past has gone forever happy and sad memories remain
Of people in life we loved dearly never to see in the living flesh again
There can even be some sadness in memories of the happy times we had
Yes our happiest memories can leave us feeling at times rather sad
For life which is our greatest gift we only should feel glad
We must accept how luck does treat us and learn to take the good with the bad
Life has it's moments of laughter and life has it's moments of tears
On the life's journey we are on there are sad and happy years.

Australia

That it is a great privilege goes without doubt
For to live in this wonderful Land of the south
Where the sun on most places does shine every day
Of Australia's rare beauty are there words for to say
Home to wallaby, koala., echidna and many species of cockatoo
And emu kookaburra and red and gray kangaroo
And platypus, rosellas, lorikeets, wombats and currawong
The birds that is said that have rain in their song
Home to the descendants of the Dreamtime Australia's first race
Back to thousands of geneations of people their ancestral history does trace
The arrival in Australia of the first woman and man
Going back in time to pre written history many milleniums does span
It's wide open spaces home to the wild and the free
Australia of the eucalypt, the wattle and the pittosporum tree.

Wrinkly

Wrinkly one of the wealthiest men in the town
Always has the look on his of one financially down
With a beautiful looking wife and a university going daughter and son
He does not have the facial appearance of a lucky in life one

The nickname of Wrinkly with him not out of place
Since for one in his mid forties he has a wrinkly face
And in his light brown hair are some traces of gray
At least he is ageing in a natural way

He is rather honest and quite free of guile
But he is one who does find it quite hard to smile
Though he is one who should have much to smile about
In that he is one of the town's wealthies people there can be little doubt

Quite a sad looking fellow with little to say
Though he is not conceited in any sort of a way
He is so very different to his talkative wife
Gregarious and friendly and so full of life

Sometimes in the public park off of hight street
Walking his labradoodle him i do meet
Without ever smiling in passing he says good day
The sad look on his face his lifetime with him will stay.

Anger

It is mainly due to prudence and a little fear
That of an angry person i try to stay clear
Where confrontation to violence often does lead
Of unpleasant stories we hear of and of read
The angry one's feelings are out of control
And anger on reason always seems to take toll
When anger meets anger fisticuffs can take place
That can result in a broken jaw, missing teeth and swollen face
Or maybe even worse someone's life may be lost
The price of an out of control anger can come at a huge cost
I too have felt angry in the now long gone past
That only for a short period of time did last
But anger to violence so often does lead
And of the results of this we often hear of and of read.

Illowa In April

Where to many mine it is not a known face
I feel privileged to be living in such a beautiful place
Illowa between Warrnambool City and old Koroit Town
Of south western Victoria a gem in the crown

Not a holiday destination therefore not that well known
But Illowa has a natural charm of it's own
In it's wide undulating paddocks in Summer and Autumn brown and in Winter and Spring green
So much natural beauty for to be seen

Where there are no factories with tall dirty chimneys puffing gray smoke to the sky
Above the brown paddocks of Illowa the dark welcome swallows fly
A part of the coastal Moyne Shire that is not widely known
Illowa in view of Dennington does have a charm of it's own

For late Autumn in the Moyne Shire quite a beautiful day
The sun shining bright in a sky blue and gray
On such marvellous weather for the time of year
The flute like song of the magpie such a joy for to hear.

Do Not Leave Bill Gates Out

Of flawed leaders such as Trump or Putin i would prefer not to hear
Since all they do seem to offer is fear
Of a nuclear war where millions if not billions of people would die
Those who say power is might believe in their own lie
The thought of such weaponry at their disposal they may well enjoy
But they have only the weapons at their disposal that are meant to destroy
And this to talk of should not be a brag
Or of wearing your national colours or waving your national flag
But it is true that a known billionaire joy to many can bring
Of the praises of Bill Gates allow me to sing
He has given four billions dollars to fight malaria millions of people he will save
From the harrowing prospect of an early grave
The likes of Trump and Putin are not worth talking about
But of your people worth admiring list do not leave Bill Gates out.

For The Poor In Life

For the poor in life who never do have a win
It is not a good World for to live in
Born into disadavantage in the poor side of the town
Hungry and homeless at a young age and financially down
Cannot blame them if they feel they were born to fail
Young teenagers whose parents for drug related crimes are in jail
More than likely they too are destined to serve prison time
Homelessness, hunger and poverty does lead to crime
Easy for many to say in life they too have a choice
When on their behalf not one influential powerful voice
On advantageous government policies they always lose out
The people that politicians do never talk about
Success to them is just to be alive
And few of them to their forties can hope to survive.

A Rhymer At Best

I have been a rhymer since nineteen seventy three
And everyday the rhymes keep coming to me
My sort are not the poets of the twenty first century
And a rhymer at best is the best i can be
I am one who has written a whole heap of rhyme
Over four decades and four years of time
And perhaps i will be rhyming until the day i do die
If i did tell you different this would be a lie
I must be addictive is all i can say
For to add to my numbers of rhymes every day
I used to love reading rhymes as a schoolboy
And writing them today is something i enjoy
I penned my first rhymes in nineteen seventy three
And a rhymer at best is the best i can be.