Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Tower Hill

 The grey kangaroos at Tower Hill in the high scrub rest for most of the day
Though some of them do graze near cover and on seeing you quickly bound away
Of human beings wild roos are wary and quickly hop out of sight
Though they are sometimes seen in the daytime they are mostly creatures of the night
In Tower Hill as well as roos much native wildlife emus, koalas, echidnas and black wallabies
And at dusk the brushtail and ringtail possums one hear calling on the trees
Once home to Tower Hill's first people who were known as the Peek Wurrong
They did lose out to colonizers but their spirits in Tower Hill belong
In Tower Hill one can see white long billed corellas and the big dark brown parrots nicknamed weerloos
From their call though they are known to most people as yellow tailed black cockatoos
In the big lakes in the volcanic valley many species of water birds in large numbers abound
Tower Hill to the Peek Wurrong people for centuries was sacred ground
Tower Hill that has many visitors in the coastal lands near Koroit Town
For it's many species of native wildlife it has a widespread renown.

On The Passing Of Ben O' Riordan

 Ben O'Riordan though one well advanced in years
His passing from life in Cullen would not have gone without tears
The friends over the years in numbers had grown
Of this likeable character who was widely known

Long before time it did become his foe
He owned one of Ireland's fastest greyhounds many decades ago
Sir Denis a fawn son of Tanyard Heather and Roxanne bred by Andy Duggan and trained by Andy's brother Tim
There were few dogs in Ireland then who were as fast as him

But sadly for his connections in the Ryan Cup at the Cork Track 
During the race Sir Denis another greyhound did attack
The warm favourite in the betting he did not run a place
For the speedy Millstreet greyhound it was his last race

At the disappointment of his greyhound Ben felt a bit sad
But with a shrug of his shoulders he said life has it's good and it's bad
The next evening in a pub in Cullen as he drank a beer
With a smile on his face he was in the mood for cheer

Ben O' Riordan has lived his last night and day
In the Cemetery at Cullen his last remains lay
As kind and generous a person as one could wish to meet
Well known and well liked in and far beyond Cullen in the Parish of Millstreet.

Liam Gallagher

 Born and raised in Murphy's Terrace in Millstreet Town
But he died far from those old streets he often walked up and down
In Slievemore Cemetery in Achill County Mayo his last remains lay
From the town of his boyhood in kilometres far away
Liam Gallagher in his young years was handsome and tall
And those who knew him in Millstreet good memories of him will recall
Survived by his brothers Donie and Tony, Liam in his late sixties or early seventies was not a very old man
In the twenty first century in human years this is not a long span
Like so many others in his Hometown he did not stay
He died far from where he first saw light of day
In Achill doubtless many friends he did gain
And all who knew him in Millstreet good memories of him will retain
Hope his parting from life for him was a painless release
In Slievemore Cemetery County Mayo he now is at peace.

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Eileen MacEvilly

 Eileen MacEvilly born and raised as a Hickey in Liscreagh in Millstreet
In the green countryside where the waterways meet
Wife of the late Vincent and survived by her son Stephen, brothers Connie and Donal and sister Finola and nieces and nephews as well
Of her travels she would have many stories to tell

An octogenarian with her husband an adventurous life she did lead
And a biography of her would make for a good read
Her travels from Liscreagh took her far away
For many years she lived in San Fransico in the U S of  A

In Aughavale Cemetery in Westport County Mayo her last remains lay
In distance far north of her first home in Liscreagh
Where she first saw light of day eighty eight years ago
But eventually time becomes everyone's foe

In the Parish of Millstreet one who did not stay
Time on all life does have the last say
May Eileen rest in peace in Westport County Mayo
Far north of where she lived many years ago.

Self Love

 Next to life one of the great gifts that anybody can possess
Those with genuine love of self in them others never wish to impress
With others the love that is in them they are always willing to share
Those who have love of self in them of the needs of others are aware
Narcissism to self love is different in fact to any form of love it does not belong
Those who believe it is a form of self love in reality do have it wrong
Narcissism is an obsession with self just this and little else more
To narcissists the needs of the self only matter and the needs of others they ignore
Of their sort sadly there are many and of any more humanity is not in need
They lack in empathy, kindness and compassion and never perform a good deed
Obsessed with self in a big way their own praises they love to sing
They crave the attention of others in life with them this is their thing
Those who do have self love in them possess a great gift indeed
Always willing to help others and on doing so sow Karma's good seed.

Rats And Mice

 Few people ever say of them things that are nice
But they are Nature's great survivors rats and mice
Despite baiting and trapping as the years go by
In large numbers they do seem to multiply

Some children have a mouse or a rat for a pet
And when they are sick do take them to a vet
A pet mouse or rat is gentle and quiet
And the children who have them say they never bite

But of rats and mice human friends are few
And this is not saying anything that is new
And companies that manufacture rodent bait in sales doing financially well
Billions worth in baits every year they are known for to sell

Wild rats and mice disease to humans have been known for to spread
And many will tell you that the only good rat or mouse is one that is dead
They give birth to large families one of the reasons why
Humans cannot rid the World of them though their best to they do try

There are more rats and mice than human beings in the World of today
That they will survive Climate Change  of them one can say
They cause millions in money in damage to food every day of the year
And that they are Nature's survivors is obviously clear.

Monday, March 29, 2021

We All Have Our Own Dreams

 We all have our own dreams in life to pursue
And that we receive from life what is only our due
Only applies to those not born into poverty
At least anyhow this is how it seems to be
So many doing it tough in the Human World of today
The hungry the homeless and those whose work is not matched by pay
The Stateless of the World who from hunger and torture are forced for to flee
Who would wish for to live life as a refugee?
That inequality is rife is not saying what is new
In a World where the majority of the wealth is owned by the few
That we receive from life what is only our due
For only a minority happens to be true
And does not apply to the poor of every town
Who to no fault of their own are financially down.

You Can Only Live

 You can only live to be the best you can be
And treat others as you would like them treat you with decency 
It is true what we do to others to our own selves we do
The poor one who is  kinder to others than you are is a better person than you
In a World where so many people for attention with each other compete
The humble and kind are becoming harder to meet
The wealthy and famous celebrities many do admire
And of singing their praises never seem to tire
It is a sad World to live in for the poor and downtrod
The children of the children of the lesser god
Who only know of the hard times life on them always tough
The homeless and hungry who at night do sleep rough
You can live as a good person though you are financially down
And in some ways be a superior person to some of the wealthy of the town.

Their Names Do Live

 Their names do live as Irish literary greats
Joyce and Beckett and Heaney and Yeats
In the literary World they remain leading lights
But reading them will not have you laughing all night

Surely great writers in case you get me wrong
And among the World's best they surely belong
But lacking in the humor of Ireland's wronged literary child
The brilliant and sharp witted one known as Wilde

And as for Mangan the author of Dark Rosaleen
Far tougher days than most in life he had seen
In post famine days of malnutrition and consumption he died
A great Irish poet who is not recognized Worldwide

Some of James Stephens poems in you will raise a smile
To read some of his writing may be worth one's while
To him he did have quite a humorous side
Yet his writing never inspires in Irish literary critics a sense of pride

Kavanagh and Gogarty two who come to mind
One could not say of them that they were of a kind
That they did not like each other only true to say
But politics in this did have some part to play

Of more Irish writers one could talk about
But in a short rhyme some names have to be left out
Mine is just one opinion which to little amount
And i am not one whose literary criticisms are taken into account.

Sunday, March 28, 2021

The Former Pride Of The Moyne Shire

 The former Pride of the Moyne Shire where is she today
She was a rare beauty though youth with none does stay
Her shoulder length hair was wavy and brown
The finest in her prime in Port Fairy Town
Going back in time now three decades ago
When she was in her prime twenty five years or so
She left Port Fairy one morning in May
On a one way ticket to the U S of A
In her twenties admired by many young men
She has not been seen in Port Fairy since then
Perhaps never to be seen in the Moyne Shire again
But in all who knew her the memories remain
Of the former Pride of the Moyne Shire
She was one many young men did admire.

Mother Earth

 Mother Earth without doubt the World's greatest power
With the help of her sibling Nature can create a beautiful flower
She feeds all life forms of the World including us human kind
And a greater friend than she is there is not for us to find
She provides for us our every need our every living day
Yet she does not have many human friends which does seem sad to say
Many of us abuse her for our financial gain
Why we abuse the one who feeds us is beyond me to explain
Since she is the one who owns us and to her we do belong
Those who believe they own Mother Earth have surely got it wrong
Most of us from her take and take and in return nothing give
Yet she is the only reason that in the World we can live
And whether we are cremated or be buried to decay
To the one who clothe and feed us we will return to one day.

How It Always Will Be

 Though few autobiographies by publishers published to sell
Everyone do have their own life story to tell
Only the stories of the wealthy and famous seem to matter and they are of the few
You may say to this do tell us what is new
Of the flawed people the famous and wealthy the most flawed of all
And of the criminal behaviour of some of them many stories to recall
From the wealthy celebrity to the never do well
Everyone have their own story of life to tell
In a Human World where for one to win big many have to lose
And losing is a thing in life anyone does not choose
It is the same today as in the days of old
The life story of most people will never be told
And excepting the wealthy and celebrated minority
This is how it is and how it always will be.

Saturday, March 27, 2021

A Good Man

A good man he cares for his paraplegic wife
And he is one who does live a moral wife
Often see him in the park pushing her wheelchair
He is one of  those kind and compassionate men and their sort are not rare
We hear about males who live immoral lives
And home from the pub beat their children and wives
But despite what some of the more negative people of men do say
Only a minority of males behave in this way
That there are no shortage of good men in the World happens to be true
This is to give males in general what is only their due
It is only the bad males that we read of and hear about
Positive stories of caring and kind males of the news seems to always lose out
It is only stories of badly behaved men we read of or hear
That many people like hearing negative stories it only appear.

Arguably The Most Popular

 The town's arguably most popular person is well loved and well known
And most locals feel proud to claim him for their own
About him he does have quite a charming way
And he greets everyone he meets with a good day
The lilt in his laughter makes for a happy sound
He carries joy with him and shares it around
Perhaps the reason for himself so many friends he has won
Is that he only has praise for everyone
Though some discerning locals of him does say
That he is into flattery in a big way
Which makes old words of wisdom worthy of recall
That you may well win many but you will not win them all
The main reason he is arguably the most popular person in the town
Is that in his words he never puts anyone down.

A Stranger Today

 A stranger today in his first hometown
On old streets he often did walk up and down
When he was a teenager many Seasons ago
Long before time it did become his foe
Before the yearn to travel took him to elsewhere
To experience life in the big World out there
Back for a hometown visit after an absence of forty years
Though for the what was he has shed his last nostalgic tears
A grandfather in his late sixties he now feels out of place
Where his to many used to be a known face
Back in his hometown only for a brief stay
In a forthnight from now he will be on his way
Back to Australia to his family and wife
Where he will live until the end of his life.

Friday, March 26, 2021

Of How Knowledgeable You Are

 It is true that some birds are faster than others at flying
And that most politicians are quite good at lying 
And for an answer you should not be stuck
If you are asked to recognize a turkey from a duck
But these are things of everyone should know
And of your I Q anything does not show
And though the praises of well educated people many may sing
Human knowledge can be quite a relative thing
For knowledge many people have the desire
But it is only from living life's experience you acquire
You may have been to a university
And to show for it have your uni degree
This only proves that you are better educated than most by far
But it does not tell us of how knowledgeable you are.

In The Twenty First Century

 In the twenty first century self promotion is an in thing
And many their own praises seem happy to sing
And in a World where so many people for attention compete
The down to earth people getting harder to meet
In an age when the narcissistic sort are no longer rare
So many of their own needs are only aware
And the gap between the have and the have not is widening by the day
Which does seem a very sad thing for to say
And it is not saying anything that is new
That the majority of the wealth of the World is owned by the few
And even in so called wealthy Nations many are doing it tough
And are homeless and hungry and at night sleeping rough
And when many must lose for a few for to win
It is not a nice World for the majority to live in.

Many Like You

 So you are being having another bad day
And nothing of late seems to be going your way
But in life one must accept the good with the bad
And the happiest of people at times do feel sad
Hope for times better can only be said
Happier days of you may be ahead
Who knows what tomorrow to you will bring
You may be in the mood again for to sing
Today you are feeling sad and mentally down
Not one of the happiest on your side of the town
Feeling quite maudlin and full of self doubt
And nothing in your life for to smile about
Life has many an up and a down as they say
And many like you are not happy today.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Tim Murphy

 Long before time it did become his foe
Tim Murphy left Claramore many decades ago
Where his journey in life for him began
And where he lived as a boy and grew into a young man

From Claramore in view of Clara's Hill in distance far away
To Somerville Massachusetts in the U S of  A
Where he helped raise his children and lived with Betty his wife
His soulmate as well as the great love of his life

Sad to hear he has lived his last night and day
But death is for all of us in truth one can say
Tim Murphy on his ninety second year of life had a long span
And lived true to his higher self as an honourable man

Though in his home in the U S he breathed his last
Tim did retain his links to his Millstreet Past
By visiting his first home in Claramore when his brother Johnny was alive
The love of first homeplace until death in every migrant survive

Tim Murphy at heart he was quite a good bloke
One who enjoyed a beer and could laugh at a joke
In his long life so many new friends he did gain
And all who did know him good memories of him will retain.

So Many People Do Daydream

 So many people do daydream of great wealth and fame 
And in the World out there of becoming a great name
But for so many  people few of their dreams come true 
And what they dream of in life to be their due
Not everyone can become famous and wealthy and known Worldwide
To achieve such things one does need great luck on their side
And few make it to the summit of celebrity and material success
And the few who do make it not everyone does impress
Of material and celebrity success many young people do dream
But in life as in sports not everyone  does become a member of a winning team 
And thoug losing is something anyone does not choose
For one for to win big many do have to lose
And though few dreams for most people never come true
Everyone needs a dream in life to pursue.

The Past Is The Past

 Old memories you retain like the words of  favouriote song
Wherever you go to your past with you goes along
Memories of your good and not so good times with you does remain
In moments of reflection to visit again
The past may be in the past and the forever gone
But in the memory of your mind it is living on
And for as long as your gift of memory you retain
The mental images of what was in you will remain
From our life's experience we learn some are known to say
But with everybody it is not this way
That age does not come with wisdom i have come to realize
As i know some ageing people who are not very wise
The past is the past well may be true
But the memories of what was does remain in you.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

The Beauty In Nature

 In words i can only try my best to describe
The natural beauty i see around me every day
The beauty in Nature one does not pay to see
Wherever you live from you it is not far away

Even in the big city park Nature's beauty does dwell
Where her wild born birds chirp and sing on bush and tree
The beauty you see on your walks every day
As mental images live on in your memory

The more we learn about Nature the more we come to realize
That so little about her of we can claim to know
From tiny seeds she helps Mother Earth 
To shrubs and flowers and to tall trees grow

In town and city parks and in the countryside
The beauty in Nature every day one does see
And the best thing about it for everyone
To view and enjoy it is monetary free.

The Person That Is You

 Those who admire you for your financial success
Are the people who are not that hard to impress
They only admire you for the size of your home and your brand new expensive car
But not for the person that you really are
Wealthy people like you are they can only admire
And just to be like you in life they desire
It does not matter if with those doing it tough you never do share
They only admire you for being a multi millionaire
For your money making gifts many admirers you win
But you do not make the World better for any poor person to live in
You are just one more wealthy person who for self only care
And people of your sort sad to say are not rare
It is not what you do for yourself but what for others you do
That tells of the greatness of the person that is you.

If There Is A Supreme God

 If there is a supreme god in her or his paradise in the sky
I would like to ask her or him why
That they have allowed millions of people of  malnutrition to die
Or is all this talk of a just god a religious lie
To keep the billions in poverty when they draw their last living breath
That their souls will enter heaven post bodily death
If this god is just can anyone explain
That so many are allowed to die slowly of hunger pain
In a World where there is enough of food for everyone for to feed
Nobody of a lack of food should live in need
God in the sky that billions of to do pray
You must not be as just and kind as your followers do say
To allow people to die in a terrible way
The slow death of malnutrition in the World every day.

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Kathleen O' Mahony

 Predeceased by her husband Dano and one of her sons Eddy she lived a long life
A good mother to her children and to her husband a good wife
The mother of a large family Kathleen O' Mahony nee Carroll had lived in Murphy's Terrace for many years 
And her passing from life would not have gone without tears
One of the unsung heroines of Millstreet Town
In life she never did crave renown
The youngest of her children no longer young
She was one of the good people who has lived and died as unsung
In Millstreet Town never to be seen again
But all who knew her good memories of her will retain
Few she went to school with are living today
In St Mary's by Cashman's Hill at peace she does lay
She did go through life without harming anyone
And she deserves to be remembered for the good things she done.

Not Many Trustworthy Politicians

 Not many trustworthy politicians though in parliament there are the rare few
That in their ways are quite honest and this is not saying what is new
Yes not many politicians who to their higher selves do remain true
There are many rogues sitting in parliament and this is to give them their due
Most politicians when asked questions by the media do not give an honest reply
That they are so very evasive does cause one for to wonder why
To a question they cannot give a straight answer they sure must have something to hide
One can say of most politicians they do have cunning on their side
Members of parliament are referred to as the honourable but most of them not honourable in any way
There are not many honourable members in any house of parliament today
One lie with most of them leads to another they even believe their own lies
That parliament house is mostly of the rogue sort many people do not seem to realize
Most sitting members of parliament honour to their chosen career do not bring
If you believe all they do tell you then you will believe anything.

The Claramore Rill

 It flows from the high ground downland with a will
By night and by day it's tongue is never still
After heavy rain on the fields of Claraghatlea it's overflow spill
On it's way to the river the Claramore Rill

In their breeding Season in the prime of the Spring
The dark brown white breasted water birds dipper on it's bank do sing
Their heads bob up and down singing their shrill like song
Once seen and once heard one could never again get them wrong
 
Long before the first humans to Duhallow came
Like all waterways it did not have a name
In the age of the dinosaurs it was very old
And the truth of it's history will never be told

It has inspired the artists and the writers of story and rhyme
And in a voice never still through the Seasons of time
It flows in Claraghatlea to the rivers to the Atlantic shore
The rill from the fields of high Claramore.

Monday, March 22, 2021

Hares

 Hares unlike rabbits when pursued do not go to ground
And in large numbers they are not known to abound
The female gives birth to a few young that she hides separately in long grass
That you may not even notice though near to them you may pass
Out of the brightness of the daylight
Unseen the mother she comes for them to suckle from her at night
Unlike rabbits from predators hares to survive rely on their speed
And dodging ability to help them survive in their time of need
For most predators hares are too skilful and speedy to kill
And they do not tire easily even when running uphill
Far easier prey than hares for to catch for to eat
Only the oldest and frailest become predator meat
Hares unlike their cousins rabbits one does not see every day
Out of sight in long grass they keep hidden away.

Do Not Waste Your Tears

 When i breathe my last on me do not waste your tears
For i have had a good life and lived for many years
Save your grief for the less fortunate living instead
The poor and the hungry homeless many of them who wish they were dead

It would not be my choice to return to live in
This World where many must lose for a few for to win
Where inequality is rife and quite sad to say
That the gap between the wealthy and poor keeps on growing by the day

Earthly Utopia is only for the minority
So many people Worldwide living in dire poverty
Due to circumstance of birth only of poverty they have known
And all of this due to no fault of their own

Even in so called wealthy Countries many poor people are doing it tough
And are homeless and hungry and at night sleeping rough
And too few to help them in their times of need
Compared to them i have been quite lucky indeed.

I Do Not Have The Will

 For many years i have been a rhyming buff
Just one who has written a whole heap of stuff 
One ignored by the literary critics is how it seems to be
It was my love of rhyme made a rhymer of me
And suppose i will be rhyming until the day i do die
If i did tell you differently it would be a lie
I penned my first rhymes in nineteen seventy three
This is going back in time as most would agree
To those who ask why i keep on penning rhymes i do not pay any heed
Since they would not understand in me there is this need
Or perhaps an addiction for penning of rhyme
That does not seem to subside with the passing of time
With me it is an addiction in truth i can say
And i do not have the will to give rhyming away.

Sunday, March 21, 2021

There Is More To Life

 There is more to living of life than a game of football
Sports and celebrity fans their worries must be small
If these things are all they have to worry about
Of how contented they are they do leave little doubt
If they did have any big worries in life
Were suffering due to mental or physical inner strife
They would not be boosting the egos of the already over celebrated few
In a World where celebrity worship is not anything that is new
Thanks to their fans the egos of the admired growing bigger by the day
But it is each to their own as the wise one did say 
In the multi millionaire celebrities they celebrate
The impressionable majority big egos create
It is heaven on Earth for the wealthy admired
And of singing their praises their fans never seem to grow tired.

Vows That Are Taken

 Vows that are taken and sealed with a kiss
Their wedding for them was a day near bliss
A couple of children later and a couple of years
Her marriage  that began in love and laughter ended for her in tears
On her own with her five year old daughter and four year old boy
For the divorced woman with young children in life no joy
Her ex husband with a baby daughter and an attractive looking young wife
Does seem contented in his new role in life
Though a little in child allowance in money he pay
He has not seen his two eldest children for many a day
And since of love's disappointment she only has known
With her children she is contented to live on her own
Doubtless she is not the first woman and will not be the last
For to regret her love mistakes of the past.

Gang Gang Cockatoos

 Slaty grey birds with white bills the males with red head and face
Medium sized wood dwelling parrots of the cockatoo race 
High on an old tree in a cavity the female two or three white eggs lay
Birds mostly that live in pairs that one does not see every day
They mostly eat seeds of native trees and insects and hawthorn berries in the Fall
Birds distinctive in their appearance and their squeaky door like call
Of the cockatoo family perhaps the rarest and least known
Yet they are interesting birds with ways of their own
In Halls Gap a few years ago a pair of them i did see
Quietly eating seeds on a eucalypt tree
Of humans they do not seem fearful or shy
They keep on eating seeds though you watch from the ground to them nearby
Not the fastest of parrots when travelling by sky
By their appearance and calls not hard to identify.

Saturday, March 20, 2021

The Needs Of The Homeless

 The needs of the homeless and hungry not to the political fore
A subject politicians of all parties ignore
Since of where their supporters come from they have taken note
And that few very poor people ever bother to vote
But most of the homeless and hungry one can hardly blame
If they look on all politicians and political parties as much the same
Life is never easy for the financially down
And no shortage of them in any city or town
The rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer in Countries Worldwide
In the ever increasing gap in the social divide
Politicians only legislate for the well to do middle class and every millionaire
It is not a good World to live in for the homeless and hungry, the working poor and those on welfare
The poor of the World are no longer rare
And this is something that most people of are aware.

In Pleasant March Weather

 Not born into life to be a financial or material success
Or others in any way for to impress
To pen rhyme the only gift i do possess
It is something i do enjoy doing nonetheless
Though the sun behind grey clouds is hidden away
It is good to be living on such a nice day
In March in the early southern Autumn a weather temperature of a pleasant eighteen degrees
With the silver billed magpies warbling on the tall trees
The distinctive music so pleasant to hear
Of these birds who do sing every day of the year
White butterflies seemingly dancing as they fly
And dark welcome swallolws chasing flying insects in the sky
On such a nice evening to be out and about
In pleasant March weather in the coastal south.

One Of The Headline Stories

 One of the headline stories in the news of today
Another celebrity from life has passed away
Grieved by his family and fans and those in life he did befriend
Sad to hear his life's journey has come to an end
Doubtless a good person but every day good people have died
And are not grieved by people Nationally or Worldwide 
Good people Worldwide in every village and city and town
Who have lived and have died as strangers to renown
Every day the gift of life from celebrities has gone
But humanity and life in the World without them goes on
Another famous celebrity in the cemetery lay
He will not be the last in truth one can say
And life will go on in the World and time will not stand still
And if old age does not claim you illness surely will.

Friday, March 19, 2021

My Wonder Of Her

 For any writer in Nature so much to write about
And so many natural wonders in this Land of the South
Of Nature's fauna and flora we learn every day
She is a great teacher in truth one can say
Yet the more we learn of Nature the more we come to realize
That there is far more to her than meet the eyes
Her secrets from human eyes hidden away
And her beauty is always on public display
The praises of Nature those who love her do sing
And to those who admire her such joy she does bring
Though so much about her remains as unknown
She is one who is in a class of her own
So little about her i can claim of to know
But my wonder of her only does seem to grow.

Happens To Be So

 Young men who go to war do wish on others ill
For god, flag, government and Country they shoot for to kill
At those supposed to be their enemies who at them shoot back
And with high powered weaponry set up a counter attack
That we have not learned from war history seems sad to say
In war and in war zones people dying every day
From past wars lessons have not been learned and suppose never will
Though Moses fifth commandment states 'thou shalt not kill'
But Moses fifth commandment war men disobey
To them killing in war it is quite okay
The praises of dead war heroes by patriots are sung
But it is not always true that only the good do die young
The war supposed to end all wars ended a century ago
But that this is a fallacy happens to be so.

It Is Not Hard To Tell

 In the company always advertising for new staff it is not hard to tell
That the management do not pay or treat their employees well
For in a time of high unemployment for workers they should not have to advertize
That workers do not leave jobs they are happy in should not be hard to realize
Most workers leave jobs due to a lack of respect for them by their bosses or insufficent pay
In jobs where they are respected and well paid most employees do stay
For employers who treat their staff badly workers are hard to be found
Of bad employers among the unemployed the word does get around
And no shortage of bad employers in the World of today
They do not respect their employees or pay them award wages which seems sad to say
They only seem interested in their own gain
And the reason they have become very wealthy it's own self does explain
In the employers always advertising for new staff a lesson it does seem
That they do not hold their workers in high esteem.

Thursday, March 18, 2021

The Contented Man

 The most contented fellow who lives on our street
For attention with others does never compete
His own praises you never do hear him sing
He lives in his own way and does his own thing
In his mid twenties with a wife and young daughter a carpenter by trade
Of his opportunities in life the most he has made
He whistles in his car driving to and from his job site every day
Any worry or care from him seems far away
The contented fellow loves his young daughter and wife
And he is quite happy with his lot in life
He is not a music fan or any sporting game does not play
Just a family man happy in his own way
One who is free of any conceit or guile
The contented man finds it easy to smile.

To Be The Best You Can Be

 You can only live to be the best you can be
When at peace with yourself with others you live in harmony
Those with a genuine love of self  have love with others for to share
Whilst the narcissistic sort of their own needs are only aware
Many people look on the accumulation of material possessions and money as the ultimate form of success
Their sort are never that hard to impress
But the good things for others you do says more about you
As a person than the good things for yourself that you choose to do
The most successful people on their  side of the town
Are always helping the financially down
They sow the seeds of good Karma every day
When in the helping of  others they go out of  their way
The most successful people of i do know
They  surely have  in them the bright inner glow.

False Heroes

 Admired as people well worthy of renown
There are false heroes in every town
But they are not what they are made out to be
With people can be deceiving hard to disagree

Masquerading as a likeable character but a pervert and a paedophile
Their sort seduce their young victims through cunning and guile
Sadly their sort not rare they are Worldwide
So many young lives by them mentally destroyed

Sadly some false heroes for their crimes never do pay
In cemeteries their last remains forever lay
By the law of the Land for their crimes never tried
Some of their victims have even committed suicide

False heroes are those who flatter to deceive
Yet some who admire them refuse to believe 
What their victims of them of them have to say
Far too many who disbelieve the stories of abuse victims in the World of today

A false image in public by them displayed
As likeable people they masquerade
Not every false hero does end up in jail
And sadly their victims the law often fail

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

When They Were Younger

 When they were younger in their physical prime
And this is going back many Seasons in time
They were in love then with time on their side
She was his pregnant and lovely young bride

Her shoulder length hair was wavy and brown
And beautiful blue eyes a rose of the town
Working in a well paying job he was quite happy then
He was one of the town's luckier young men

In their late seventies great grandparents today
Looking much older of them one can say
Separated but sharing their home each with their own bedroom
Their love that used to bloom brightly has lost all of it's bloom

At the weekends with her ageing female friends bridge she does play
Whilst he supports the local footballers on Saturday
And later in the pub in the mood for song
Enjoys the beer and joins in the sing along

Long before time it did become their foe
They were in love many Seasons ago
Nowadays though on speaking terms and sharing a home love between them has died
Love stories such as this are not uncommon Worldwide.

Down On Your Luck

 Of  late for you nothing is going your way
And for you it has been another bad day
Your ex wife and your ten year old daughter with you did not stay
They have started a new life in a town far away
Due to the recent closure of the factory you worked in you are now unemployed
And being on welfare not good for your sense of pride
Many like you out of work on your side of the town
Struggling to make ends meet and financially down
In life there is nothing about for you to smile
And you have not been happy for awhile
Cannot afford for to go to the pub
And do not feel like being part of any community club
Down on your luck and feeling quite sad
Every day for you of late has been bad.

My Wonderment Of Nature

 My wonderment of Nature it only does grow
So little about her of i can claim to know
Yet of her i do learn something new every day
She is quite amazing in truth one can say
Humans like all other life forms to Nature belong
And those who tell you differently i believe have it wrong
Like all other creatures we are born of an act of Nature to eventually die
That we too are mere mortals is not a lie
For our very survival on Nature and Mother Earth we do depend
Yet we do not treat them as our greatest friend
But what we do unto them to our own selves we do
This is how i feel about it whatever about you
We are as much a part of  Nature as the bush or the tree
At least anyway this is how it seems to me.

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

The Fellow From Sliabh Luachra

 A long way south of the old hills overlooking Rathmore
He may die in this Land of the southern shore
He left Sliabh Luachra a long time ago
Long before time it did become his foe

Growing old without children or a partner or wife
He is one who has led an adventurous life
The Boggeragh Mountains he has not seen for years
And memories of the what used to be no longer move him to tears

Far south of Rathmore, Gneeveguilla and Knocknagree
He last saw the Boggeraghs in nineteen sixty three
When he was in his early twenties near his physical prime
Many Seasons before he became a victim of time

The hair on his balding head is silver grey
He would be a stranger in Sliabh Luachra today
He seems happy no yearning in him for his first homeplace
He always does have a big smile on his face

With a big smile on his face amidst the pub cheer
On a Saturday evening at the local he enjoys his beer
Quite a likeable character of him one can say
The fellow from sliabh Luachra he is happy today.

On Karma

 On Karma i am one who happens to believe
That those who willingly give can expect to receive 
If not in money then on some other way
Acts of kindness and generosity it's own dividend does pay
What goes around comes around life works in this way
Your acts of kindness will bring you happiness one day
The self centered person may be a multi millionaire
But if she or he is unwilling to share
For any future good Karma they are not sowing the seed
Narcissism is closely related to greed
That kindness begets kindness is how it seems to me
But with this there are many who would not agree
The karma good or bad you sow in the future you will receive
This is something that i for one on does believe.

No Sense Of Pride

 Many wombats, koalas, echidnas, frogs, insects and snakes in Australian bushfires die
Those who say that this is not true are those who believe their own lie
These are slow moving life forms and only the lucky few fire survive
And these are the few lucky to be alive
Due to Climate Change fires becoming fiercer and bigger by the year
And due to this some wild species numbers are dwindling which seems sad to read of or hear
With human destruction of natural habitat and a warming environment wildlife are losing out
Human greed and Climate Change two of the main reasons  for the disappearing wildlife does go without doubt
Climate Change and human lust for money on wildlife taking it's toll
In the twenty first century the fierce bushfires of Summer burn out of control 
Burning of fossil fuels causes global Warming and to Climate Change gives rise
And even for humanity the future looks bleak as environmental scientists have come to realize
In last year's big bush fires many life forms died
For us humans in this there is no sense of pride.

Monday, March 15, 2021

Our Happy Memories

 Our happy memories of our younger years
Often does bring us to or close to tears
Good memories of your youth in the town far away
Will remain in you until your dying day

You often think of the first love of your life
The young woman who was not to become your wife
You left her to see the big World out there
When your yearning for to travel took you to elsewhere

As a happily married grandfather you feel life has been good to you
With your beautiful lifetime partner who to you is true
Yet the memories remain of your first hometown
And the old streets you often walked up and down

The football games with your teenage friends in the town park you did play
Some of them as home bodies at home choose to stay
And like you the hair on their balding heads grey
And some of them where the deceased are now lay

And some with happy memories like you of their first hometown far away
And though like you in their homeplace they did not choose to stay
And like you the happy memories today they retain
Of the what used to be for them but will not be again

Wouldn't It Be Great

 Wouldn't it be great if your domestic cat
Concentrated on curtailing the numbers of mouse and rat 
And in other small animals and birds did not prey
But to live as predators is their natural way

Between plentiful and endangered small species of wildlife cats cannot differentiate
Though some people love them and think they are great
I cannot say i like them but do not wish on them ill
For cats are natural predators and born to hunt for to kill

Your favaourite moggy by the fire may purr on your knee
And really is not what you think it to be
Fewer birds in your garden of late for to sing
But to you this should not be a surprising thing

You must be naive not to be aware
That the reason that birds in your backyard have become rare
Is your favourite pet who sees nothing wrong 
In silencing the throat of a bird of song

That cats are not friends of small wildlife is obviously clear
They kill thousands of small endangered species every year
Your purring pet you hold in far too high essteem 
As it is not as harmless to you as it does seem.

Perhaps

 Perhaps i may never more see Millstreet Town
Or again on familiar streets to me walk up and down
A town i was well known in many years ago
Long before time it did become my foe

Where to many of the locals i was well known
Most today there would not recognize me as one of their own
It has been thirty four years since i lived near the Town of Millstreet
And i may never again walk in the fields to where the waterways meet

Perhaps i will never again climb Clara's Hill
Or hear the babble of the Claramore Rill
In Claraghatlea fields winding it's way
To the rivers to the Atlantic Ocean flowing night and day

Perhaps i will never walk in the old fields again
And only the memories with me now remain
Of the what was in the what used to be
Only the memories are living in me.

Sunday, March 14, 2021

Of Nature We Learn

Though many of her secrets from human eyes are hidden away
Of Nature we learn something new every day 
Still not one living person who all things of her know
And the more we learn of her the more our wonder of her grow
Even students of Nature with their degrees do readily agree
That there is far more to her than the eyes do see
And those who know most about her have come to realize
That of her they know little this is not a surprise
Those who do love Nature are not of the few
And of her every day to learn there is something new
That she is a great teacher in truth one can say
And of any lesson from her never any money to pay
She is despite what some say the World's number one super power
From a tiny seed she creates a beautiful flower.

In Tough Times

 Financially down and in life doing it tough
And mentally down and feeling not good enough
Out of work due to no fault of his own
He has known of tough times but these are as tough as he has ever known

Out of work for the first time in his life
And forsaken by the young woman who was about to become his wife
Unemployment on his love life has taken it's toll
She would not marry a man on the dole

In his mid twenties in his physical prime
He feels that his luck it will change in time
Hope springs eternal as the wise one does say
A new job start in time for him may not be far away

When his wife to be left him he was reduced to tears
But to get over this it will not take him years
Few go through life withouit some cross to bear
This is something that many of would be aware

Being out of work does nothing for his sense of pride
But for the rest of his life he will not be unemployed
A change in luck for the better he is overdue
He will find a new job and a new love to him who will remain true.

True Beauty

 That physical beauty is only skin deep does seem true to say
Many of the most handsome and attractive  young women and men of today 
Are snobbish and conceited in their own way
But true beauity is never on public display
It is hidden in the soul of the mind
Of people who are compassionate and kind
For other people they genuinely care
And the love that is in them with others they share
Those of true beauty not among the most admired
To be the centre of attention by them not desired
They help anyone of their help in need
And for their future good Karma they sow the good seed
Though never among the admired of the town
They never ignore the financially down.

Saturday, March 13, 2021

The Big Company C E O

 An Olympic sized indoor heated swimming pool in his backyard as well as a big leisure boat
For his wife's last Birthday he bought her an expensive mink coat
Those who have plenty money can afford to lavishly spend
And are never known to for to be short of a friend

Of the good things in life he has more than what is a fair share
A big company C E O and a known multi millionaire
Showing off his brand new mercedes he often drives up and down
On the leafy suburbs of the big country town

Any of his exclusive group of friends will never know how it would be
To experience the hunger pains of poverty
Birds of a feather usually flock together as someone wise once did say
In the Human World like the bird World it too is this way

For making people unemployed and saving billions in wages for the big company
He receives millions of dollars in his annual salary
Many have to lose big for him to have a big gain
That in humanity there are far more losers than winners as a truism remain.

The Honourable Fellow

 Loyal to his family and loyal to his wife
The honourable man leads an honourable life
One who does work hard for his every pay
The Human World in need of more like him today
He is not self centered in any way
And of anyone does not have ill words to say
Always willing to help anyone of his help in need
For his future good Karma he sows the good seed
It is only by good example he does lead
Yet few good stories of his sort one does hear of or read
It is known that most of the admired people of every town
Do not have any friends among the financially down
But the honourable fellow few seem to admire
Though to be looked up to by others he feels no desire.

He Is A Positive Fellow

 To the judgmental he is one who is not good enough
But he does hang in there though times on him are tough
For the past six months he is unemployed though due to no fault of his own
And financially of better times he is one who has known
Six months ago the factory he worked in by the receivers closed down
And so many out of work in this high unemployment town
With a wife and young son and daughter to support, clothe and feed
Of a job start he is one who is badly in need
He is one who applies for a job start every day
And he does look at life in a positive way
He believes better times are ahead for himself and his wife
That he will not live on welfare for the rest of his life
He believes his perserverance for him in a job start will pay
He is a positive fellow of him one can say.

Friday, March 12, 2021

Like Helpston's John Clare

 The greatest Nature poet of the English language many claim him to be
Yet he died in Northampton Mental Asylum in dire poverty
A natural poet and his sort are rare
There has not been one since like Helpston's John Clare

He grew to love Nature as a herding boy
And to many lovers of  Nature his poems a source of joy
In death the true test of writers is their  readers in numbers have grown
As a Nature poet Clare does remain in a class of his own

Though in Northampton mental asylum he lived since his physical prime
He was England's greatest Nature poet of his time
He was a brilliant student of Nature of him one can say
His poems are read and enjoyed by people Worldwide today

His memorable poems on birds and animals his legacy to humanity
Written at a time when he was mentally unwell and in great misery
To mention a few of his memorable poems  The Thrush's Nest and The Landrail,
The Badger The Fox and The March Nightingale

As a young man he did have a mental breakdown
But this did not prevent him from attaining his place in literary renown
Helpston the Village of his boyhood widely known due to his fame
And his lives today as a great literary name.

Nature Is Amazing

 Nature is amazing as most would agree
The beauty she creates to view it is free
The beautiful red roses blooming on the rose tree
Are the creation of Nature's creative powers for all for to see
Nature is one who has ways of her own
And so much about her remains as unknown
Even to those who on natural science have a uni degree
Her secrets are many is how it seems to be
Those who believe us humans are superior to Nature have got it all wrong
How can we be superior to the one to whom we belong
Since we are as much a part of Nature as the birds and the bees
As the flowers and the grass or the leaves on the trees
And Nature on our lives has the final say
Since we are born to die life works in this way.

When All Is Said And Done

 The deceased war heroes by billions of patriots admired
And stories, poems and songs of their bravery young warriors have inspired 
To join the Country's armed forces and if war is waged by their government answer the call
In hopes for their bravery their names too will be on a war memorial wall
It is always the foolhardy warriors die brave and young
Whilst the non soldier lives to die old though his praises are never sung
As a great grandfather now at rest with his his deceased wife
Which is the better to die as a war hero or to live a long life
Brave young men who die in war remembered in every street war parade
And from war history their names are not allowed for to fade
But the wise one did not join the army he chose life instead
And left the hero worship to the young warrior dead
War heroes are honoured and remembered and battles are lost and won
But life is all that does matter when all is said and done.

Thursday, March 11, 2021

A February Morning In Claramore Wood

 From overnight frost the fields looking grey
In Claramore wood birds are not singing today
They do remain silent all through February
Too early for them to defend a nesting territory

The cattle in farmyard sheds bellowing for silage or hay
Their first taste of young grass at least six weks away
Though Winter close to an end and Spring it is near
February in Duhallow is a cold and wet time of year

The morning is cold just above zero degrees
And the hungry rooks cawing on bare deciduous trees
The redwing thrushes will soon be flying north for the Spring
The workings of Nature quite an amazing thing

In Claramore wood on the higher ground
No bird chirp or sing the silence is profound
And above the high fields the chill winds do blow
On a morning that is cold enough for to snow.

Betrayal Of Trust

 Out of good friendships enemies can be made
This is what often happens when trust is betrayed
That once friends become enemies happens Worldwide every day
Friends for life are rare in truth one can say
Money in several friendships often plays a part
As well as quite often affairs of the heart
When trust is betrayed bitterness does set in
And where bitterness is love cannot win
Love and money and property disputes are at least three one can blame
For loss of friendship though other things too one can name
And loss of friendship mostly begin with betrayal of trust
But then not everyone in their ways are honourable and just
Friendships are won and lost every day
Humanity it does seem does work in this way.

Kind People

 To kindness there is not a nationality or race or creed
And of more kind people the Human World is in need
Since kind people perform good deeds every day
And to help people often go out of their way
To help those in need of helping always willingly inclined
They do have a great gift people who are kind
They help others without expecting the rewards of pay
The World better for them in it in truth one can say
For public attention with others they never compete
Kind people are always a pleasure to meet
Their own praises you never do hear them sing
To be helpful to others in life is their thing
They may live their lives as strangers to even local renown
But kind people are a great asset to their side of the town.

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Willy Wagtails

 Willy wagtails or black and white fantails never cease to surprise
They are quite aggressive birds for their size
In their territory they mob the much bigger magpies and sometimes succeed in driving them away
They are rather brave of them one can say
Also known as Australian nightingales since they sometimes can be heard singing at night
Not that shy of humans they allow you get close to them before taking to flight
With their long black tails ever wagging perhaps from the grass to flush out insect prey
They are birds one does see in backyards every day
Birds of the countryside as well as the parks of the town
From a challenge they are birds that would never back down
In cup shaped nest of grass on branch of tree
The female lay pale brown dotted eggs of two or three
Against other species their territories they do defend
And at breeding time do not even treat their own kind as a friend.

For His Lack Of

 For his lack of success and money and fame
He says that he only has himself to blame
He says he has had his chances and he left them go by
Yet he is honest with his feelings none of him can deny

He does not have any children he knows of or a partner or a wife
Though as a younger man many women came to and went from his life
In the years when he was working for good pay with plenty money to spend
He was never short then of a female friend

But going back the Seasons this was long ago
Long before time it did become his foe
In his early eighties in a one bedroom flat he lives on his own today
One who is showing his age the hair on his balding head is silver grey

He is down to earth in his own self effacing way
Quite an honourable fellow of him one can say
He says of my life's opportunities i did not avail
And society does see me as one who did fail.

To The Winners The Glory

 In all things in life as in a game of football
There is always only one winner after all 
We all cannot be winners in truth one can say
And the winners the majority of people admire
And of singing their praises never seem to tire
It is never easy for to lose with grace
And despite disappointment have a smile on your face
There are more losers than winners in the World every day
Suppose humanity is meant to work in this way
If we all could be winners how great this would be
But this is not the  ways of humanity
Though we all cannot be winners in truth one can say
The winner of the future may be the loser of today
In all things in life it is always the same
To the winners the glory and most of the fame.

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

For To Quarrel About

 You ought to live for as long as you possibly can
If you are poor you do not need an end of life plan
For you will not be leaving anything behind you for your relatives to quarrel about
That money and property can create problems does go without doubt
The praises of wealthy people many may sing
But the distribution of a deceased wealthy person's property and money with them bad feelings can bring
And often do end up in a court of law
And between the deceased one's family for years leave feelings that are bitter and raw
The poor person who dies as a stranger to fame
Without any money or property to her or his name
Of an end of life plan is not in need
And in some ways one can say are lucky indeed
For the distribution of money and property can cause problems no doubt
And they do not leave anything for to quarrel about.

Grey Butcherbirds

 Birds of temperate woodlands of mostly dark brown and grey
People who live near woods where they reside see and hear them every day
Once seen and once heard you never again get them wrong
They do have a beautiful bubbling sort of song
With slight hook on the tip of their sharp pointed bill
They hang on spikes and on thorns small animals and birds to eat they do kill
One of the reasons they are known as grey butcherbirds by name
Most species of butcherbirds in some ways are the same
On fork of tree in untidy cup nest of twigs lined with grass the female bird lay
Three to five green pink dotted eggs and their territory they defend aggressively every day
In their breeding Season humans in their territory they will even attack
It can be said of them of courage they are not in lack
They are quite distinctive in appearance and song
And once seen and once heard you never again get them wrong.

A Warm February Day In The Moyne Shire

 The weather temperature is close to forty degrees
And warmth in the sunshine and warmth in the breeze
That blow up the hill from the nearby bay
On what is for the Moyne Shire a warm February day
The magpies are warbling on the sunlit trees
And the warm air is full of the buzzing of bush flies and bees
The cattle chewing their cuds in the shade of the trees lay
In very warm weather out of the full sun they do like to stay
White butterflies seemingly dancing in the sky
And in pursuit of flying insects chirping as they fly
Above the paddocks with the sun on their dark wings chasing bees and flies
Welcome swallows fly all day long to sundown from sunrise
For the coastal Moyne Shire a very warm February day
But by the weather forecast some cool days on the way.

Monday, March 8, 2021

Only One Dan The Man

 Dan Donoghue of  Millstreet Town's Tanyard better known as Dan The Man
A nickname that he does retain since his youthful years going back in time quite a span
A nickname he was well worthy of since in his prime he could do the work of two
A big and strong yet a kind fellow if you needed help he would help you

With Connie Coakley and Barney a manhole builder for Tom Curtin going back many years ago
That was in the mid nineteen seventies before time became his foe
Dan The Man was in his prime then and by many admired and known
With the best of  Duhallow's physical workmen he could surely hold his own

As a young man a sterling defender for Millstreet in Gaelic Football
One fearless and hard on the tackle as opposing forwards of him do recall
And after the game in the pub win or lose with his mates he did celebrate
But everything in our human existence on it does have a use by date

As an owner and breeder of coursing greyhounds far beyond Duhallow known far and wide
His greyhounds coursing successes to many Millstreet people a sense of pride
Sad to think for many Seasons he has spent his days in a wheelchair
But one thing you won't hear Dan say that life to him has been unfair

A down to earth likeable fellow never see him in a collar and tie
If i were to say any different then i would be telling a lie
He is one of those rare people who can withstand physical pain
If he is not having a good day you will not hear him complain

In life he has not been lucky he has had a huge cross for to bear
But men like him are worth admiring as his sort in the World are rare
He lives in the Tanyard in Millstreet where his journey in life began
In Millstreet Town a living legend there is only one Dan The Man.