I May Never

I may never climb on old Clara Again

Or walk in the fields in the wind that brings rain

To the peaceful place where the waterways meet

In the green countryside near the Town of Millstreet

I may never more hear a male pheasant crow

In Spring in the rushes near where Cails waters flow

Or in the calm of the twilight the soft lowing of a cow

To her calf in a field by River Finnow

Old memories remain as a source of joy

Of where i grew to love Nature as a young boy

And of Nature we learn something new every day

We never stop learning in truth one can say

I am learning from Nature in this place far south

Of the fields of the badger and waterways of the brown trout

Home to echidna, koala and grey kangaroo

And magpie, pee wee, corella and yellow tailed black cockatoo

On looking back the years time seems to go fast

And all i have now are memories of the past 

But the present is what matters as the wise one does say

As we live in the now and the now is today.

Tower Hill

Tower Hill home to echidna and grey kangaroo

And emu, koala and yellow tailed black cockatoo

And many species of waterbirds far too numerous to name

It's wildlife for Tower Hill one of it's claims to fame

As a tourist attraction one of the best

Known to visitors from elsewhere to Victoria south west

Once a sacred place to the tribe Peek Wurrong

To an ancient history Tower Hill does belong

A couple of kilometres from Koroit Town

The narrow road in and out of the volcanic valley does wind up and down

Close to the Pacific Ocean in the Moyne Shire countryside

A place known to people in Countries Worldwide

Today in Tower Hill you may hear the warbling of a magpie or the calls of a cockatoo

But never the drone of a didgeridoo.

Some People Hard To Please

Some people hard to please they like to complain

When the sun is shining they are wishing for rain

And after a few showers of rain they wish for sun again

They do not even see a win in a gain

Though financially doing well they are not satisfied

They do believe god is not on their side

One can say they suffer of poverty of mind

Suppose to make humanity it takes every kind

With their sort enough it is never enough

They believe that financially they are doing it tough

There are many like them in every town

Though doing financially well who are always mentally down

The wealthy unhappy of them one can say

For them there will never be a happy day.

Young Ann

Times could be far worse for me says young Ann

I could be living in Afghanistan 

Living the life of a fearful young woman

Under the rule of the cruel Taliban

Forced in public to wear a burqa or hijab and partly cover my face

And deprived of most of my feminine grace

To make my own decisions in love not even free

Forced to marry an ugly man far older than me

I may not be in a very well paying job today

But on my life and working conditions i do have some say

And the one that i marry is the one i do choose

In some Countries most of the freedoms i have now i would lose

Life could be far worse for me says young Ann

I could be living in Afghanistan.

Nature's Survivors

They have been trapped and been poisoned for decades of years

And they have reduced grain growing farmers to tears

And some farmers due to financial losses because of them have died

Surrendering their lives in the act of suicide

In the countryside and rural towns houses they invade

And of food and clothing by them a mess is often made 

Their praises by anyone is never sung

But their secret of survival is they give birth to lots of young

Cats and dogs cannot control them every year their numbers are on the rise

Any story of the damage they can create is no longer a surprise

For such tiny creatures they are quick to multiply

And that they are Nature's survivors of them none can deny

You will not hear many say anything nice

Of these tiniest of rodents that are known as mice.

Give Me The Strength

Give me the strength to live as a better person and learn from my mistakes of the past

Time does not wait and i am getting older and the spectre of death is approaching fast

I have my flaws as do have many others we struggle with our egos every day

Those in life who lose their egos die of their own choosing and many choose to die in such a way

I am one of many who finds life as a struggle but the fear of death does keep me living on

For to feel this way i must not be short on ego though my better days in the forever gone

Though  those of similar  thinking on all things not in agreement this is being individual in thinking one might say

But  those who live for self alone it is worth noting are narcissisticly inclined in their own way

One can only live to be a better person to think of those in life doing it quite tough

To live for self alone seems rather selfish though to many this does seem quite good enough

I too must admit i think of myself too often for self improvement lots of room in me

There are many like us in the Human World beyond our own needs we just cannot see

Give me the strength to live as a better person and of the needs of others feel aware

I am not one who lives near to my higher self but having this said such people are rare.

I Can Only Disagree

With this tag of life's winners and losers i for one cannot agree

Though if you see me as a loser this is quite okay with me

Since you are entitled to your opinions within the confines of the law

Free speech to has it's curtailments on this your own opinuions draw

There are many people so much like you people who do classify

That like you they uphold the class division in their judgmental ways seems hard to deny

On the beauty in human equality in their utterances they cast doubt

What they think or say of people who are poor financially is not what humanity should be about

Time makes everybody equal there will come the night or day

That the one known as Nature's Reaper on all lives does have the say

Eventually we all become losers in our fight for living breath

None has yet come out a winner in their final date with death

When you talk of life's winners and losers you are in the majority

But in the Human World of the judgmental the loser is always equality

I have only one opinion and this is how it seems to me

That with you and your majority way of thinking i can only disagree.

Many People Will Tell You

Many people will tell you in time we do mellow and wisdom does come with the passing of years

But there is a shortage of wise old fellows and of the female sex not many wise old dears

Everyone grows older but few do grow wiser no fool like an old fool happens to be true

Some young people are wiser than their elders this is for to give young people their due

Saturday evening in the local pub shouting at the t v watching a game of football

He should know better for one in his eighties from time lived John has not learned much at all

His favourite football team losing the big game he was shouting abuse at the t v

Swearing loudly in utter frustration and blaming the match referee

At what he thought were quite bad decisions that favoured the opposing side

Just one aged man who lacks in wisdom plenty like him Worldwide

Getting excited over elite sportspeople who only by name they do know

Plenty of John's age in the World for time lived without wisdom to show

That everyone grows older but few do grow wiser as a truism does remain

Why some people as they grow old grow sillier seems far too hard to explain.

Australia

 Australia a great Land of many great people that give home to migrants from Countries Worldwide

A vast southern Country where most of it's popuilation live in the big Cities and only a small percentage live in the countryside

A Country of a very old race of people their history goes back a long time

They have been the inspiration of generations of writers of song and of story and rhyme

Out there in the outback of few trees and bushes kilometres of countryside wide flat and brown

Of very few homes and very few people many kilometres from the nearest bush town

It was an old Country before the first people arrived to it thousands of centuries ago

It was even quite old in the age of the dinosaurs and this is saying what happens to be so

A vast Island Country surrounded by water the great sunny Land of the south

The home of  flora like eucalypt and pittosporum and wattle in a Land of flooding and bushfires and drought

Home to monoterenes, marsupials and megapodes creatures with ways of their own

It's birdlife to say the least is quite amazing and so much about Australia remains to be known

Australia a Land that was old in the Dreamtime of it in truth one can say

That it is one of the most amazing of Countries in the World we live in today.

A Strange Human World

Life though our greatest gift is not always fair

On those who of any happiness live in despair

The hungry and homeless and financially down

The extreme poor of the World in every city and town

The majority of the material wealth of the World is owned by the few

And this is not saying anything that is new

If the super wealthy only ten percent of their billions with the poor would share

Those in dire poverty in the World would become more rare

Some of money and food have far more than enough

Whilst survival on the poor is only getting more tough

Millions of hungry and homeless people will sleep without a bed to lay on tonight

On inequality between people there is nothing that is right

A strange Human World to live in indeed

Where many of food and shelter must live in need.

Stephen

For his hometown Stephen has shed his last tears

He says i have not been there for over fifty years

Not a pleasant place to live in then for a young homosexual male

His birth home sold by his niece at a recent sale

Going back the years in time quite a span

In the nineteen fifties when he was a young man

For a homosexual person his hometown not a nice place to live in

When every non heterosexual relationship was seen as a union of sin

His sexual preferences from his own family he even did hide

Until for his own good he came to decide

That from his birth town he ought to migrate

He counted the days to his departure date

Eight years ago to cancer he lost his long term partner Jim

He grieved for his departed love such a sad time for him

The up and down times of life he has known

Nowadays he feels happy growing old on his own

Far from the town where he first saw light of day

With his deceased partner Jim his last remains will lay

In his eighty fourth year of time quite a span 

Stephen the gray haired and likeable true gentleman

Your Good And Bad Memories

You have memories a source of joy to you today

That with you for as long as you live will stay

In your mental reflections of Seasons long gone

Through the passage of time in you they live on

You have memories that you would rather forget

But they remain with you much to your regret

And will be with you until the day you die

That bad memories you cannot suppress in you is not a lie

Your bad memories you could live happily without

It is only your good memories you like talking about

And you are one of many when you think of the past

Realize on how time did creep on you so fast

Of  good and bad memories most people have known

And you are one of many with cares of your own

And only in memory the past does remain

In your time of mental reflection to visit again.

On Nature

Her lessons are many in truth one can say

And from her we do learn something new every day

The artists and writers she regularly inspire

And those who love her of singing her praises never do tire

Nature is one who has ways of her own

And so much about her remains to be known

Her wonders are many and her secrets not few

And every day of her we learn something new

Everywhere that we turn to look her beauty we see

That for to view to everybody is free

The one who helps Mother Earth to create a beautiful flower

She does have the unrivalled magical power

For lessons from her no money to pay

And from her we do learn something new every day.

You Are One Of those

You are one of those that self praise is their thing

And in public your own praises you love to sing

And with promotion of the self you have met with success

Since many of the impressionable with your boasting you manage to impress

But actions speak louder than words only true for to say

Though self promotion for you does seem for to pay

Since you have convinced many on how great you are

And of how on the social ladder you will yet climb far

You believe that if you do not sing your own praises nobody else will

And you seem to do this with some verbal skill

A narcissist in a Human World where narcissism is rife

In the twenty first century it has become part of human life

Some people are not very hard to deceive

Your stories of your recent successes they readily believe.

Writing Rhyme Is My Addiction

Writing rhyme is an addiction of i never will be free

Something i feel compelled to do this is how it is with me

I have written thousands of them in near to five decades of time

Today i would be in prison if penning of doggerel was a crime

Reading rhymes was something i loved doing as a primary school going boy

And today as an old fellow writing them i do enjoy

If i did not enjoy doing it rhyming i would give away

So they keep on growing in numbers when i add to them every day

Just an ordinary rhymer who will never be a poet

That the literary critics ignore as one unworthy of note

The rhymes keep coming to me in notebook i pen them down

Just for the love of doing it not for money or literary renown

Writing rhyme is my addiction by demon rhyme i am possessed

Looked upon as a failure not one of the truly blessed.

Doing Their Own thing

Every day from Nature we learn something new

For to realize this i am not one of a few

Two male cockatiels in an aviary to my surprise i see

Do something that did seem amazing to me

Since they did not have a female bird with them with to copulate

Their sexual act they did simulate

By rubbing their backsides whilst wagging their tails on the wire of the aviary gate

They had discovered their own way to self masturbate

Pleasure comes to all life forms in the urge to breed

Their sexual simulations to the male cockatiels seemed enjoyable indeed

On a cold day in late August near the calendar Spring

One can say of them they were doing their own thing

Simulating sex rubbing their backsides against the aviary wire

Of learning of Nature one never could tire.

In The Migrants Remain

Though they may never live in their hometown again

Good memories of home in the migrants remain 

The friends that they had as a young girl or boy

Good memories live on as a source of joy

The happy memories until death with them will stay

Of the childhood games with their young friends they did play

Where they would be strangers to many today

That time brings with it changes only true to say

Some of their young friends stayed in the hometown

On the streets of their childhood today they walk up and down

With no desire in them for to live elsewhere

In a city or town in the big World out there

The memories of their younger years in the migrants remain

For a time that they never can live in again.

That I Cannot Disown

Of my life i am not one who can tell of success

Though others i feel no desire to impress

And one has to wonder what is success anyway

Such questions i ask of myself every day

Most people see success in money that is aligned to fame

The kindest and most compassionate people of the town not known to many by name

Of their praises you will never hear many sing

Though some joy to the lives of others they do bring

Though they always help the financially down

They are never rated among the successful of any town

By those who look on success in a material way

And on who is successful like to have their say

As for me of material success i have never of known

A fact of my existence that i cannot disown.

A He Or A She

Most religious people refer to their god as a he

But despite what they think their god may be a she

For the female is the one who to life does give birth

The one who does feed us all is never referred to as Father Earth

It is their idea of a male god religious people to do pray

But on that they may not have it right for who is to say

Of the existence of a god somewehere beyond the sky

Who in truth can say of or of who is to deny

Of the existence of a god ask one other than me

As i only believe of what my eyes does see

The only god i know of is Nature i see her regularly

Though of her as a god many may disagree

Religious people refer to their god as a he their minds open to light

Though on this one at least they may not have it right.

The Poor And Unsung

They only know of how it feels to be homeless and not have food to eat every day

And at night under a roof not have a bed on to lay

They are not of the few in truth of them one can say

And few of them will live for to die old and gray

Their numbers are on the increase Worldwide

The people who do not have a god on their side

Many of them their poverty due to birth circumstance

Of any material success in life  they do stand little chance

The hungry and homeless and the financially down

The poorest of the poor in every town

All they ever know of in life is poverty

Of homelessness and hunger and want they will never be free

Born into poverty and destined to die young

Humanity's forgotten the poor and unsung.

Just To Be Like Them

The wealthy and famous many do admire

And just to be like them they feel the desire

And though people of money and fame many may impress

Happiness cannot be bought by financial success

The happiest people in every town

Are not among the very wealthy or the financially down

But working class people who for their work receive a fair pay

Without any worries in life doing okay

That money cannot buy you happiness is how it seems to be

But it is better be wealthy and unhappy than being unhappy and in poverty

Many wish to become wealthy and famous but on all things a price

And few if any become poor by choice

Though money is not an antidote for unhappiness

It is quite important to have nonetheless.

Such A Beautiful Day

Such a beautiful day for the time of year

On this day in late August with Spring ever near

The warbling of the magpies high on the gum trees

On a weather forecast high for the day of eighteen degrees

The coastal countryside looking so green after the recent rain

With such pleasant weather one can hardly complain

Spring coming nearer with every new day

And much warmer weather in time not far away

The blackbirds among Nature's better known songsters of  Spring

Already in August can be heard to sing

On the deciduous trees new leaf buds appear

And the whistling of the nest building grey shrike thrush so pleasant to hear

September the first the first day of the calendar Spring in time approaching fast

And August and Winter will soon be of the past

A nice Winter day the sun shining in the mostly blue sky

And the weather quite pleasant and presently dry.

Everybody Deserves A Fair Go

That everyone deserve to live free of want and prejudice should be their due

But for many people Worldwide basic human rights is just a dream for them that will not come true

The victims of discrimination and government control

The people with great power at their disposal who have darkness of soul

If you live in a Country that the government in public you can criticize

Then you are one of the lucky you ought to realize

Since such a basic human right in many Countries does not apply

That there are many oppressive and dictatorial regimes Worldwide one cannot deny

But equality in the Human World with each individual begin

As the power to do good only comes from within

But sadly the power to do good is not in us all

Some very influential people abuse their power over others and in their human ways are quite small

Everybody deserves a fair go in life but sad for to say

In many Countries Worldwide it is not this way.

True Friendship

You may have a disagreement with your best friend

But this will not bring your friendship to an end

A true friendship a disagreement will survive

And best friends after reconciling their friendship does thrive

The fact of the matter and fact never lie

Is that a weak friendship after a disagreement is quick to die

The one who drops you from their friendship list was never your friend

This person did not value you as a friend why otherwise pretend

Despite disagreements your true friend as your true friend will remain

And despite a rocky time in your relationship a mutual respect you retain

True friendships they never do die easily

As friendships go this is how it seems to be

Friendships that are not true are quick to fade

Of the bond that binds they are not made.

Look Into Your Own Mind

Look into your own mind and what do you see

One aspirational to join the elites of human society

Without even one thought of the financially down

Who are doing it financially tough on the poor side of the town

Or do you see one who is caring and kind

Who in the helping of others is always willingly inclined 

Who feel no desire for material success

And others in any way does not wish to impress

The person you see is the person you are

The one who on the corporate ladder  wishes to climb far

Or the person who for others have kindness to share

And of the needs of the less privileged is mentally aware

The one you do see is near to the real you

Though there is a vast difference between the two.

On Rainbow Lorikeets

Where blossoming trees are they are often seen

These beautiful parrots of  red, blue, yellow, pink and green

The colours of the rainbow for them rainbow lorikeets seems an apt name

Their natural beauty one of their claims to fame

High in a cavity on an old tree

The female lay white eggs of two or three

Northwest to south eastern Australia's coastal lands they range far and wide

Birds of the coastal town parks and coastal countryside

The rainbow lorikeets that you see today

Tomorrow may be many kilometres away

To the blossoming trees in country and rural town

Above the coastal lands they travel up and down

Nectar from the blossoms of the flowering gums to their taste buds a treat

And they are rather noisy as they do eat.

No Shortage Of The Judgmental

It is easy of others negative things for to say

No shortage of the judgmental in the Human World of today

But that the judgmental too become judged as a truism remain

The meaning in this it's own self does explain

Some are judged by their appearance or their lack of  material success

The unpaid judgmental they fail to impress

To be an honourable and a good living person never taken into account

In the eyes of the judgmental this to nothing does amount

It is often the case the best people in city and town

Live as complete strangers to even local renown

Without the reward of money for pay

To help others out they often go out of their way

To their higher selves they try to live as true

But in the eyes of the judgmental any credit for this they are not due.

Though Many With This

Though many with this would choose not to agree

That what you dislike in others in your own self you see

You dislike what you see in them what you dislike in you

As dislike without reason is a thing shared by two

When you dislike someone you do not know well who has not done you wrong

Your Karma to this person in a negative way is quite strong

Though many would not see it in this way

Each to their own beliefs one has to say

A wise person once told love at first sight

Is when positive Karma between two people is right

Each would have their own thinking on this one does suppose

Does Karma create for us our friends and our foes

Our human realationships to Karma in some way relate

And they are not that far apart the feelings of love and hate.

Minds Of Their Own

 Many people their lifetimes to their parental teachings and beliefs adhere

And that they never become the instigators of change is quite obviously clear

Religiously and politically their parental beliefs they retain

And their children as they are in thinking their lifetimes too will remain

It is those who go by their own thinking change for the better does bring

It is they who change governments and this is a good thing

They are the people with minds of their own

And as the instigators of change for the better they become known

Of parental strict religious teachings and beliefs that curtail freedom of thought they set themselves free

They are the people who try to bring change for the better to the twenty first century

And though in their mission of change they do not always succeed

This is not their fault and of more of their sort humanity is in need

The instigators of change have minds of their own

And humanity of  more of their kind in need though in numbers they have grown.

Though None Of Us

Though none of us will hear our funeral bell

For all of us from life a final farewell

And of the existence of  these Universal places known as heaven and hell

Any deceased person as of  yet has not come back to tell

Of the praises of death you will not hear many sing

But in itself it is not such a bad thing

As it does not respect money or fame

And the wealthy and poor does treat as the same

A fact of our existence and fact never lie

Like all other life forms us humans are born to die

No matter what we achieve in life our life's journey must end

Since death never treats anyone as a friend

Only earth worms live where dead people lay

For all of us there is a last night and day.

It Is Human

They are human these things known as phobias and fears

And it is human for to drown your sorrow in tears

Sorrow of joy it is always the thief

And time as is said is the healer of grief

It is as human to laugh as it is for to weep

And it is human to follow a leader but so too does sheep

Since we are not as different to other creatures as we think we are

Though in our mental achievements we may transcend them by far

It is human to wish for great material wealth and fame

And that yours Worldwide will become a great name

But for only a tiny minority such wishes come true

And so few receive from life what is their due

It is human to fall in love and of love to fall out

This is just part of what human life is all about

These things happen to people Worldwide every day

That our feelings change over time is the human way

It is human to wish for power and greatness though they are the destroyers of humility

Us humans need some ego to survive even for the most humble this is how it must be

And to be flawed is quite human even the most perfect of us without some flaw

Suppose this is part of  what we are as we are part of natural law.

On Your Worth As A Writer

On your worth as a writer you may have some doubt

But no shortage of things for you to write about

Like in most things only few writers of success from writing does know

Though writers of all genes Worldwide in numbers do grow

It is a tough road the road to literary fame

And few ever from writing become a great name

You may never become as wealthy and famous as the writer you admire

Though to succeed as a writer you retain the desire

Those who enjoy writing as a hobby are lucky in a way

They feel no desire for greatness though they write every day

No pressure on them with other writers to compete for success

Since with their writing anyone they feel no desire to impress

That they will never become wealthy and famous they do realize

And will never be short listed for a literary prize.

The Dream For To Own Their Own Home

The dream for to own their own home many never achieve

Though such dreams does give one hope one has to believe

Many renters convinced that to wealthy landlords rent they must pay

For as long as they live as renters they will stay

Of owning their own home for some their dream does come true

Though such an achievement in life is only their due

But not everyone can buy their own home in  a World where so many are in poverty

Due to birth circumstances and lack of luck in life that gives rise to inequality

The dream to own your own home is an understandable thing

When achieved a sense of satisfaction and security to one it does bring

Many poor people dream of  buying a home but such a dream does not come true for everyone

Not every dream does come true when all is said and done

But hope does survive when all else seems gone

And the dream of home ownership in the dreamer lives on.

Jane

Her husband Steve remarried her life in a mess

Jane the mother of two young daughters in her mid thirties knows all about stress

Her children of nine and ten primary school attend

At this stage of their lives on her love and financial support does depend

Life is quite tough on her in her physical prime

As well as being a mother to her daughters she works as a nurse part time

Quite attractive as a single mother she has resolved to stay

At least until her children become self dependent and that will not be for many a day

Her living expenses take all of her pay

Financially she is doing it tough one can say

But with the stress of her existence she does cope quite well

And she says she has the small blessings of her life to tell

She and her daughters must live on her low income and money she cannot save

Jane the single mother is one who is quite brave

And with her positive attitude to life she will be okay

All good things come to those who wait as the wise one did say.

Swamp Wallabies

Swamp wallabies marsupials of darkish brown

Often visit the gardens of every south eastern Australian town

Gardeners do not like them since their vegetables they eat

And to their taste buds a young lettuce is a tasty treat

Similar looking but less than half of the size of a fully grown kangaroo

But they do not interbreed and many differences between the two

Kangaroos live in large groups known as mobs swamp wallabies mostly live on their own

To be gregarious even among their own kind they are not known

One can say of them in beauty they do not lack

Some call them black wallabies since they seem less brown than black

At night they visit gardens and are seldom seen out by day

And at the sight of a dog or a human they quickly hop away

Different to all other sspecies of wallabies sadly many of them die on roadways every year

And that they are becoming rare is how it does appear.

How Can You Have A Good Time

How can you have a good time if you are living rough

Financially down and in life doing it tough

In a Human World where money is most important why otherwise pretend

The one who is short of it is in need of every friend

Life can be quite tough on the poor side of the town

When you are out of work and financially down

Where opportunities of paid work are rarer than rare

And many trying to exist on meagre welfare

How can you enjoy life if you are in poverty

Where only the air that you breathe it is free

And that is polluted with factory smoke

And you are homeless and hungry and financially broke

On your side of the town where few live to grow old

You are one of many whose life story will never be told.

Joe Moynihan

In east Kerry in Headford Joe Moynihan first saw light of day

But in London in England from there far away

With Joan Hickey of Inchaleigh Millstreet his Duhallow wife

They raised their children and lived most of their life

Joe Moynihan was well liked by all who of him had known

And over the years his friends in numbers had grown

A huge loss to his wife Joan and to his family

At least of all suffering he now is free

In London he died but in Sliabh Luachra in Rathmore his last remains lay

With his family of origin for the long stay

The love of Sliabh Luachra in him was strong

He is at peace now where he rightfully belong

A journey for everyone that has an end

Joe Moynihan in his lifetime made many a friend

He and his wife Joan went to live in London in their life's prime

And their love for each other withstood the test of time.

Everybody Is Talented

Despite what the more negative of people do think or say

Everybody is talented in some sort of  a way

The people you think are quite dull in some ways are quite bright

Their minds more than yours may be open to light

Never judge a book by the cover as a truism remain

The meaning in this it's own self does explain

In general knowledge no uni degrees

And such things do not grow on bushes and trees

From the book of life we do learn every day

We never stop learning in truth one can say

And the gifted and talented they are not rare

This is something that most people of are aware.

It Is Mostly The Poor

Life before Covid for them was hard enough

But since the arrival in the World of the pandemic things on them twice as tough

Even in a World pandemic the social gap growing wide

It is only the wealthy have a god on their side

For the very best Covid treatment the wealthy can afford to pay

That money speaks every language only true for to say

Few of the very poor live for to die old and gray

In a fair Human World it would not be this way

Far more poor than wealthy people in virus pandemics do die

A fact of human life and fact never lie

In a World where for a minority to win big so many must lose

And losing is a thing that anyone does not choose

Covid nineteen has killed people Worldwide

But it is mostly the poor who of it have died.

Those Close To their Higher Selves

Those close to their higher selves are of the few

And this is not saying anything that is new

Near perfection for any human being seems hard to achieve

This is something that should not be hard to believe

We all need some ego in the Human World to survive

Those who have lost all of their ego today are not alive

It is hard to stay humble when many your praises do sing

Humility in the Human World has become a rare thing

Life is so short and time ticks away

The baby is ageing that was born yesterday

Each individual human life in time is not long when all is said and done

And tomorrow will dawn but not for everyone

Our ego dies with us on the day we do die

A fact of our human existence and fact never lie.

Masked Lapwings Or Spur Winged Plovers

In parks and paddocks of rural south eastern Australia birds one often does see

Quite aggressive in defense of their territory

White unders, pink legs, black on head and neck, yellow wattles and back and wings of brown

Birds often seen in parks of  many a rural town

The female bird lay four yellow brown dotted eggs in a scrape on the bare ground

With scarce little cover though their young or eggs hard to be found

With noisy aggressioin their nest site they defend

At nesting time they do not trust anyone as a friend

At night in their breeding Season them one often does hear

A proof that to their nest a predator is skulking near

Not birds by bird breeders kept in avaries to tame

Masked lapwing or spur winged plovers they are known by either name

Seldom in large flocks in family groups they abound

They live on insects that they find on the ground.

One Can Only Admire Those

One can only admire those who in their hometowns do stay

And never yearn to live in Countries far away

They live and grow old where theirs is a known face

As the people who were born with a sense of place

Some of them their children are fathers and mothers today

And the ancestral sense of place gene in many of their descendants stay

Like their parents and grandparents for to see the bigger World they feel no desire

For their loyalty to place one them can only admire

The children as their parents did drink in the same pub

And in sports always support their local sporting club

In their hometowns they retain a lifetime sense of pride

Free of the desire to travel far and wide

Their strong sense of place their lifetimes they retain

And in most of their descendants the gene of place does remain.

Tarwin Man

Tall and dark haired and handsome into a man he did grow

In the flat coastal Lands of the Bunurong where old Tarwin does flow

On it's timeless journey by night and by day

Deep, dark and slow as it approaches the Pacific at Venus Bay

A young man who is on the right side of time

In his mid twenties in his physical prime

In the coastal City of Warrnambool for the long stay

From his original home by car six hours away

He does feel quite happy in his new role in life

With a mortgaged home and a young daughter and wife

A carpenter by trade he works hard for his pay

Quite a likeable fellow he makes new friends every day

From the coastal country of the Bunurong

The legendary people of story and song

The coastal city living he seems to enjoy

Far from where he grew into a man from a boy.

Time

Time that ages all things goes on and on

Tomorrow will dawn when this day has gone 

And today will become one more memory

Of the what was and never more to be

Time will not wait for you like it did not wait for me

Us humans like all other creatures are born to mortality

People age quickly beyond their physical prime

And eventually we all become victims of time

The babes born yesterday getting older today

And time on their lives ever ticking away

Twenty years ago he was the champion athlete of the town

One can say that he has outlived his renown

Time on the best of them does have it's say

On everyone's life it keeps ticking away.

Live For Your Country

Live for your Country for it do not die

Those who tell you different believe their own lie

And they are not in the minority which seems sad to say

No shortage of dead heroes in the World of today

There are so many heroes in war who have died young

Yet they never hear when their praises are sung

They well could be happy and living today

If they did not join the army and at home did stay

Watching their children grow into young women and men

But they were young and brave and adventurous when

They joined the army and happily went to war far away

And for becoming young heroes with their lives did pay

So live for your Country for it do not die

Those who tell you different believe their own lie.

Your Book Of Life

Your book of life is in some of the people you meet every day

Each of them diofferent in their own way

In their life's experiences and the stories they tell

Time listening to them is time that is spent well

We learn from people every day we do meet

That we chat with for awhile in the park or on the street

From talking to them so little you do know you come to realize

And the garnering of knowledge to the desire for more knowledge gives rise

Though of how little they do know they are not aware

Those who believe they know everything have little with others to share

The blinds of the windows of their minds keep enlightenment out

Since of more knowledge they feel quite happy  without

Your book of life is in others only true to say

We learn from the people we meet every day.

Only The Memories

It has been years since i have laid eyes on Clara's old hill

Or heard the babble of the Claramore rill

In Claraghatlea towards the big river winding it's way

It's silver tongue never silent by night or by day

In Millstreet Town where to many i used to be known

Most of the young people there now would not see me as one of their own

I have not been to Duhallow for thirty four years

And for the what used to be i have shed my last tears

In Spring i may never again hear the soft lowing of a cow

In the quiet of the twilight by old River Finnow

And above the rushy fields in the moonlit sky

Hear the male snipe make fast drumming like sounds as he fly

And only the memories today i retain

Of the old fields i may never walk on again.

His Own Greatest Foe

He has lived an honourable life and never been to jail

Yet he feels that he is one of those who did fail

A grandfather in his early sixties divorced by his wife

He feels that he is one who has failed in life

A kind enough person in his own quiet way

One who works rather hard for his living pay

One who is well liked by all to he is known

He does not have a partner he lives on his own

He is one who does suffer of low self esteem

But he is the only one who thinks he is a loser is how it does seem

Three years ago forsaken for another man by his long term wife

She was the only true love of his life

He may think he is a failure but he is not so

It does seem that he is his own greatest foe.

Your Dreams Are Not Big

If from human created noise your ears need a rest

A quiet place in the countrysaide might suit you best

Where the only sound is of birdsong

And the ripple of the creek ever flowing along

Winding on it's way to the far ocean shore

On a journey that does take place for evermore

All you do ask for is a place of your own

A cottage by the creek where you live as unknown

To anybody with Nature to you nearby

Where no factory with it's chimney puff black smoke to the sky

A cottage ever distant from the noisy town

Where all day long on the streets the traffic pass up and down

Your dreams are not big and should not be hard to achieve

But few what they wish for from life what they wish for receive.

On Endangered Barn Owls

That baiting mice and rats with rodent bait has it's side effects there can be no denying

In parts of Australia barn owls from eating baited rodents are sick and dying

In mouse plagues the numbers too many for the barn owls to control

And the killing and eating of  baited rodents on the owls taking it's toll

Barn owls the beautiful brown and white birds of the night

That are very seldom seen out and about in daylight

Friends of the farmers and gardeners many of them does say

For killing and eating of  baited rodents with their lives does pay

Stories of  poisoned barn owls in Australia one often read of and of hear

And that they may be facing extinction is not an unfounded fear

Among bird lovers of Australia wide

Who fear for the future of the owls of the countryside

That rodent baiting has it's side effects is obviuosly clear

Barn owl numbers are dwindling in Australia by the year.

Kind People

The praises of kindness feel happy to sing

Those who have it in them happiness to others does bring

Kind people remain as the unsung of every village and city and town

Though they are always helping the financially down

Those with compassion and empathy are those who are kind

To the suffering of others the selfish are mentally blind

A prize for kindness does not exist to win

But the people who are kind do have their god within

Kind people never receive the praise they are due

But to their higher selves they do live as true

They perform a good deed or two every day

And in the helping of others often go out of their way

For their future good Karma always sowing the good seed

And of more of their sort the Human World is in need.

To Achieve Your Goal

To achieve the goal you set for yourself in life you can only try your best

And to succeed in this much time and effort you wilfully invest

But if your goal you do not achieve do not take it to heart

On climbing the mountain of success at least you were one who took part

From life it is true that not everyone what they wish for does receive

Only the minority their wished for goal  does happen to achieve

For one to achieve their goals in life so many does lose out

And for those who do not achieve their goals a lifetime of self doubt

At least you are one of those who gave it your best try

But of the request by many for their goals life chooses to deny

So many disappointed in their lives as you are today

Few do achieve what they desire life works in this way

You are one of many who believe they have failed to succeed

But then few people who achieve their goals so very few indeed.

A Real Man

What is a real man ask one other than me

For with my idea of a real man you would not agree

A real man may not be famous and wealthy and widely known

But for his future good Karma good seeds by him sown

A real man may not be good at sports or football

And as an entertainer be of no use at all

But a real man is not arrogant in any way

Or any unkind  things of others never does say

Your idea of a real man is different to mine

You make heroes of your real men and this suits me fine

A real man to me is caring and kind

And to help other people is always willingly inclined

The real man to you is a hero of the town

And mine is even a stranger to local renown.

The Greatest Gift

Though ageing if healthwise and financially you are doing okay 

Feel happy to wake for to greet a new day

For life is the greatest gift us humans possess

Far greater than any other form of success

There are no wealthy or poor people where dead people lay

Death makes all people equal in truth one can say

The Reaper of lives does treat as the same

The poor and unsung  and those of wealth and fame

Between the family of the deceased town's former wealthiest person a lot of ill will

They are presently in court disputing her will

Her material possessions have caused a huge family divide

By property and money close blood relationships are often destroyed

People are admired for their material possessions and money as a great success

Yet life is by far the greatest gift anyone does possess.

She Is Remembered

She is remembered that beautiful woman though she has been deceased for years

The Human World was better for her living in it she was one of those special old dears

Her only child died in his mid twenties in the early sixties in Vietnam

He was such a brave and a noble young man

His death was such a huge cross for her and her late husband for to bear

Of war dead sons many mothers have such stories to share

One who never ignored the mentally and financially down

She spent most  of her time helping the poor of the town

All of the people she did help fond memories of her retain

As a heroine to them she will always remain

With her son and husband in the cemetery at peace she does lay

Kindness is never forgotten only true for to say

By many she is remembered with fondness today.

Sad To Realize

That many species of wildlife are becoming endangered is sad to realize

Those who tell you us humans are not partly to blame for this believe their own lies

The removal of  trees and the development of natural habitat for building on the increase Worldwide

Mother Earth and Nature and their wildborn creatures need more human friends on their side

The praises of human progress many Worldwide may sing

But when human progress becomes detrimental to the existence of other life forms this is not a good thing

The praises of materialism due to human greed that abuses the Earth that does feed us we ought not to sing

Sadly in time we may not be that far distant from our first silent Spring

The World is for us humans to live in and with other creatures for to share

But far too many of us of this does not seem aware

We take from the Earth that does feed us and in return to her nothing give

And because of our greed and our selfishness other creatures are struggling to live

The first silent Spring in time may not be that far away

And this is such a sad thing for to have to say.

Laughter Is A Great Gift

Since from the mind it does keep worries away

Laughter is a great gift in truth one can say

Those who can laugh easily are luckly indeed

Of a visit to a doctor they are not often of in need

Few of their sort have heart problems or of cancer die

That laughter is the best of medicine is not a lie

Those who can easily laugh are never burdened by care

The joy that is in them with others they share

The sound of it joy to the listeners does bring

Laughter indeed is a wonderful thing

Those who often laugh their friends in numbers grow

One can say of them they have the inner glow

For their gift of laughter good health is their gain

That it is the best of medicine as a truism remain.

On Robert Buchanan

 The Laureate of Streatham was a writer of note

Robert Buchanan was a novelist and poet

His stories and poems some of them in rhyme

Original works of genius have long outlived him in time

Buchanan he was in a class of his own

Him and his literary works deserve to be better known

In literary circles seldom talked of today

But with words he was one who did have a way

A writer who did not live for to die old

By far less worthy than he was more books published and sold

Just one of many great deceased writers who deserve greater fame

Not many of his era as good as he was one could name

In his lifetime never financially rewarded for his genius and originality

He was one who lived and died in poverty

But the fans of his writing true to his memory remain

And his poems and his stories often visit again.

Much of his time to his writing he did dedicate

And beauty in his words he did create

Quite an under-rated writer of him not sayoing anything that is new

Among deceased novelists and poets his equals are few.

You Can Hold Your Head High

Though you were found to be wanting when put to the test

You can hold your head high since you did try your best

For one for to win many have to lose

And winning is the thing everybody does choose 

The winner received most of the applause and fame

And is the one everyone does know by name

But you have nothing to feel ashamed of since your best you did try

And to congratulate the winner you were not shy

No glory for you in today's race

Since you were one of those who finished out of a place

But you did not take losing to heart and you enjoyed the run

And you said with a smile disappointment is the spoilsport of fun

You improved on your personal best time and to you this does count

And that you were a gracious loser to a lot does amount.

This Is How I Do See It

Any wrong i do to another to my own self i do

This is how i do see it however about you

You do look at life in ways different to me

But then in all things those similar in thinking do not agree

The fruits of the Karma we sow in life we receive

I am just one of many who on this does believe

But then quite a few see it quite differently

Each to their own beliefs is how it seems to be

Though from life some never receive what should be their fair due

The existence of Karma i believe to be true

What goes around comes around life works in this way

For our wrongs to others to Karma we pay

With we reap what we sow i could not disagree

What i do to others is what i do to me.

The Man Good Enough

 The man good enough always does pay his way

And loyal to his family and wife and his friends he does stay

And he works rather hard for his every pay

And his word is his bond of him one can say

One of the quiet achievers of his side of the town

In word or in deed he never puts anyone down

If he has nothing good to say of a person of this person he says nothing at all

Though his name will never appear on a memorial wall

A better living person than many that local fame has outgrown

Yet on his side of the town he is one not well known

His own praises you will never hear him sing

He just lives in his own way and does his own thing

Quite happy with his lot never feels life is tough

And he deserves to be known as The Man Good Enough.

Of Christ Walking On Water

 A biblical story from the days of old

Christ walked on water as we are told

The authenticity in this is not for me to say

Though such things in Nature happen every day

Coots walking on water one often does see

These dark dumpy looking water birds do this regularly

Running or walking on water to them comes quite naturally

But in Nature no miracles is how it seems to be

Of coots running or walking on water you will not hear anyone say

I witnessed a miracle on the lake today

Coots are just water birds in most peoples eyes

To legend their behaviour never gives rise

When Jesus Christ was in his physical prime

And this is going back many centuries in time

He walked on the waves of  Galilee

That this was a miracle most would agree.

But the dark water birds coots on water can walk or run

To them it comes natural they do it for fun

None say coots can perform miracles but from centuries long gone

Of Christ walking on water the legend lives on.

A Self Proclaimed Expert

Though he could not tell apart a finch from a crow

Some he has convinced of how much he does know

Suppose the impressionable are never that hard to impress

And at promotion of himself he does have much success

A self proclaimed expert on all things especially all codess of football

He has convinced some he is a genius though some is not all

But those who know him who have in them the power to discern

Says as knowledge goes he is one who has heaps to learn

Of  how clever he thinks he is he does feel so proud

And of his own praises he alwaays sings loud

He has his admirers some are not hard to deceive

The people who need someone on for to believe

Boastful and self centered and lacking in poise

It is true empty vessels does make the most noise.

Only Memories Of Them

Only memories of them with me now remain

The old fields i may never walk on again

In the countryside where i grew to a man from a boy

And learning of Nature to me a source for joy

In Duhallow just west of the Town of Millstreet

In the green countryside where the waterways meet

I grew to love Nature a long time ago

Many years before time became my foe

Where to many i would be a stranger today

Since from there i have lived quite a long time away

And time that ages everyone did not ignore me

Absence does make one a stranger is how it seems to be

It was my yearn for travel that lured me far south

Of the fields of the badger and waterways of the brown trout

To this place of  emu, koala and wallaby and roo

And white long billed corella  and yellow tailed black cockatoo

Far south of the Duhallow Town of Millstreet

And the green countryside where the waterways meet

Perhaps i may well live my last night and day

At least for me now it is looking this way.

The Great Michelle Finn

 Against the best of the World she does compete

A two time Olympian Duhallow's greatest living athlete

Since the late Pat O' Callaghan going back eight decades or so

In human years this seems a long time ago

The will to succeed only comes from within

And the great steeplechase runner brunette haired Michelle Finn

In Rio and Tokyo done Ireland proud

Fans of Irish athletes sing her praises loud

A two time Olympian it is not saying what is new

That athletes like Michelle in the World are few

As an athlete she is in her physical prime

She well may make it to the Olympics for the third time

Everytime she competes new admirers she win

The Pride of Castlemagner the great Michelle Finn.

Live For Your Country

Far too many prepared for to believe in the lie

That if you love your Country for your Country you will die

But men go to war for their Country of their own free will

And for their idea of  what is freedom shoot for to kill

And if they die fighting for their Country heroes of them are made

And from their Country's history they are not allowed for to fade

Those who never wore a soldier's uniform may love their Country too

And any harm to others never wish to do

The life of another they never wish to take

Or harm anyone in any waay for their Country's sake

Out of war dead soldier heroes are made

And for them The Last Post it often is played

But live for your Country as the wise one did say

And many who love their Country are living today.

Knowledge Is Infinite

Knowledge is infinite only true for to say

But we learn as we live something new every day

Old words of wisdom worthy of recall

Those who think they know everything know little at all

The accumulation of knowledge for anyone is quite a good thing

For to those open to learning the realization it does bring

That despite all they have learned so little they do know

And the desire for more knowledge in them does grow

General knowledge does not grow on the bushes and trees

And even well educated people who to show have their uni degrees

Of general knowledge may not have much at all

Such things do not come on a framed certificate to be hung on a wall

And all of the knowledge we acquire we do not retain

It is something that is infinite the fact does remain.

The War Hero

He came home from war as a young hero

Back in time some five decades ago

As a young man then in his mid twenties

Long before time did become his foe

He was brave in the heat of the battle

Where courage in abundance he did show

In his locked room all now by him forgotten

His wife and family he does not even know

Alzheimers has stripped him of his memories

Even those who were near and dear to him he does not recognize

The nursing home staff every day he sees often

Are people who are strangers to his eyes

Fifty years ago he was a hero

Back then many his praises did sing

Now he is one of the town's forgotten

And he does not remember anything

A balding gray haired man in his late seventies

By the staff his bedroom door kept locked all of the time

For awhile admired by many as a hero

But this is going back to his physical prime.

Words Can Be Quite Powerful

That words can be quite powerful can make for good sense

They can be uplifting or cause deep offense

In the context of how they have been used one does suppose

They can create friends for you or make for you foes

Those who verbally enjoy on putting others down

Are never among thee popular people of their side of the town

By their behaviour they do not like themselves much it does seem

And their negativity has it's source in their sense of low self esteem

They enjoy using their words in a negative way

But sadly their sort are not rare in the World of today

They are the opposite of those who with their words are kind

Who in the praising of others are always willingly inclined

They can be used in a positive or negative way

Yes words can be quite powerful in truth one can say.

In Ways Different

Though husband and wife in ways different as the word can be

As partners they seem to live in harmony

On what to him looks ugly beauty she does see

Yet despite this they seldom verbally disagree

He is into sports in a big way especially football

But his sort of hobby does not interest her at all

She is an artist of more than local renown

And her art is quite popular among art fans of the town

With five and six year old daughters one happy family

In the public park walking they are seen regularly

Though they are very different in their intertests in life

They get on rather well as husband and wife

Her art work on display on many an art gallery wall

Though his main interests are in sports and football.

This Stirs Up Old Memories

The rain drizzling down from the low clouds of gray

And the face of the sun has not been seen out today

July it is ending wintery one can say

This stirs up old memories of Winter far away

In the greyness of January with the rain drizzling down

On the deserted fields by the old country town

The dark hungry rooks cawing on the tall leafless trees

And the coldness of Winter in the evening breeze

Old memories of Winter a lifetime does stay

Cattle in farmyard sheds bellowing for silage or hay

The finches and thrushes without songs to sing

Some four to five weeks from the calendar Spring

July in the far south is ending with rain

And the tiny frogs are singing in every water filled drain

But the magpies who sing every day of the year

Their distinctive warbling ever pleasant to hear.

Bad Memories

 Bad memories of your past you wish to forget

But they remain with you much to your regret

You wish they would leave you but your memory them does retain

And for as long as you live with you they will remain

Though the past it is in the forever gone

Bad memories like good memories in you live on

Though your good memories you only like talking about

Your bad memories from your mind you cannot shut out

To have some bad memories you are not the only one

Most people have memories of wrongs they have done

You can only learn from the past as the wise one did say

A truism that remains relevant today

You wish that your bad memories from you would go away

But like your good memories with you they do stay.

On Moses Fifth Commandment

Moses Fifth Commandment states 'Thou shalt not kill'

But people go to war of their own free will

And even by religious people in war it is seen as okay

For Moses Fifth Commandment for to disobey

Some people for breaking Moses Fifth Commandment are executed or spend years in jail

And die with the tag of people who did fail

The test of what it takes to be a good person whilst others who kill people are looked on as brave and great

For breaking Moses Fifth Commandment many them does celebrate

In Moses Fifth Commandment even by religious institutions killing people in war not taken into account

Whilst every year the people who are killed in war zones to large numbers amount

But Moses Fifth Commandment states taking of human life is wrong

In war it does seem the Fifth Commandment does not belong 

Yes murder in war as a crime does not apply

And why this is the case one has to ask why?

If I Did Tell You Differently

Going back the decades over Seasons of time

I am one who has written a whole heap of rhyme

Among rhymers as such never to tthe fore

I write for enjoyment and little else more

It is true about rhymes they are not hard to write

And easy to read and easy to recite

And it is not saying anything that is new

That my sort as ever are not of the few

There are rhymers Worldwide in every village and city and town

Who write for the love of it not for money or literary renown

An enjoyable hobby for every rhyming buff

I am just one who writes lots of rhyming stuff

With rhyming words i am one who just loves to play

And i add to my numbers of them every day

And i hope to be rhyming on the day i do die

If i did tell you differently it would be a lie.

You May Have Been Found To Be Wanting

You may have been found to be wanting when put to the test

But it can be said of you that you  did try your best

This time there was one who was better than you

But trying your best is the best you can do

To the winner goes most of the glory and fame

And the loser does become the forgotten name

And though losing is a thing you never would choose

For the winner to win you had to lose

To try your best and lose is never a disgrace

But at least you accepted your defeat with a smile on your face

And congratulated the winner with a handshake and well done

And was willing to admit that the better one won

You were not the winner it was not your day

But that big win for you in time may not be far away.

One Noisy By Nature

One noisy by Nature this was obviously clear

I could  not help but overhear him though to him not sitting near

Three young women he was trying to impress

As he boasted to them of his latest success

In a public display of boosting his esteem

His self promotion was working well for him it did seem

By the young womens body language it was not hard to tell

That with them it was obvious he was doing rather well

Into self promotion in quite a big way

For himself he did have quite a lot to say

Of talking of self his type never does tire

With his own captive audience him to admire

Perhaps in his early to mid twenties and a braggart by choice

And to go with his big ego he had a loud voice

And though of his sort i never could be a fan

To three young ladies he was quite a marvellous man

That one must listen to thunder it does seem true to say

His loud voice seemed to follow as i went on my way

The narcissists are not rare in the World of today

And sad as it may seem bragging often does pay.

On Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos

 From the sound of their calls known to some as weerloos

The big dark brown parrots known as yellow tailed black cockatoos

With yellow on their faces and yellow tips on their tail

Once seen and once heard to recognize them you never again will fail

To bird fanciers with big avaiaries they are not a source of financial joy

Since with their powerful bills expensive avaiaries they have been known to destroy

They can be quite expensive to keep financially

The main reason in privately owned avairies them one seldom does see

In a huge cavity on an old tree trunk the female bird mostly one large white egg does lay

For quite a long spell of time the young bird with the parents does stay

They are parrots that one does regularly see

Stripping pine cones for their dark seeds high on a pine tree

Weerloo weerloo to each other they cry

In small family groups whilst travelling by sky

Quite beautiful birds a bird watcher's delight

In the countryside in their range quite a familiar sight

In privately owned bird avairies you will seldom see yellow tailed black cockatoos

Since to keep them financially bird breeders would have too much to lose

The largest members of the cockatoo family

Birds you will recognize again when them you hear and see

Rather Useful At Lying

There are some politicians who are honourable and just

And there are many of them one ought not to trust

And on saying that the dishonest politicians are not of the few

Is not saying anything that is in any way that is new

There are some politicians who never deceive

And their word is their bond and in them you can believe

But as politicians go they are in the minority

Politicians as a whole are not known for their honesty

The more honourable politicians in politics have a short stay

After a few years they decide to give politics away

An honest politician of the dishonesty of most politicians does quickly tire

And of a long career in politics does quickly lose their desire

And of most politicians there is no denying

That they are in truth rather useful at lying.

On C O V I D !9

It looks like C O V I  D 19 is in the Human World for to stay

Just like the common flu is it is looking this way

But C O V I D is much more  dangerous to humanity than the common flu

And this is only saying what happens to be true

A deadly virus that many has been known to kill

And many who have survived it for years will remain ill

Though vaccinations will contain it to some degree no doubt

Worldwide it is still rampant and spreading about

It looks like there are few places in the World that are CO V I D free

And the threat of it will be with us forever is how it seems to be

A deadly virus that has death on it's side

So many people already have died of it Worldwide

Far deadlier than the common flu as far more people it does kill

And many who have survived it are feeling quite ill.

Have You Ever Asked Yourself

 Have you ever asked yourself  in your moments of self doubt

Of life's meaning for you and what it is all about

In a time of high inflation and on low take home pay

You struggle financially from day to day

To support your family life on you is tough

You feel at times that you are not good enough

In a World of more losers than winners to be seen as a success

And you only have yourself for to blame for your lack of happiness

You cannot afford to quit your job in a time when jobs are so few

Those who tell you that times are tough are not telling you what  is new

Of late you have had your moments of despair

You are not the only one who thinks that life can be unfair

But hope for the better in you is not dead

And better times of you may be ahead.

William Cowper

William Cowper was a poet  who was born in Birkhamstead Hertfordshire

He wrote poems and hymns and was a poet who did inspire

Young writers in English long after he had died

In the literary World his name is known Worldwide

Cowper wrote memorable poems in his lifetime

And in mental institutions he spent some time

His poems on his pet hares still popular today

He did live his verses of him one can say

As is said of writing poetry it can be a hungry belly game

Cowper in his lifetime never became wealthy though he did know of fame

In his bouts of depression he often contemplated suicide

And in April in eighteen hundred  in his sixty eight year of dropsy he died

On his writing of The Task and The Olney Hymns his became a great name

William Cowper the poet is long outlived by his fame

On his long hard journey to literary renown

He did know of many an up and a down

Though long dead the fans of his writing in numbers do grow

In his lifetime few happy days of he did know

An anti slavery as well as an anti racism poet

Two hundred and twenty one years after  his death he remains a writer worthy of note

Nobody Grows Younger

 From birth nobody grows younger  everybody grows old

And life is a journey as we are told

A journey that does have an ending one day

Death on us all does have the final say

The title of a memorable old song is not a lie

"The longer you live the sooner you will die''

Whatever we achieve in life death is our due

A mere fact of life that remains ever true

No guarantee on how long anyone live not even for the young

Death treats as equal the wealthy and famous and the poor and unsung

People age rather quickly just past their physical prime

And eventually we all become victims of time

That nobody grows younger as a truism remain

The meaning in this it's own self does explain.

Does It Matter Now

Does it matter now if i was  a dunce of the school

Far north of this coastal countryside near Warrnambool

In the early fifties to the early sixties this is going back in time

Long before i reached my life's physical prime

Does it matter now if i was not any good at Hurling or Gaelic Football

Or at Soccer was not of any use at all

Sportswise i was never good at anything

And even local fame to the Parish i never did bring

Does it matter now if to show i do not have a degree

At the age i am now this would not be of much use to me

Except in my moments of questioning my self worth which gives rise to self doubt

I would have something to others for to brag about

Does it matter now if in the past

That i was one of those who could not run fast

The now is all that does matter as the wise one did say

And all i wish for is to be reasonably happy today

It does not matter now as i am getting old 

That my life story will never be told

I just want to live on for as long as i can

And die without pain as a very old man

The Coach's choice

Most of the club's football fans said he should not have been selected to play

To take his place on the team on Grand Final Day 

And though he had been out of form the coach on him kept faith

As has often been said all things come to those who wait

The fans blamed the coach on what they perceived to be a mistake

That his selection on the Grand Final team of an out of form player was a poor choice to make

But the coach said of him when put to the test

So very often he has proven for to be the club's best

The coach was right in the Grand Final he played a great game

And as a big occasion player lived up to his name

His four brilliant goals had the fans cheering loud

And of the club's greatest victory the coach felt justifiably proud

The best player on the ground  on the day it mattered most

In the town pubs tonight the fans to him drink a toast.

Cows Grieving

Since the farmer from them took their calves away

For the past week they have bellowed themselves hoarse every night and day

Time is the healer of grief as is said

Though more days and nights of grieving of them ahead

For the poor cows in the nearby paddock life at present is earthly hell

Due to the loudness of their bellowing i do not sleep well

Such noise though annoying to the higher self does appeal

In their hours of grieving one for them has to feel

Humans not alone at the loss of their young for to grieve

This is something for anyone that should not be hard to believe

That they are mentally hurting is obviously clear

The grief in their hoarse bellows quite sad for to hear

Cows do have feelings just like me and you

And if humans grieve for the loss of their young animals do too.

In A Class Of Her Own

One possessed of natural beauty and grace

She always does have a big smile on her face

A widowed grandmother in her late seventies for her kindness well known

She is one who is in a class of her own

Quite fit and healthy for one in her life's Fall

A volunteer member of Vincent De Paul

Well loved and well known on her side of the town

By those doing it tough in life the financially down

She is happy when helping people every day

To be kind to others in life is her way

Of the needs  of the poor one who is aware

Quite a selfless person her sort are so rare

Kind and down to earth and free of guile

She greets everyone with a beautiful smile.

An In Thing

In the twenty first century self promotion has become an in thing

And many their own praises does love to sing

But self praise is no praise as a truism remain

The meaning in this it's own self does explain

To self praise narcissism is closely allied

And by narcissism any humility in the mind is destroyed

Old  words of wisdom well worthy of recall

That the one never praised is the most humble of all

Narcissistic people become leaders sadly it is this way

And their sort are not rare in the Human World of today

Those into promotion of the self in the news regularly 

Stories and photos so often of them we read of and see

Sadly the humble of mind are of the few

And this is not saying anything that is new.

We Learn As We Live

We learn as we live something new every day

Life is a great teacher in truth one can say

And from learning from life we come to realize

That we are not as clever or knowledgeable or wise

As we thought we were since the accumulation of knowledge can become a self reflectful thing

And with it some humility to us does bring

That we have so much to learn and so little of anything we know

And our wonderment of knowledge it only does grow

Age with us brings wisdom or so we are told

But not everyone grows wiser as they grow old

And some young people too can be quite knowledgeable and wise

Though such things to some may come as a surprise

Which proves that wisdom and knowledge on them does not have an age

But we learn from life as we turn every page.

Red Wattlebirds

 From flowering gum trees never far away

These birds i see often though not every day

Of yellow on breast, red wattles under ears, red eyes and mostly freckled brown

Often seen in gardens and parks of rural town

The nectar from the blossoms of bushes and trees to them a tasty treat

And insects they are also known to eat

On saucer shaped nest of bark and twigs and grass on fork of tree

The female lay pink brown dotted eggs of two or three

The flowering trees and their nesting territory they vigorously defend

And any other species of honeyeater they do not treat as a friend

Of humans they are wary and quite shy

And by their appearance and hoarse like calls are not hard to identify

Not the sort that humans capture for to tame

Red wattlebirds for them seems an apt name.