Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Though Their Praises

Though their praises the impressionable masses may sing
Most wealthy people to humanity change never does bring
With some of their billions in money with those doing it tough too few of them does share
Of their own needs the most of them only seem aware
Yet of course among them there are the exceptional few
Who does care about others this is not saying anything that is new
Yet so many of them are narcissistic in quite a big way
And of their millions of admirers of them what does this say
That narcissism and greed is quite okay
On those they greatly admire they are helping to create a far poorer World for many to live in today
That greed begets greed as a truism remain
The meaning in this it's own self does explain
In a Human World where most of the wealthy for self only care
And with those doing it tough anything never share.

Material Wealth And Fame

In meaning quite different though in ways much the same
The things known as material wealth and fame
The desire for them have their source in greed
Though for it's betterment humanity of them not in need
The wealthy and famous eventually one day
End up in a similar place to where the humble and poor lay
The one known as death does not differentiate
Between the lives of those seen as ordinary and those seen as great
And this in itself seems a very good thing
Though the praises of the wealthy and famous the impressionable masses do sing
When the last breath of life from the wealthy and famous has gone
Over decades of years memories of them will live on
Though eventually memories do fade out to time
Just like the words will in this simple rhyme.

That Time Is Our Master

World champions beyond their physical prime
Like all other people have faded to time
The wise in their words some of their wisdom does share
When they say time of the best of them it does take care
Time is the one who does take care of all
Life forms including humans from the great to the small
Any respect to the greatest it never does show
It leaves former World champions old, weary and slow
And it remains today as it was long ago
To all living life forms time becomes the foe
For the monarch and president time does not stand still
So much truth in the saying over the hill
Like all other life forms humans born to die
That time is our master is not a lie.

Monday, December 30, 2019

The Old Rill

On towards the big river from the foot of the hill
It winds on it's way the silver tongued rill
It has been the inspiration of the writers of song, story and rhyme
And it will keep on flowing through the annals of time
It's tongue never silent by night or by day
As it babbles on towards the big waterway
Of it's age in milleniums there is not one who know
To the big river to the ocean it forever will flow
When swollen by rain it's tongue turns brown
And it's babble grows louder as it hurries down
From the steep foothills through the flat country it flows with a will
By night or by day it's tongue is never still
So many people to life have come and have gone
But the rill from the high country keeps babbling on.

Because He Loved Life

At one hundred and eight rather old one can say
The man who loved life he was buried today
It was his love of life that kept him living on
When all of his friends of his younger years to the forever had gone
His genes will live on in the decades ahead
Eighteen times a great grandad his wife is long dead
Some eight decades of years past his physical prime
As human years go he had lived a long time
He died as he slept just after midnight
Against the Reaper of lives he put up a good fight
For each one of us there is a final Spring
This morning the farewell bell for him did ring
By twenty five years he had outlived his wife
He had lived for a long time because he loved life.

The New Gold

A Human World where money  is the new gold
Is not a nice World in for to grow old
Where the gap keeps on increasing in the material and social divide
It seems only the minority have a god on their side
That all people are born as equal is based on a lie
Though you become equal to all other deceased people on the day you do die
In life equality is only for the privileged few
And this is not saying anything that is new
Worldwide so many people live in dire poverty
In a fair human World this never would be
For every big winner many do lose in the Human World of today
Suppose humanity is designed for to work in this way
A lack of money is not good for one's self esteem
Not a nice World for many to live in it does seem.

Sunday, December 29, 2019

On Politicians

To politicians who criticize opposing political parties i pay little heed
Since this sort of  criticism one can say is partial and quite biased indeed
Such criticism is not neutral in any sort of a way
And to those of partial opinions respect i cannot pay
It is not for an honourable person the job of parliamentarian today
In parlioament they spend most of their time in the mind games they do play
On blaming each other as political advantage they seek to gain
The reason the non politically aligned does not trust them it's own self does explain
By many politicians are held in quite high esteem
But is is each to their own opinion on this it does seem
When i hear a politician criticizing an opposing party their comments are propaganda to me
Seeking political advantage is how it seems to be
And that honest politicians are of the few
Is not saying anything that is in any way that is new.

Christmas Day In Beaufort

Few cars, trucks and buses on the Western Highway
Are passing through Beaufort on a warm Christmas Day
The sun is glowing warm in a sky blue and grey
A warm Town in Summer of this one can say
The undulating countryside looking quite brown
From weeks of warm weather around Beaufort Town
The weathert temperatures well over thirty degrees
It is even quite warm in the shade of the trees
The air full of the buzzing of bush flies and bees
And the locust plagues flying in the warm breeze
They devour grass and crops and growing vegetables this much of them i do know
In Summer their numbers to billions do grow
In the undulating countryside around Beaufort only the trees looking green
On a warm Christmas Day in the year twenty nineteen.

Mushera On Christmas Day

The weather temperature just above zero degrees
And the strong wind is soughing in the conifer trees
On the high ground by Mushera it is cold one can say
The sky of mid morning is sunless and grey

Where Mushera the old hill as ever looks down
On the high undulating countryside above Millstreet Town
The wild birds of Nature one never does hear
In late December a windy, wet and cold time of the year

Above the high woods in the prime of the Spring
When the wood pigeons coo and the nesting birds sing
From the slopes of Mushera on the higher ground
The scenery breathtaking for kilometers around

Beauty for artists to sketch and on writers to write
Stories and poems for to read and recite
But in Winter few do climb on Mushera such wild beauty to behold
On weather that is often wet, windy and cold

The winds of December blow with a cold chill
Across the bracken clad face of old Mushera Hill
But some hardy souls uphill climb their way
To the summit of Mushera on Christmas Day.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

I Feel No Desire

I feel no desire to give rhyming away
And i hope to be doing it on my life's final day
For many years i have been a rhyming buff
Just one who has written a whole heap of stuff
Though some have advised me to retire from penning of rhyme
Since i am one long past my physical prime
But of such unsolicited for advice i do not feel in need
And so to my advisers i do not pay any heed
My best physical years are in the long gone
But for as long as i can do i will keep on rhyming on
It is something i enjoy doing and little else more
This is something you may have heard me say before
So i hope to be rhyming until the day i do die
If i did tell you differently this would be a lie

Those With Love In Them

Those with love in them to share have a great gift indeed
And of far more of their sort the Human World is in need
For their future good Karma they plant the good seed
On their kindness to others on their every good deed
The unsung heroines and heroes of every town
They never for themselves seek personal renown
To help those in need of helping they often go out of their way
And without seeking reward help others every day
Respect to them for their compassion one only can pay
Since they live as great people of them one can say
In an age when material greed does seem an in thing
To  the future of humanity some hope they help for to bring
These wonderful people with love in them to share
Of the needs of others seem all too aware.

The People Who With Others

The people who with others on their opinions agree to disagree
Seem reasonable enough sort of people to me
On their way of thinking they just have their say
Without trying to change you in any sort of a way
They may not agree with you for your beliefs but respect you for your opinions just the same
This is seeing others point of view for want of a better name
For their tolerant ways they do become known
Since they believe in the saying of each to their own
If there were more like them in the World there would be more people harmony
At least anyway this is how it seems to be
In the Human World far too many of the dogmatic kind
Who to respect those of different opinions to them not in any way inclined
Of this need for power over others they are totally free
The people who agree for to disagree.

Friday, December 27, 2019

Angela And Jacinda

Apart from Angela Merkel and Jacinda Ardern good political leaders in the World are few
That most political leaders do not lead by good example is not saying what is new
This is my humble opinion anyway
And many would disaagree on what on this i do say
Angela and Jacinda two great women political leaders in a World mostly ruled by men
For their humanitarian values as a fan me they do win
They look on displaced people in a benevolent way
There are so few political leaders like them in the world of today
 Maybe with more women political leaders the World would be better to live in
There would be far less wars for peace this would be a win
Leaders like Angela and Jacinda sad to say are rare
Of the needs of the poor and the Stateless they do seem aware.

A Bad Loser

You may be the best at what you are good at on your side of the town
But this only gives you a claim to local renown
To meet one better than you no need for you to travel too far
Nearby there are a few who are better than you are
It does seem humility in you is dead
Some of your recent local successes have gone to your head
Your arrogance show in the smug look on your face
You are one of those who cannot win with grace
Defeat you cannot accept with humility
And you never congratulate the winner on his victory
You are a bad loser in truth one can say
Though no shortage of your sort in the Human World of today
You are good at what you do but you are not the best
As you have been found to be wanting when put to the big test.

The Beauty In Nature

It is and it was and it always will be
One of the best things in life that to view is free
It is all around you and it is all around me
The beauty in Nature we need not pay to see
Even if you live in the City Nature from you not far away
She lives in the park you walk in every day
Some of Nature's creatures in the town park are happy to stay
That they enjoy the urban lifestyle it does seem this way
Where many people live some of Nature's creatures dwell
Even in the town sparrows do rather well
Picking up morsels of food from the pavement by every cafe door
Their numbers on the increase every year of them more
From where you live Nature's beauty is not far away
It is something to view that for you need not pay.

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Extremely Warm Today

In most parts of Australia it is extremely warm today
All weather temperatures have been broken weather historians do say
In all States the weather temperatures are over forty degrees
And in many places the smoke and smell of bushfires is carrying in the breeze

In these times of Global Warming the weather acting strange
Tomorrow in some places there will be a cool change
The fire Season has started so very early this year
That Climate Change is upon us is obviously clear

For our abuse of our Earth Mother this is the price we must pay
In more natural disasters occuring every day
In a time of major bush fires and flooding and drought
Nature is very angry in this great Land of the south

On this twentieth day of December of the year twenty nineteen
So many places from fires have been blackened that up to lately were green
So many birds and animals have died and homes and human lives lost
Our abuse of our Earth Mother has come to us at a cost.

I May Not Be One

I may not be one who goes to any church for to pray
And i am not spiritual or religious in any sort of a way
And though to people for their religious beliefs respect i can only pay
Of a life for the soul after bodily death is not for me to say
There are billions of religious people in the Human World of today
Call me agnostic or atheist or call me what you may
And since on theology i am one who does not have a degree
Of religion and god and the hereafter ask one other than me
And it is each to their own belief is how it seems to be
Suppose to be different in our opinions we have to agree
But when you pay everyone the respect they are due
To your higher self you are trying to live true.

The Greatest Gift

Far greater than any form of human success
Life is the greatest gift we do possess
The praises of the wealthy and famous the masses may sing
But when they lose life they do lose everything
Those who live honourable lives to receive do give
It is by good example they do choose to live
There is more to life than living solely for you
Those who live for self only to their higher self are not being true
Help anyone of your helping in need
By your acts of kindness you are planting Karma's good seed
What goes around comes around as a truism remain
The meaning in this it's own self does explain
And though with your talents many you may impress
Life is the greatest gift you do possess.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Homebody

As a boy he daydreamed of exotic places elsewhere
So in his late teens he went to see life in the big World out there
But nostalgia for what was had him feeling down
And now he feels happy for to be back in his hometown
He is back home this time for the long stay
Twelve months from the hometown for him seemed a long time away
Back again with the great love of his life
The young woman next Spring who will become his wife
He will never more see a foreign sunrise
He had to leave home for to realize
That he is not one of the wandering kind
For travelling he no longer does feel inclined
Back with his true love, friends and family
In life this is where he is meant to be.

One Might Say That Nature

One might say that Nature is on the attack
For human abuse of the Earth that feeds us from her a pay back
A lot of Victoria, New South wales and Queensland from bush fires burned black
To fight violent conflagarations humanity in means and power lack
What we do to our Earth Mother to our own selves we do
Without her there would not be an us or an you
Since she is the one who does feed all
Life forms including humans from the great to the small
Of a greater friend to us than she is of we do not know
But any respect to her most of us never show
That Nature is angry her we cannot blame
The way we treat our Earth Mother is to all of our shame
For the way we do treat her in like her us she repay
The bush fires are blazing in Australia today.

You Will Be Learning From Life

For as long as you live and it is not a lie
You will be learning from life until the day you will die
Always something new for you to learn every day
And for your every mistake always some price to pay

That you are rather clever you know to be true
But remember there is always one smarter than you
And as you do age you may come to realize
That you have much to learn over time we grow wise

As we live every day we do learn something new
And our lessons in life they are not of the few
The baby is learning from life before she or he learn how to crawl
And those who think they know everything little realize they know nothing at all

In life lessons for you for as long as you live
And you can expect to receive if you willingly give
For Karma is known for to work in this way
And for us new lessons in life every day.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

A Warm December Day In The Moyne Shire

Quite warm for the Moyne Shire even warmth in the breeze
The weather temperatures soaring to over forty degrees
In the shade of the trees out of the sun's way
The cattle to keep cool chewing their cuds do lay
But by the weather forecast a cool change is on the way
Tomorrow will be much cooler than it is today
But the day after tomorrow is supposed to be quite warm again
And in the most recent weather forecast no mention of rain
In mid December one of the warmer parts of Australia in the summertime
And yet four weeks away from Summer's prime
The fluctuating weather temperatures of the coastal Moyne Shire from Koroit to Warrnambool
Is hard to adjust to from very warm to cool
Tomorrow in the low twenties and the day after over forty degrees
When it will even feel warm in the shade of the trees.

I Have Long Since Outgrown

The desire for Worldly riches i have long since outgrown
And of far better years of in life i have known
One of many flawed people but my flaws are my own
And the seeds of my Karma in life i have sown
With others for success i feel no desire to compete
The challenges of survival in life enough for me to meet
I never harm others and live in my own way
And though not well off financially my bills i do pay
The past gone forever we live for today
And what tomorrow will bring who is for to say
In life to Karma we will pay for every ill gotten gain
Live and let live as a truism remain
I have lost the desire others for to impress
And have opted out of the race for financial success.

Shrone In December

The breasts of Goddess Anu are covered in snow
And cold winds of December in Sliabh Luachrs blow
The rain drizzling down from a sky gloomy grey
It is wintery by the ancient Paps of Shrone today

Legend has it that in Shrone the Goddess Anu died
The queen of the mountains of the high countryside
Her large breasts grew to the peaks known as the Paps of Shrone
Towards the west of the Boggeraghs of bracken heather and stone

The great breasts of Anu over decades of time
Have been the inspiration of the writers of song, story and rhyme
In the Boggeragh Ranges pointing up towards the sky
Quite distinctive from all of the mountains nearby

When the countryside now known as Sliabh Luachra was without a name
Goddess Anu existed before people to it came
Call it myth or legend or call it what you may
But her spirit exists in the boggeraghs of today

The song of the skylark one never does hear
Above Shrone in December a cold and wet time of the year
When the high peaks of Goddess Anu are covered in snow
And the cold winds of December in Sliabh Luachra blow.

Monday, December 23, 2019

By The Hopkins

It seems some of the best things in life remain free
The beauty of Nature is all around me
A beauty i do not have to pay for to view
I feel that i am one of the privileged few
Earthly Utopia it does seem cannot be far away
From the Hopkins River near Warrnambool on this sunny December day
So nice to be resting in the shade of the Norfolk pine trees
Out of the sun in the cool coastal breeze
A weather temperature high of a sunny twenty five
On such a nice day so good to be alive
Where the weather seldom gets too warm or too cool
Near the beautiful old City of Warrnambool
By the Hopkins on a day that is sunny and clear
Such beautiful weather for the time of year.

In A Fair Human World

Millions of displaced people in the refugee camps of the World of today
In a fair Human World it would not be this way
Religion, culture, politics and race and borders Worldwide
Remain the main causes of people divide
And add to these material wealth which is in the hands of the few
Is one of the main causes of rank and class distinction this not saying anything that is new
In a Human World where the few have far more than enough
Far too many in life doing it financially tough
The billions at the bottom of the social divide
Must feel they do not have a god on their side
A fair go in life of so many people denied
Of drought ravaged countries and cities by bombings destroyed
With their poverty existence struggling for to cope
For a better future they only live in hope.

The Humble One

Though you are one of the best at what you do
There is more than this for to admire of in you
In that in public your own praises you never does sing
To brag of your achievements is just not your thing
Humility is such a great gift indeed
And of more of your sort the Human World is in need
At what you do the best on your side of the town
Though you never lay any claim to renown
You just look the ordinary bloke in the crowd
In you there is nothing that is arrogant or proud
Others you never do seek to impress
Humility too is a form of success
At what you do you are good at you are the town's best
And yet so very humble you are truly blessed.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Jimmy The Migrant

Jimmy the migrant of his first home-town ageing far away
But the memories of what was are in him today
On a Spring evening he hears the birds sing in the park of the town
In the grey of the twilight just after sundown

In his semi detached two bedroom home he lives on his own
Of much happier days in life of he has known
Since to cancer he lost Annie his lovely wife
In his memory she lives as the great love of his life

Six years in time has passed since she breathed her last
Death painful and slow did not come to her  fast
On his way to the park of the town every day
He stops by at the cemetery to visit where she does lay

Luck in life was not always on Jimmy and Annie's side
In a work accident in his twenties their only child John died
The grief at the death of their son remained with them for years
Though in their sense of loss for them a healing in the shedding of tears

In his late seventies Jimmy the migrant will never again return to his first home-town
Where he used to live when his hair was light brown
When the Reaper of lives will come reaping his way
Where his wife Annie is his last remains will lay.

If To Your Higher Self

If to your higher self you wish to live true
Pay to everyone the credit they are due
A poor person in some ways one of the wealthy of the town
Who in words and deeds have dragged others down
Their climb to the top of the material tree
Has not been achieved in an honourable way is how it seems to be
Since they seem lacking in compassion and empathy
They are not a great asset to humanity
Never harm anyone if good for them you cannot do
The power to live as a better person it is in you
The size of your home or your boat or your car
Does not tell us of the person that you truly are
To your higher self you cannot be true
If the only person you live for is you.

On The Millstreet Web Site

More news on the Millstreet Web Site every day
Someebody's tabby cat had gone astray
But a later report said it returned home alive
For every stray cat to live less birds do survive

By Millstreet young people in sports more medals have been won
The mums and dads proud of their daughter and son
Each success a boost to the personal esteem
It is all about winning in life it does seem

And much to be read of in politics of course
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael remain a political force
But the three sitting members of Cork North West in Ireland's Dail
For the Towns in Duhallow have done little at all

Most politicians as is known of their own needs only aware
With their very close friends and family the fruits of their success they do share
And more votes for them in their praise of the wearers of the green
The young heroes who fought and died in nineteen sixteen

On the Millstreet Web Site many a stranger's face
Perhaps i have been too long away from the place
I would feel a stranger in Millstreet today
From there i have been quite a long time away

The reporters in Millstreet have much of to write
On their daily postings on the Millstreet Web Site
Of music, car racing, horse jumping, athletics, hurling and gaelic football
And the political parties Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.

Those Who Laugh Often

The great gift of laughter is such a wonderful thing
As joy to the mind it always does bring
The people who laugh often have a great gift indeed
Since of happiness they do keep planting the seed
The one who is sad faced and always feeling down
Is never among the best loved of the town
But those with laughter in them of friends have quite a few
And this is not saying anything that is new
When you are out walking in the the park or on the street
The happy person always nice for to meet
Their carefree sort of laughter a beautiful sound
They carry joy with them and share it around
Those who laugh often are nice people of to know
Since they are blessed with the bright inner glow.

Us For To Blame

Our abuse of our Earth Mother the one who does feed us is to all of our shame
And future generations of children will have us to blame
For the hardships they will endure due to our legacy of poverty
That what we do to our Earth Mother to our own selves we do we seem too blind to see
For the children of the futuire we plant Karma's bad seed
As it is they who will pay for our selfishness and greed
In shortages of food and famines Worldwide
They will not look on what we see as our achievements with a sense of pride
For our greed it is the future generations will pay
And this does seem quite a sad thing for to say
On the anti environment governments we are electing to rule
To the fires of Global Warming we are adding more fuel
This is something that is only to our great shame
And the future generations of people for their poverty will have us for to blame.

Our One Guarantee In Life

The longest lived human life in time not that long a span
On average a few years more for a woman than it is for a man
So do make the most of your every living day
Who knows when the Reaper of lives will come reaping your way

You may be a young person of any health worries free
But on how long you will live there is no gurantee
With so much to live for in your physial prime
But death can come to visit you at anytime

Since the fact is we are born as mortals and fact never lie
Our one guarantee in life is we will die
Between the old and the young death does not differentiate
It does seem on our lives there is a use by date

But death is the great equalizer in truth one can say
Since to the wealthy and poor equal respect it does pay
And as is said of time it keeps ticking on fast
So make the most of your day since it may be your last.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Urban Nature

Along the noisy streets of the busy big town
The buses, cars and trucks are buzzing up and down
But in the town park Nature's beauty to see
An urban home for the creatures who live wild and free

Close to human industry Nature lives near
Where the magpies do warble every day of the year
High on the trunk of an old gum tree
A brush tail possum is sleeping in a cavity

Unperturbed by the noisy traffic of the street nearby
This nocturnal marsupial of light of day shy
Under the cloak of night from hiding come out
And in search of food it's territory venture about

To go to the places where the wild creatures are
Even in a city or big town you do not have to walk far
When walking in your local park you will be
In the home of the urbanized wildborn and free.

Port Fairy In December

Intermittent sunshine in a sky blue and grey
And the magpies are warbling in Port Fairy today
The weather not too warm or too cool around eighteen degrees
With a nice feeling of freshness in the coastal breeze
Blowing in the town from the ocean nearby
To describe Nature's beauty in words their best one can only try
On pursuit of flying insects chirping as they fly
The dark swallows above the green parkland in the evening sky
December in Port Fairy can be a nice time of year
Towards the end of the old year and Christmas quite near
One of it's great claims to Worldwide renown
Is it has been voted the World's most liveavable small town
It can be said Earthly Utopia cannot be far away
From Port Fairy on a beautiful December day.

All In Your Mind

You feel that life to you is not very fair
And your moods they are often bordering on despair
But the grey haired ageing woman in her electrical wheelchair
Riding on the street pavement is one free of care

With a smile on her face as she rides along
Quite happily singing an old favourite song
One could say she could have a reason to feel down and out
But she must feel she has a lot to feel happy about

And you a young man in the prime of your life
With two lovely young daughters and a beautiful and devoted to you wife
Physically fit and healthy yet to self pity inclined
One could say of you it is all in your mind

In life you are so lucky in every way
You have a good job and a good take home pay
But for happiness in your mind there is not any space
I have yet to see you with a smile on your face

The workings of the mind can be such a strange thing
The ageing woman in the wheelchair in the mood for to sing
And the physically healthy young man looking sad faced and down
Though financially well off in some ways one of the poor of the town.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

I Have Been Learning From Life

I have been learning from life over decades of time
And writing about it in doggerel rhyme
But the more i do learn the more i realize
That of life i know little this not a surprise

Who is or is not a poet or a poetess ask one other than me
As i am one who does not have a literary degree
I enjoyed reading rhymes as a school going boy
And writing them nowadays is a thing i enjoy

The roadways of life i have been up and down
Since i left my first home near a far away town
I have worked and mixed with people of all races and nations only to find
That most people in their ways are generous and kind

We learn as we live something new every day
We never stop learning life works in this way
You never stop learning though you look old and grey
And that there is not one who knows everything in truth one can say

To your higher self you can only live as true
And we all have our own dreams in life to pursue
Most people for themselves wish to make a name
Though few ever do know of great wealth and fame

The toddlers are learning from life before they learn how to crawl
And that we learn as we live does apply to us all
The accumulation of knowledge can bring with it humility
But to some ignorance is bliss is how it seems to be.

I Can Only Visualize

I can only visualize where i lived when my hair was dark brown
Where old Clara Mountain as ever looks down
On the green  green countryside where the waterways meet
Just west of the Duhallow Town of Millstreet

It was my yearn ffor adventure that lured me far south
Of the fields of the badger and waterways of the brown trout
In the townland of birth just one more who did not stay
And where i would be a stranger to many today

I went to see life in the big World out there
Just one more from Claraghatlea for to grow old elsewhere
Millstreet Town and Claraghatlea and old Clara i have not seen for years
Though for the what used to be i have shed my last tears

Far south of where i grew to love Nature as a young boy
Learning of her ways today i enjoy
Where the weather is never too warm or too cool
In the undulating coastal countryside near Warrnambool.

On The Passing Of Connie Hartnett

Out of the Town of Millstreet quite sad news today
Connie Hartnett of The Bridge from life has passed away
A renowned Gaelic Footballer in sports he made his mark
In an All Ireland Senior Football final against Galway in famous Croke Park

On September the tweny third nineteen seventy three
For Cork supporters an unforgettable day to live in memory
Connie Hartnett that day a skilful and speedy half back
From defence often sent Cork into attack

But there was more to Connie Hartnett than being good at Gaelic Football
He was a likeable and an honourable person overall
Beyond the borders of Duhallow's green countryside
He was one who was known and well liked far and wide

A cattle dealer along with his deceased older brother Noel and his younger brother Vincent in the livestock trade
Buying and selling calves and cattle his livelihood he made
Cattle dealing in the Millstreet Hartnetts inherited from their Hartnett ancestors in Knocknagree
In humanity breeding begets breeding is how it seems to be

Connie Hartnett died in his late sixties he was not an old man
He was one who was not granted a very long life span
But he had some great memories going back in time
When he was one admired by many in his physical prime

Connie Hartnett a good person in every way
By Cashman's Hill in St Mary's Cemetery his last remains lay
In the flesh never to be seen in Millstreet Town again
But good memories of him in all who knew him will remain.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Some Males

Some males their swollen egos barely fit in their head
Humility and compassion in their sort is dead
Of their warped sense of self love they leave none in doubt
To live for self only is what life to them is about
In down to earth people their sort of attitude does not belong
Their extreme form of self love is love of self gone wrong
Those with a healthy form of self love for others do care
And good to know that their sort in the World are not rare
That we are all co-dependent in some ways is not a lie
There is more to life than living for me, myself and i
It is true we all need some ego in the World to survive
But in the narcissistic sort it does seem to thrive
Compared to egotistical males egotistical women are few
And this is not saying anything that is new.

Should It Matter

Should it matter that much when you have lived your last night and day
If you are cremated or your remains buried to decay
Where most of the dead lay in some cemetery
Though this does matter to many is how it seems to be
Nowadays many an ageing woman and man
In their will with their solicitor have drawn up an end of life plan
For their funeral arrangements they plan ahead
Of what should happen to their remains when they are dead
But it is each to their own on this one has to say
Personally what will happen to my remains i don't care much anyway
And what will happen to my soul when i have lived my last day
I cannot claim to know of for to say
Only know like all others i was born to die
And what happens post bodily death if i said i knew this would be a lie.

Your Past

Just like the words of an old favourite song
Wherever you go to your past with you goes along
The past in the memory bank in your mind remain
In times of reflection for to visit again
You may well say the past is in the forever gone
But on your life's journey it follows you on
Within the stored memory in your mind
Mental images of what was when you search for you will find
The what was for you does live on in your memory
As mental images of your past history
As long as you retain your gift of memory your past is with you until you die
Just a fact of your existence and fact never lie
And though you may feel your past is in the forever gone
Today in your memory it is living on.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

A Fact Of Our Existence

There may be a heaven somewhere beyond the sky
Where good souls post bodily death with wings to does fly
But of the existence of such a place the mystery remain
Though many of a life after bodily death a sense of certainty retain

Any deceased person i have known have not come back to me to tell
Of the existence of these places known as Heaven and Hell
And of their existence it is not for me to say
It is each to their own thinking on this anyway

Suppose on such things to differ we have to agree
What is true to many may not be so to me
But then there may be Worlds for the  souls of the Earthly deceasd  far beyond the stars
And the far away Planets of Jupiter and Mars

Though i cannot claim there is i too cannot deny
The existence of Worlds for the souls of the deceased somewhere beyond the sky
Though i am certain that the life in our bodies will die
This is a fact of our existence and fact never lie.

It Does Seem Dee

On your political views it does seem Dee
That on your  grandchildren you only wish a future of poverty
For politicians who support anti environmental jobs you do vote
Global Warming is a thing you do choose to promote
There are so many in the Country it seems sad to say
Who in their political views like you think in the same way
The Greenies from them under verbal attack
As if those who vote for The Greens on common sense lack
The Greenies too support jobs but not of the anti environmental kind
To support mining and other anti environmental jobs they are disinclined
To our Earth Mother the Greenies are better friends than you
And what we do to our Earth Mother to our own selves we do
You do not like Green voters Dee you make this quite clear
Though it is from the politicians you vote for we should have most to fear.

For The Children Of The Future

For the children of the future every girl and boy
By our environmental practices we are helping to destroy
Any chance for them of a good life we are not  helping to create
But for us to change our relationship with our Earth Mother it is not yet too late
The climate it is changing right before our eyes
Though many dismiss the advice of environmental scientists as a pack of lies
For their miserable existence the children of the future will have us to blame
Our abuse of the Earth that feeds us is to all of our shame
It remains as a fact and on this nothing strange
It is the Industrial Revolution hurried on Climate Change
Human contribution to Global Warming is not in any way that is small
And this is not anything to feel proud of at all
Yet it is not too late for us to our Earth Mother some respect to pay
As our greatest friend we are not nice to her in any sort of a way.

Monday, December 16, 2019

I Feel Rather Lucky

I feel rather lucky in truth i can say
In the beautiful place i do live in today
With the beauty of Nature everywhere around me
I am one of the lucky is how it seems to be
With such beautiful weather how could one complain
The countryside lush and green after the recent rain
With so much natural beauty for to behold
This a beautiful place in for one to grow old
Where Nature's beauty does reside at all times of year
Earthly Utopia to this place it is always near
Financially not wealthy in this i am not one of the few
But every day Nature's wonders for me for to view
Such a beautiful place i happen to live in
This for me i feel is a personal win.

In The Drought Stricken Land

In the drought stricken Land where it has not rained for years
There is not any laughter only suffering and tears
For the families and friends of the people who of malnutrition have died
Any crops have not grown for years in the bare and dry countryside

Where people of malnutrition are dying every day
Only simple timber crosses to mark the graves where the dead lay
To erect grave stones for them their relatives do not have the money to pay
Poor people who only know of life in the hardest way

I may not be wealthy but of food i am not in need
And compared to them i am quite lucky indeed
To be born in the wrong place is never a crime
And few of them can expect to live to their physical prime

The hungry babe suckles on her malnourished mother's breast
This is her fourth child hunger has claimed the rest
She will be lucky if she and her child will survive
Until  the next food truck to their village arrive

Hardship and hunger and suffering of they only know
In the drought stricken Land where any crops cannot grow
Their animals of hunger have died years ago
That they do not have life choices happens to be so.

Christmas Day In Millstreet

Brown storm water flowing fast in every drain
And old Clara half cloaked in the grey fogs of rain
Few cars on the Main Street passing up and down
On Christmas Day morning in quiet Millstreet Town

Towards the Church at the West End the faithful make their way
For them it is just not an ordinary day
Whilst the non believers at home in bed lay
It is each to their own as the wise one does say

From the Christmas Eve celebrations the publicans have done well
They can afford to smile lots of grog they did sell
In life those who make the big profit are those who do win
And the hung over revellers having a sleep in

A time of year when the weather is mostly not fine
At Christmas on Duhallow the sun seldom shine
But at a time of feasting indoors on turkey and pudding they dine
And afterwards enjoy a few drinks of wine

All businesses closed on Christmas Day in the Town of Millstreet
And out walking few people one can hope for to meet
But on St Stephen's Day the shops and the pubs will be open for trade
And where money is spent money is to be made.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

There Is No Guarantee

That lots of money will make you happy there is no guarantee
But it is better to be wealthy and unhappy than unhappy and in poverty
And so many poor people living in every town
It is hard to feel happy if you are financially down
For inequality humanity has money to thank
As it gives rise to class distinction as well as social rank
The majority of the material wealth of the World is owned by the few
And that money speaks every language is not saying what is new
The one with plenty money on one thing can depend
That she or he will never be short of a friend
Their friends in numbers only seem to grow
Though what a true friend is like of they may never know
Having lots of money may not make you happy only true to say
But i would prefer to be wealthy and unhappy than being unhappy and poor any day.

Quite Poor In Many Ways

Though wealthy and famous and luck on their side
Some people they do never seem satisfied
Many times money millionaires yet in them there's the need
Of more and more they call this materialistic greed
With them it does seem enough is never enough
One would swear by their attitude that they are doing it financially tough
Wealthy in a financial way but quite poor of mind
Suppose in the Human World one does meet every kind
A beautiful wife and healthy children and with more than one car
Yet they do not seem to realize of how lucky and wealthy they are
They want to be the most famous and wealthiest in the town
And their desires in life transcends local renown
Materially wealthy but of mind poverty
And quite poor in many ways is how they seem to be.

Not Good For The Ego

An over-inflated sense of self esteem
Not good for the ego or so it does seem
It is self love gone wrong is how it seems to me
Though many with this i am sure would not agree
If admiration you think is your due
Then leave it to others for to admire you
On being a self admirer you are not one of a few
This is not saying anything that is in any way that is new
If the need of admiration in life is your thing
Just leave it to others your praises to sing
That self praise is no praise only true to say
But you are one who does not see it this way
Every-day people like you i do meet
There are a few living on every street.

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Thomas Kelleher

One of the great Gaelic Footballers of Millstreet
And as nice a person as one could wish to meet
One can say of him an inspiring young man
But sadly of life his was not a long span

A classy half forward in the Millstreet green
In his early twenties and his best yet not seen
But sadly cancer robbed him of life near his physical prime
Death can come to visit one at anytime

A credit to the game he played he just loved to compete
A skilful Gaelic Footballer and quick on his feet
For Cork's best defenders he proved quite a test
Long before he had reached his physical best

Thomas Kelleher he was one who died very young
And surely his praises deserve to be sung
Far more than being good at playing Gaelic Football
He was an honourable fellow overall

When the greats of Millstreet Gaelic football are spoken about
His is a name that cannot be left out
Yet it does seem a pity and so sad say
That he died so young and in a painful way

He did not live on for time to become his foe
Death robbed him of his life more than four decades ago
For Millstreeet so many great games Thomas Kelleher did play
But more than this he was a good person in every way.

The Funeral Bell

For millions of people it rings every year
But the bell that tolls for them the dead does not hear
For the one it does toll for from life a farewell
No joy in the ring of the funeral bell
Carrying in the breeze across the morning sky
The pealing of the bell in the chapel nearby
For one whose ears are deaf to all living sound
Who on her or his last drive is cemetery bound
Death is inevitable for us all in truth one can say
And the funeral bell does ring every day
As a reminder to the living that we too will die
That death does not differentiate is not a lie
On a mild and sunny morning birds chirping on the trees
The tolling of the funeral bell is carrying in the breeze.

Since I Danced In The Star

Of home to the badger and waterways of the brown trout
And of the old fields in view of the Boggeraghs far south
The years have left me looking weary and grey
I am one who has known of a far better day

A half of a century ago i turned twenty three
Time that does not wait for anyone did not wait for me
So many years now past my physical prime
Eventually we all become victims of time

Where are the girls i danced with in the Star Ballroom today
Perhaps some of them where the deceased are now lay
Some of them grandparents at home did stay
And others from Duhallow and sliabh Luachra are ageing far away

It was my yearning for adventure made a migrant of me
To grow old in Duhallow not in my life's destiny
I only have mental images of the what used to be
In time the past has become a fading memory

Since i danced in the Star many decades ago
Time that does age has become my foe
And only the memories does seem to last
Of the what used to be in the now distant past.

Friday, December 13, 2019

In The Local Pub

For those in search of garnering worthwhile knowledge not a place to visit at all
The subjects are mostly of sports especially football
If such talk does not interest you pass the local by
Since each to their own to you also apply
In the local pub they would only look on you as strange
If by chance you did mention the words Climate Change
To talk of changes in the natural environment is just not their thing
Of the praises of their favourite sport or favouirite sports stars they would prefer to sing
Of what theit intrest in life are they leave none in doubt
Any mention of Mother Earth and Nature of their conversation left out
If you are looking for a like minded person to talk to of the environment you can almost depend
That in the local pub you will not meet a friend
Their main interests are in sports especially football
And little else seems to interest them at all.

When The Flowers Were In Bloom

He left her in May when the flowers were in bloom
In the gardens and parks of the Town of Macroom
In her early twenties near her physical prime
Though this is going back many decades in time

Blue eyes and shoulder length hair that was wavy and brown
She was one of the finest then in Macroom Town
He promised to return for to make her his wife
And she vowed to wait for him the great love of her life

The feelings of love for him in her were deep
But the promise he made to her he did not keep
The letter she waited for from him never came
In his mind she was just a forgotten name

Her once wavy brown hair it is now silver grey
And the man that she married is not with her today
Into her sixth decade some weight she did gain
Few women their youthful beauty do retain

Ten times a grandmother and now on her own
Of how it feels to love deeply of in life she has known
But going back the years this now seems long ago
And time that rusts iron has become her foe.

More Losers Than Winners

A poor person anyone never seems to impress
On money and fame most people gauge success
Most doing it financially tough few of do wish to know
Although the numbers of the poor of the World every day does grow
Money is your ticket to fame in the Human World of today
This is how it is in truth one can say
In a World where for a few to win big many have to lose
To be a loser anyone in their right mind would never choose
There are more losers than winners in the World every day
Suppose humanity is designed for to work in this way
To try and to fail it is never a sin
If anyone did not lose then anyone could not win
There are more losers than winners in the World every day
Humanity is structured for to work in this way.

Thursday, December 12, 2019

A Champion Athlete

Time that rusts iron has become his foe
He is not the man he was decades ago
When he was the champion athlete of the town
All he has left are the memories of erstwhile renown
The legs that ran fast are nowadays walking slow
Age on the best of them finally does show
He shuffles on slow feet quite obviously lame
Few even nowadays seem to know him by name
Against the best in the Nation with success he did compete
Who would believe nowadays to see him he was a champion athlete
He cannot even walk as fast as his aged wife
One can only feel for him in his advanced stage of life
He was a champion athlete in his physical prime
But this is going back many decades in time.

You Won't Get To Heaven

You won't get to heaven just simply by prayer
Of this religious people too should be aware
As well as prayer compassion and kindness you too ought to try
For to get you to paradise beyond the sky
You may go to your house of worship every day
And kneel to the god of your choice for to pray
But of your neighbours if you only have unkind to say
You will never make it to heaven behaving on such a way
That prayer will get your soul to heaven on the day you die
Does seem rather obvious is based on a lie
There is more to being a good person than lending your voice
In worship with your religious kin to the god of your choice
To get your soul to heaven worship of your god may be of help to you
But kindness and compassion will be of help too.

Karma For A Fox

The fox who killed three of Mrs Roe's fat geese is dead
Gunned down by a hunter he died with a bullet in his head
At news of the shooting Mrs Roe shouted hooray
It did bring a whole pile of joy to her day

She said for his crimes with his life he did pay
What goes around comes around Karma works in this way
And Karma for humans is for foxes too
The fox he did pay for the bad things he did do

On the man who klilled the fox Karma too does await
Whether it be good or bad death too will be his fate
On killing the geese he eat the fox did not feel any sense of wrong
And did the right to kill him to the hunter belong?

Is the death of her geese for Mrs Roe to Karma to pay just a small price
Since to some of her neighbours she has not been nice
In the neighbourhood by so few her praises are sung
She has done a lot of damage with her tongue

The fox's descendants too must kill to eat
And a fat goose to their sort is a tasty treat
The fox as a predator to live has to kill
Though humans on their sort do only wish ill

Eventually each human as well as every other life form has to die
And Karma though real to some does seem a lie
And what was for the fox will be for the hunter and Mrs Roe
That life works in this way happens to be so.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Each To Their Own

Each to their own as a truism remain
The meaning in this it's own self does explain
As long as she or he is not harming anyone in any way 
Unkind things of them anyone ought not say
In a Human World where billions of people for a livelihood compete
They have their challenges in life to meet
To live an honest and good life they too are doing their best
And they surely do pass the good person test
Though in their interests they are different to you respect to them pay
For a better Human World to live in their part they do play
How boring we would be for want of it of a better name
If in our ways and our interests we all were the same
With the majority in thinking they have little to share
But any negative opinions of them we should spare.

Duhallow In December

The Boggeraghs half cloaked in the grey fogs of rain
And brown storm water flowing fast in every roadside drain
The rain drizzling down from a sky gloomy grey
The sun is not shining on Duhallow today
The songs of the birds one never does hear
In December in Duhallow a cold and wet time of year
The weather temperature just above zero degrees
And the hungry rooks cawing on bare deciduous trees
The cattle indoors for their Winter stay
In farmyard sheds bellowing for silage or hay
Many cold and wet days and nights until April in Spring
Until the deciduous trees sprout new leaves and the nesting birds sing
Cold winds of December from the Boggeraghs blow
And the rivers bank high in Duhallow flow.

In A Fair Human World

In parts of the World seems sad for to say
Of malnutrition poor people are dying every day
In Climate Change where it has not rained for years
There is not any laughter only death, suffering and tears
In the refugee camps of the World millions of refugees
The survivors of wars and droughts of different Countries
With their extreme poverty existence they are struggling to cope
Of a better future they can only live in hope
The poor and sad victims of birth circumstance
Of any success in life stand little chance
Some of them have aged way beyond their time
And look like old people though in their physical prime
In the twenty first century people are dying of malnutrition today
In a fair Human World it would not be this way.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

On Australia

Australia has inspired the makers of song, story and rhyme
It is a very old Country perhaps as old as time
It's first people had lived here for sixty thousand years or more
Before the arrival of Europeans on the southern shore

Australia the Land of marsupials such as wombat, koala, wallaby and kangaroo
And many species of parrot such as rosella and lorikeet and cockatoo
And flora such as acacia, pittosporum and many species of eucalypt tree
In Australia there is so much natural beauty to see

Known for it's fierce bush fires and flooding and drought
Australia a vast Land of the World's far south
In the remote outback from sun and wind often looking bare and brown
Hundreds of kilometers between every bush town

For it's varying scenery Australia is quite well known
It has a natural rugged beauty of it's very own
When the first people arrived to it in time it was very old
And most of it's history in writing remain as untold.

A Good Living Person

You give everyone their dues and your bills you do pay
And from anyone in need of your help never turn away
Of anyone you never have unkind things to say
You live as an asset to the Human World of today
Non racist or non judgmental so much to like in you
Though you may never be fully appreciated for the good things for others you do
To live as a good person your only claim to renown
Though your sort never become the heroines or heroes of any town
You live by good example so much in you to admire
And of singing your praises i for one could not tire
You are one who has passed the good living person test
And to make the Human World better to live in you are doing your best
For your future good Karma you do plant the good seed
And of more of your sort the Human World is in need.

Loneliness

One of the sadder moods to humanity known
The self deflating feeling of being alone
When you feel depressed and mentally down
There are lonely people in every town
A feeling on happiness that does take toll
That darkens the very windows of the soul
Loneliness in some people linger for years
And cannot be cured by the shedding of tears
So many lonely people in the big World out there
In the twenty first century their sort are not rare
The people that few of does wish for to know
Since they seem to be lacking in the bright inner glow
Between the wealthy and poor loneliness does not differentiate
And to it there is not a known use by date.

Monday, December 9, 2019

I Hope To Be Rhyming

Addicted to rhyming for so many years
But for my addiction why should i shed tears
Since it is something i love doing and an addiction that is not a crime
I am one of those people who just loves penning rhyme
It is something i have been doing since my physical prime
And though my wrting efforts may not live on in time
As a rhymer i hope to live out my life span
And hopefully die without pain as a very old man
It was my love of rhyme made a rhymer of me
I wrote my first rhymes in nineteen seventy three
When i was twenty seven forty six years ago
And since time that rusts iron has become my foe
I hope to be rhyming until the day i do die
If i did tell you differently this would be a lie.

Even Victory In War

Even victory in war does not come without a huge cost
When on the winning side many lives too are lost
And people are dying in war zones every day
The human cost of war is a huge price to pay
The downside to war is death, suffering and pain
And though that war does create heroes as a truism remain
The war winners are left to consider are their losses outweighed by their gain
But despite war's harsh lessons wars will be fought again
For love of flag of Country so many have died
Their price to pay for nationalistic and patriotic pride
But the fact of the matter and fact never lie
Is that those who gain most from war in war never die.

Many Seem To Believe

Everyone has life choices many seem to believe
The people who by their thinking and opinions themselves only deceive
They must have forgotten the poor people of the big World out there
Who can only daydream of becoming a millionaire
Not everyone by their birth to life have been blessed
The homeless the hungry and the dispossessed
Many of them abused as children in life struggling to cope
They live poor and hungry and only have hope
Of better times for them in the days ahead
What helps them to keep living is that hope in them is not dead
That life choices are not for everyone as a truism remain
The reason for this it's own self does explain
It is almost impossible for one to rise above dire poverty
Those who tell you different deceive themselves only would you not agree?

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Since I Am One

Since i am one who is on the wrong side of time
For me like all others there will be a last rhyme
I have been penning doggerel since in my life's prime
But in the written book of law this is not a crime

In this coastal countryside close to Warrnambool
Far south of where i went to primary school
Time has me looking weary and balding and grey
I clearly have known of a far better day

The yearn for adventure has brought me far south
Of the fields of the badger and waterways of the brown trout
But the stay at home types i can only admire
For to live elsewhere in them no desire

I have long shed the last of my nostalgic tears
Since i have not lived in the homeplace for decades of years
But the memories of what was in me does remain
Of faces and places i may not see again

Since for doing it i never receive any pay
I have been advised to give rhyming away
And though my best years in life in the forever gone
For as long as i can do i will be rhyming on.

Warrnambool

In beautiful and breezy old Warrnambool
The weather never gets too warm or too cool
Of holiday destinations it rates among the best
A gem in the crown of Victoria's south west
The City of Warrnambool of the coastal countryside
For it's scenic sea views is known far and wide
Thunder Point, Park Lake Pertobe and Sting Ray Bay
Are always worthy of a visit in truth one can say
In Warrnambool many a happy and smiling face
The locals there do take great pride in their place
For their hospitality they have become known
They welcome a stranger as one of their own
Some who visit Warrnambool for a holiday
Return to there for a longer stay.

Though It Does Not

Though it does not make them the most popular in the town
Some enjoy in their words on putting others down
One can say in their ways they seem rather small
Their idea of a fair go does not include all

On their harsh judgments of good and honest people it only does seem
That they themselves suffer of low self esteem
They are never an asseet to their side of the town
Those who in their words like putting others down

Since of good Karma their sort never plant the seed
The World of more like them is not in need
Their sympathies are not with those doing it financially tough
They criticize them as the not good enough

Their sort do grow older but never grow wise
The harsh on the poor government they never criticize
In their words a fair go to millions of people they choose to deny
On their verbal support the wealthy and influential and materially corruptible on them can rely

The righteous who believe they have god on their side
Who uphold class distinction and the social divide
Seem to be growing in numbers in the World of today
And this seems a very sad thing for to say.

Saturday, December 7, 2019

It Used To Be Popular

It used to be a popular literary form rhyme
Though this is going back many decades in time
And though no shortage of rhymers in the World of today
That rhyme is no longer an in thing does seem true to say
Most things have their time and few things ever last
And what used to be rather popular in the past
Twenty first century literary critics rhymers do not rate
Nowadays they are seen to be out of date
Rhymers no longer held in high esteem
Just taken for granted is how it does seem
Though there are rhymers in every town
Few of them even know of local renown
Rhyme used to be popular decades ago
But what used to be it is no longer so.

What Goes Around

For our sins against others some price we must pay
What goes around comes around Karma works in this way
If the law does not catch up with you Karma will one day
That your past sins will catch up with you seems true to say
The wrongs we do to others to our own selves we do
This applies to us all and all includes me and you
But if you never harm anyone and your conscience is clear
From the law or from Karma you have nothing to fear
You may have outwitted the law and feel luck is on your side
But from Karma for you there is nowhere to hide
What goes around comes around applies to everyone
To Karma you will pay for any wrongs you have done
Though many with this may choose to disagree
This is how it is and how it always will be.

Henry Lawson

An Australian writer well worthy of literary note
Henry Lawson a story writer and a poet
In life one who did know of many and up and a down
His was a hard journey to literary renown

His memorable short story The Drover's Wife
Told of a lone prergnant woman leading a harsh life
In the remote Australian outback miles from the nearest bush town
In a landscape from months of sun and wind looking bare and brown

In a harsh environment life for her a struggle every day
Her husband a drover from her miles away
Droving for a living in the big Land out there
With a large herd of cattle miles frrom anywhere

From Where The World Is Wide and Faces Of The Street
In Henry Lawson's stories and poems amazing people to meet
His are memorable portrayals of life's tougher side
That he was a great writer of him cannot be denied

Of people without some flaw not many at all
Alcohol was Henry Lawson's downfall
But genius outlives death as the wise one does say
And in his memorable writing he is living today.

Friday, December 6, 2019

Those Who Have Love In Them

Those who have love in them have kindness to share
And of the needs of others are always aware
Without expecting rewards they perform good deeds every day
And to help those in need of helping often go out of their way

Those who have love in them are free of conceit
And for attention with others do never compete
For love in the mind leaves room for humility
It is one of the great gifts of humanity

People with love in them of are good to know
Since they are blessed of the bright inner glow
Above the ordinary they always rise
That life is not meant to be lived for self only they do realize

Those with love in them their minds are open to light
If there were enough people in the World like them there would not be wars to fight
They rise above the ordinary of them one can say
And by good example they do lead the way.

Good And Bad Memories

Good memories of what was in us does remain
In our nostalgic moments to visit again
And though our unpleasant memories we wish to forget
They do linger in us much to our regret
One cannot always be among the happy of the town
In life there is many an up and a down
In life we must learn to accept the bad with the good
This is something that does have to be understood
Our bad days in life we could well do without
But this is just part of what living is about
Without experiencing sadness happiness we could not appreciate
Though all of our moods do have a use by date
We would rather forget days when we felt depressed
Our good times in life we do remember best.

Yarpturk In December

The sun it is shining in a sky blue and grey
And the blackbirds are singing in Yarpturk today
The weather temperature not too warm or cool around eighteen degrees
And the sweet scent of freshly mowed grass is blowing in the breeze
Quite close to Christmas and a New Year
December in Yarpturk to Summer's prime is near
January on an average warmer by six or seven degrees
Which gives rise to the increase in numbers of bush flies and bees
The paddocks quite green after the recent showers
Are looking quite resplendent in their yellow cape flowers
And the cattle chewing their cuds on lush grass do lay
For Nature's beauty to view one does not have to pay
The warbling of the magpies so distinctive and clear
And the songs of the pee wees always pleasant to hear.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

A Dream In Your Life

You may feel that better from life you are due
But for so few their dreams for them does come true
Dreams help to keep hope in the mind alive
Without a dream hope would struggle to survive
We all have our life choices some well may say
But life in reality does not work in this way
There is such a thing as birth circumstance
And opportunity only comes to some by chance
But for life's tribulations the one without a dream finds it harder to cope
For dreams as is known are the main source of hope
For those who are doing it financially tough
Their dreams give them solace though their life's journey is rough
A dream in your life it is almost a need
And the one without such is a sad one indeed.

Lucky The Man

Lucky the man content in his own skin
Who does not have in him this great desire to always win
And does not treat failure as a loss of face
And win with humility and lose with grace

And live life without yearning for wealth and for fame
And treat criticism and praise as the same
And live in his own way and do his own thing
And leave it to others their praises to sing

But sadly it is not saying anything that is new
That his sort in the World nowadays are quite few
Most males of praise and money crave more than their share
The down to earth males have become rather rare

Lucky the man who happen to believe
That to life he is born to give to receive
And is always quite willing to plant Karma's good seed
By helping anyone of his help in need

In some males their egos are out of control
Which is not very good for the health of the soul
The numbers of egotistical males only true to say
Are on the increase in the Human World of today

Lucky the man who do not crave wealth and renown
The ordinary bloke of his side of the town
From life all he wishes for is some happiness
The great gift of humility he does possess.

I Do Envy Those

I do envy those who from home never travel far
And enjoy the short drive at the weekend in the family car
And on holiday from their hometown only travel fifty kilometers at most
They leave it to others of their overseas trips for to boast
Near where they first looked on the bright lamp of day
Their last remains forever will lay
The desire never in them for to live elsewhere
And experience life in the big World out there
Quite happy for to grow old in their first homeplace
Where to many their's is a known and loved face
Where most everybody does know them by name
Local recognition for them is quite sufficent fame
Quite different in their ways to those of nomadic race
One can only envy them for their strong sense of place.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Old Jim

Old Jim with a few drinks in does feel a bit down
He has tears in his eyes for the far away town
He left as a young man six decades ago
Time known to rust iron has become his foe

The hair on his balding head is silver grey
And clearly he has known of a far better day
He has not seen his hometown for four decades of years
Though for what used to be he has not shed his last tears

Ten years ago to cancer he lost Jill his wife
She lives in his memory as the great love of his life
His children or grandchildren he seldom now see
They live far from him in a different Country

In a two bedroom semi detached bungalow he lives on his own
And happier day in life of he has known
When he is out walking in the park or on the street
He smiles and says hello to everyone he does meet

The migrant nostalgia remains in him today
With a few drinks in at the pub he talks of the past and his first hometown far away
And his ageing brown eyes become moistened with tears
At memories of the past and the long gone years.

I Feel Privileged

Though here mine to many is a stranger's face
I feel privileged to live in such a beautiful place
Such natural beauty i see every day
For some of the best things in life one does not have to pay
A koala eating leaves high on branch of manna gum tree
A beautiful sight in Nature for to see
This is something that i see quite regularly
The beauty in Nature to view it is free
In this beautiful place of the World far south
Of the fields of the badger and waterways of the brown trout
Such natural beauty for to meet the eyes
There is far more to Nature than one realize
Such beauty i see around me every day
I am one of the lucky in truth i can say.

On White Winged Trillers

You know him without seeing him his voice you will not get wrong
The white and black male white triller has a distinctive song
From mid Spring to mid Summer he does trill regularly
This medium sized member of the cuckoo shrike family
In flat nest of sticks in leafy foilage on outer fork of tree
The female lay green orange spotted eggs of two or sometimes three
Plainer than the male in his breeding plumage she is not known to sing
To be showy and vocal in life is not her thing
White winged trillers are migratory they like to move about
From August to early March they are common in the south
Distinctive from all other birds is only true to say
The trilling song of the pied male to his identity a give away
Familiar to many people of the countryside
In the vastness of Australia they travel far and wide.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Of The What Used To Be

In me the memories today do remain
Of the breeding frogs croaking in every field drain
And Clara half cloaked in the grey fogs of rain
Our mental images of the past a life time we retain

With a silver tongue that is never still
I hear the babbling of the Claramore rill
In Claraghatlea fields to the river winding it's way
It flows on forever by night and by day

In a rushy field in late Spring by old River Finnow
I hear the soft lowing to her calf of a cow
And as the shades of night envelope the sky
The male snipe from the rushes upwards does fly

And with his wings and tail makes a drumming sort of sound
As above his breeding territory he flies around
The past lives in us until the day we do die
For to believe any different would be to believe a lie

The old fields looking resplendent in their Nature's flowers
That have come to bloom after recent Spring showers
And the hawthorns cloaked in their white blooms of the May
Of the what used to be the memories do stay

In fancy in the leafy groves bird song i do hear
In late Spring and early Summer a lovely time of year
Of the what used to be the memories remain
And how nice for to walk on the old fields again.

As You Possibly Can

The longest lived human life in real time not a long span
Live for as long as you possibly can
Life is the greatest gift we do possess
Far greater than any other form of success
No use to them now their wealth and renown
The once admired and influential deceased of the town
The Reaper of lives on their lives had the say
In the local cemetery their bones forever do lay
Their money death did fail to impress
The one who does not treat the poor to the wealthy as less
Life  comes to us via the gift of circumstance
And at living it for us there is no second chance
Do make the most of your every living day
For eventually you too will be where dead people lay.

Your Own Stories To Tell

Though the judgmental may dismiss you as a never do well
Of your life you do have your own stories to tell
Of how you live hungry and have to sleep rough
And of how you must have been born into life for to know of it tough
Abused by your abusive father you left home at fifteen
Some tough times in life you are one who has seen
Homeless in your early twenties and unemployed
Such things that do nothing for a young man's sense of pride
With little hope of much success in life
Of becoming a father or having a partner or wife
Few wish to know of you when you are financially down
Out of work, homeless and hungry on the poor side of the town
But despite the opinions of the juidgmental who dismiss you as a never do well
You have your own stories of life for to tell.

Monday, December 2, 2019

On Old Cladoch Today

The sun behind grey clouds is hidden away
And perhaps will not shine on old Cladoch today
The wintry gales down the valley blow with a cold chill
Sheep bleating on the high fields and snow on the hill

Swollen from the heavy showers of sleety rain
Brown storm water flowing fast in every drain
When the cold gales of sleety rain and snow are about
The few mountain farmers who live in Cladoch of their homes seldom venture out

A valley by the mountains between Rathmore and Millstreet
Where Duhallow and Sliabh Luachra are known for to meet
Old Cladoch was very old when Fionn was in his prime
Some will even tell you it is as old as time

For Global Warming the few residents of Cladoch are surely not to blame
In the twenty first century this should be a claim to fame
By traffic noise they are never woken at night
On the narrow road of the valley cars are not a common sight

Most of the young people of Cladoch move to live elsewhere
Some opf them live in cities in the big World out there
But those of a deeper love of home in the valley does stay
Happy to grow old in where they first saw light of day

Cold winds of December down the valley blow
When the old hills of Cladoch wear their hats of snow
And the bleating of sheep the only living sound
In the valley of the Boggeraghs when Winter is around.

On This Beautiful Evening

The sweet scent of grass freshly mowed for silage or hay
Is blowing in the freshening breeze of a beautiful day
At the end of the Spring with the calendar summer near
On what is a pleasant and green time of year
Nature at her very finest to be seen
After the recent rain the countryside looking healthy and green
The dark winged welcome swallows chirping as they fly
On pursuit of flying insects in the sunny blue and grey sky
On a balmy evening of close to twenty degrees
The magpies are warbling on the sunlit trees
And birds from once heard one never again does get wrong
The golden blackbirds are in the mood for song
And the contented cattle lay chewing their cuds in the shade of the trees
On this beautiful evening of sunshine and breeze.

December By Mushera

The sun behind the grey clouds is hidden away
And may not shine on Mushera and the high fields around it today
The chill winds of December is soughing in the trees
On a weather temperature high for the day of just over zero degrees
The songs of the birds one never does hear
by Mushera Mountain on this bleak time of year
On the high Butter Road above Millstreet Town
Few cars and trucks being driven up and down
That winds along by Mushera of the high countryside
In Summer driven on by tourists from Lands Worldwide
In Spring, Summer and early Autumn by Mushera great natural beauty to view
For it's breathtaking scenery it's equals are few
But from November to April the sky often grey
And very little sunshine until early May.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

A Beautiful Person

None judgmental in her ways and without conceit
And as nice a person as one could wish for to meet
Of any trace of narcissism she is totally free
In her eyes beauty is all she does see
A widowed grandmother in her late sixties her hair silver grey
She is one who performs good deeds every day
Always helping others she is compassionate and kind
She does have the bright inner glow in her mind
People like she is in the World are rare
The love she has in her with others she does share
Of kind brown eyes and a beautiful face
She is one imbued of natural grace
Of anyone she never has unkind things to say
And on the helping of others always goes out of her way.

It Is Only The Few

In every town it is always this way
Only a few seem to be in the news every day
It is only the few that the many admire
And of singing their praises never seem to tire
Even in the local newspaper a photo of most of the people of the local community never appear
And the reason  for this is obviously clear
That only a few are seen to be newsworthy so much for equality
Suppose this is how it was and it is and it always will be
There are so many poor people in every town
Who live and will die as strangers to renown
Though humanity poorer for it in some way
Money speaks every language in truth one can say
The most of the material wealth of the World is owned by a tiny minority
And what is left is unevenly distributed among the majority.

The Tribeless People

They are looked on as loners as if something with them is wrong
Those who to any tribe never choose to belong
The social outsiders of every town
Who live as they will die as strangers to even local renown
Many of them can be compassionate and kind
And in the helping of others they are willingly inclined
Yet since they are not part of any group they do not fit in
For their sort it does seem there is never a win
In the Human World the tribal are many and the loners are few
And this is not saying any thing that is new
Good living non tribal people never receive the credit they are due
Yet to their higher selves they try to live as true
For being different to most others some price they must pay
The tribeless people of the Human World of today.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

A Woman Who Loves Life

In spirit she is willing though she has grown physically weak
Of end of life and death to her do not speak
She says i love life why should i wish to die
If i did tell you differently this would be a lie
One who does not have children to carry her genes in life
For many years to an abusive husband a devoted wife
Until eventually time it did become his foe
And he breathed his last a few decades ago
His passing from life did not reduce her to tears
She could not grieve for one who had abused her for years
On her ninety fifth year her better physical days long gone
But her great love of life inspires her to live on
She says i love life and i have no wish to die
If i did tell you differently this would be a lie.

Not A Good World To Live In

Not everyone can afford to buy expensive clothes
And as the saying goes scenting like a rose
Not everyone destined to be a millionaire
There are millions of poor people in the World out there
The creation of money among humanity
Only brought with it corruption and inequality
On saying that the majority of the material wealth of the World is owned by the few
Is not saying any thing that is in any way that is new
It is a sad fact of the Human World of today
That money says more of you than any thing else can say
In a fair Human World it would not be this way
But then suppose for materialism this is the price that there is for to pay
For the millions of people who are in extreme poverty
It is not a good World to live in would you not agree?

On Little Ravens

Once heard by their sharp quick caws you will know them again
And mental pictures of their glossy black feathers not hard to retain
The little ravens of south eastern Australia not hard to get to know
Some people refer to them as the pale eyed crow

Quite hardy birds where food is plentiful they thrive
And even in drought ravaged areas they manage to survive
In south eastern Australia their range is far and wide
Familiar birds of towns and countryside

In stick nest on outer branch of taller tree
The female lays greenish pink dotted eggs of six down to three
Even in Climate Change not rare in any way
They are birds that one does see every day

Their shiny feathers quite as black as tar
From their territories they never travel far
In problem solving they never cease to surprise
Quite clever birds one does come to realize

They open rubbish bins for scraps of food and meat
And dip stale hard  bread in water for to soften to eat
In numbers quite abundant in their range
And they are birds that will survive Climate Change.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Bill Blab Mouth

Bill Blab Mouth will tell you of the athletic trophies he has won
And of how his mum and dad are proud to call him son
But he is far back from an elite athlete
And many in the town than him quicker on their feet

As women go he fancies himself as a man of the town
But as a lady's man he will never know of renown
It has been awhile since he has had a partner his lovers are few
He boasts at present he is not looking for anyone new

But the truth of the matter is for trying he does not lack
He is one who receives from women many a knock back
Most women find him over bearing and rather rude
He is no casanova his chat up lines crude

Bill Blab Mouth on his twenty seventh year does not have child, partner or wife
He boasts he has had many loves in his life
But he is one who does believe his own lies
As most who know of him have come to realize.

From The Cares Of Living

From the cares of living death does bring release
Which perhaps gives rise to the saying may she or he rest in peace
It is the ego in us that does fear death
That wills us on to fight for our last living breath
Though it is part of life and a natural thing
Of the praises of death you will not hear many sing
Though their physical best years to time has long gone
Most of those past their century of living do want to live on
A decade of years in our physical prime
And eventually we all become victims of time
As the words of the song go and it is not a lie
The longer you live the sooner you will die
The Reaper of lives keeps on reaping away
For all of us there is this last night and day.

Of Nature

So much of Nature's ways there is for to  know
And the more we learn of her the more our wonder of her grow
A sibling of Mother Earth as some do say
She does her own thing and lives in her own way
She does have her moods as we all know too well
When angry she makes life for those in her way a living hell
Yet she can be gentle and calm as can be
Her moods they are many as most would agree
The beauty in Nature we do not pay to see
It is all around you and it is all around me
The one who helps Mother Earth create a beautiful flower
Is also the World's number one super power
Of Nature we learn something new every day
We never stop learning life works in this way.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

In Groves Of Kilmeedy

In groves of Kilmeedy from here far away
The wild birds of Nature are not singing today
The winds of November blow with a cold chill
Above the high fields in view of Clara Hill

In groves of Kilmeedy no leaves on the deciduous trees
And the weather temperature just above zero degrees
But the migrant redwing thrushes from the colder northlands back on their wintering ground
In the fields of Kilmeedy in numbers they abound

From Clara's Hill i first saw Kilmeedy when i was a boy
In their greeness of Spring a scene for to enjoy
When the migratory dark barn swallows avian speedsters of the sky
In pursuit of flying insects in the sunlight did fly

In the groves of Kilmeedy four months from the Spring
The deciduous trees are bare and the birds do not sing
But i have a fond memory of long before time became my foe
On a Spring evening from Clara looking down on Kilmeedy many decades ago.

I Have Never Pretended

I have never pretended that i am a poet
Nor in any way worthy of literary note
As they used to be in the days of yore
Rhymers nowadays are not to the literary fore
For many years i have been a rhyming buff
Just one who has written a whole heap of stuff
I was one who loved reading rhymes as a boy
And writing them nowadays is a thing i enjoy
This title of poet many like to claim for their own
It is okay with me if this is how they wish to be known
But true poets we are told are of the few
Though many others on this have a different view
But each to their own as the wise one does say
Most of us look at life in our own sort of a way.

In Some Of Their Ways

If you are lacking in compassion, kindness and empathy
True to your higher self you never can be
A poor person in ways the multi money millionaire
Who with the financially down refuses for to share
Those who reach their higher selves to help others willingly inclined
They are a people with brightness of mind
People who perform good deeds every day
And on helping those doing it tough go out of their way
The wealthy who live for selves only to their higher selves nowhere near
This is something to all that should be obviously clear
Those who have reached their higher selves are compassionate people in varying degrees
They help the hungry, the homeless and stateless refugees
The wealthy people who never help those in financial need
In some of their ways are poor people indeed.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

For Some There Will Not Be

For some there will not be a tomorrow for them this will be their last day
This is how it is and it always will be for life it does work in this way
Since us humans like all living creatures are born to eventually die
Those who believe in immortality for homo sapiens are those who believe their own lie
The egotistical in their sense of self importance of their worth are never in doubt
Never seem to realize they too will die and they too will be done without
An over pumped ego can be soul destroying as it takes one from reality
Death is for the wealthy and famous as well as those in poverty
Some of those who believe they are superior to most others may eventually come to realize
That themselves they had been over rating this is if time makes them wise
Yet some never seem to grow wiser like all they only do grow old
Age is not a guarantee for wisdom by sages you would have heard told
In cemeteries there are many who thought they were inexpendable but their gift of life from them has gone
They over rated their own importance for the World without them goes on.

When Jimmy Cronin Sang Mother Malone

His Holiday House shop was full of Millstreet supporters When Jimmy Cronin sang Mother Malone
A song of the man who often kissed his mother in law to be but never kissed the Blarney Stone
That evening the Millstreet under fourteen team he had been coaching had a big Duhallow Gaelic Football win
And Jimmy in song was releasing some of the joy he felt within

Jimmy was born in Dooneen in Millstreet where he grew into a man
In his twenties he migrated to New York where he lived and worked of time for quite a span
When he returned home he purchased a business in the West End of the Town of Millstreet
It became a spot where some locals at evening quite often did meet

Though a Cork man by birth and address Kerry his favourite team in Gaelic Football
He used to say Kerry forever and Kerry to answer the call
And though this did not please some Millstreet Cork supporters Jimmy to his thoughts remained true
To him Kerry were champion Gaelic Footballers and credit to them for this was their due

But Jimmy was loyal to Millstreet G A A he coached many a Millstreet under age football team
That he would coach them to Cork county glory in life for him an unfulfilled dream
There was so much for to like about him quite a character in his own way
Doubtless he is remembered in Millstreet by all who knew of him today

Jimmy Cronin is at peace forever among the dead of Millstreet he lay
He was such a memorable character quite distinctive in his own way
Time does take care of everybody does only seem true for to say
But Jimmy Cronin is remembered in Millstreet by all who knew of him today

A nice evening in the mid Summer in Jimmy Cronin's shop a happy football crowd
The Millstreet under fourteens had won a big football game in Duhallow and Jimmy felt joyous and proud
He was in the right mood for singing so he sang about Mother Malone
And of the young man who hugged and kissed her for the love of her daughter but never kissed the Blarney Stone.

The Beautiful Person

I will always remember the beautiful person though i have not seen her for awhile
The town the poorer for her leaving she has such a wonderful smile
Wavy dark hair to her shoulders and beautiful eyes of light brown
Eight months ago she moved to elsewhere she is a huge loss to the town

Perhaps she is in her mid twenties in the physical prime of her life
One who is not a mother to children and she is not anyone's  wife
Many young local males attracted to her but she is not the flirting kind
She is one who is pure and honesst and to lead males on not in any way inclined

As well as a nice person and attractive looking about her she has a lovely way
One who never ignores anybody and even to strangers smile and say good day
She always does seem very happy a smile on her beautiful face
Her sort to any town an asset and always seems hard to replace

The yearn like many was in her to see some of the big World out there
She left the town in the late Autumn for to try her luck out elsewhere
But in the town she is missed by many and fond memories of her they retain
And they hope that she will return for to live among them again.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Love Of Self Gone Wrong

In the Human World of today self adoration with some it is an in thing
Of their own praises they are only too willing to sing
Into self propmotion in quite a big way
They do love an audience of them one can say
With the advancement of technology narcissism all but out of  control
It is detrimental to the health of the human soul
Those who live for self only are not compassionate and kind
Such a warped sense of love not healthy for the mind
Praise to them is like petrol to a flame
They become obsessed with self and money and fame
To become wealthy and famous in life their desire
And of talking of self they never seem to tire
To the self obsessed egotistical their sort belong
Narcissism in truth is self love gone wrong.

A November Day In The Moyne Shire

In the coastal Moyne Shire on this November day
The sweet scent of grass mowed for silage or hay
Under a sunny sky blowing in the freshening breeze
On a pleasant Spring day of around twenty degrees
Such beauty in the Moyne Shire today today to be seen
After the recent rain the countryside looking green
The cattle are grazing on grass to their knees
And the wild birds chirping and singing on bushes and trees
In stamens of brown and petals of gold
The cape flowers in bloom beautiful to behold
This sort of weather is to Mother Earth's gain
The warmth in the sunshine after the recent rain
And with the sun on their wings in the blue and grey sky
In pursuit of flying insects the dark swallows fly.

Most Politicians

Most politicians elected to parliament are obsessed with the power that comes with money and fame
For their own inadequacies on their political opponents they put the blame
The honorable and truthful politicians one can say of the few
And this is not saying  anything that is in any way that is new

Most politicians the truth do know how to disguise
One can say of them that they believe their own lies
To their own selves they could never be true
They are good at being deceitful for to give tthem their due

A prerequisite for a successful political career is to be able to deceive
That they have a right to lie most politicians believe
They do not see verbal deception as a dishonorable thing
And of their own praises and the praises of their political party they do love to sing

Most politicians only speak the truth
When to their personal aand political advantage it happens for to suit
In parliament and to the media they lie every day
With them for to lie it is seen as okay.