One Of Ireland's Great Poets

His mum and dad in him did raise a good son

Francis Ledwidge who died in World War One

Far from his home in Slane under a foreign sky

As The Poet Of The Blackbird he was known by

A victim of war in his physical prime

In the early twentieth century for humanity a tragic time

In the heat of battle in Ypres he fell

Of war never many good stories to tell

One whose name lives as one worthy of note

The Bard of Slane was a marvellous poet

In his poetic prime he died quite young

With perhaps his greatest poems unwritten to be sung

A sad day for Ireland Lord Dunsany did say

When he heard Ledwidge had died in a war far away

With words he was one who did love to play

And his originality lives in his published poems today

News of his death left his family and friends in tears

Francis Ledwidge has been dead for more than a century of years

To lovers opf poetry his poems he did bequeath

One of Ireland's great poets from Slane in County Meath.

In The Green Countryside Far Away

In the leafy groves in the green countryside far away

The wildborn nesting birds are singing today

And the fields lush and green resplendent in their Nature's flowers

That have come to bloom in recent April showers

The dark brown water birds of breasts white as snow

The dippers are singing where river rapids flow

Distinctive in their metallic type song

By the waterways born and to the waterways they belong

On the high fields by the hills young lambs romp and play

On their mothers noursishing milk they grow stronger by the day

On far away fields when Summer is near

Spring is a beautiful time of the year

Above their home fields in the gray morning sky

The dark migratory swallows chirp as they does fly

On pursuit of flying insects home again to breed

In late Fall to migrate for their survival in them their natural need.

In the countryside far away in the prime of the Spring

In the leafy groves the nesting birds whistle and sing

The old fields are looking resplendent and green

And Nature at her very finest is seen.

Some People Never Learn

Time that brings change with it ticks along fast

But some people never learn from wars of the past 

This is what happens when egotistical leaders their privileges does abuse

And in the worst way their power do use

They do not realize for a war to be won

That many a mother must grieve for her dead son

Of their humanity their out of control ego does get in the way

Because of their loss of reason many good people with their lives does pay

When egotistical people win power on those who oppose them they impose their will

And their police and army without question obey their orders to kill

And when to the egotistical leaders power goes to their head

The families of their victims do grieve for their dead

To those who oppose them death and suffering they only does bring

But sadly so many their praises does sing.

Stress On The Human Mind

Stress on the human mind does take it's toll

But why worry about things beyond your control

Since worry is the source for mental stress

And only does give rise to unhappiness

Many stressed people live in every town

Feeling unhappy and mentally down

Sometimes small worries into big worries grow

Of people who worry few of wish to know

Carefree people make new friends every day

Since about them they do have a likeable way

Wherever they are joy is to be found

Since they carry it with them and share it around

They are the people others of wish to know

As they have in them the bright inner glow

Bound By Territory

You may look on all birds as the wild and free

But many species of them are bound by territory

Into their neighbours territory they never do stray

In their home territory their life time they does stay

Their songs and their calls is a threat display

To their neighbours from their territory to keep away

Due to destruction by humans of their natural habitat many species of territorial birds are becoming rare

Of which all of Nature lovers have become aware

Those who remove trees for land development to territorial birds a foe

They leave them open to predation and with nowhere to go

To the laws of Nature they does adhere

And of  their neigbours territory choose to stay clear

Though many look on them as the wild and free

Territorial birds are bound by territory.

A Similar Seed

All of us humans do come from a similar seed 

And Worldwide different races with each other do breed

That death makes us all equal is a truism indeed

And red is the blood we all shed when we bleed

No matter your skin colour black, white or brown

You are never an asset to your side of the town

If in your words or deeds you drag others down

You are one who is even unworthy of local renown

One can only admire those who practice and believe

In the wonderful gift of giving to receive

The best of people never among the admired

And to be of the famous have never desired

Whoever you are by your actions you can be an asset or a disgrace

To your nationality and to your race.

As Is Said Of Success

Success to each individual can be a relative thing

Though the praises of the wealthy and famous many do sing

Even many similar in thinking on what constitutes success disagree

It is how you look at it is how it seems to be

Many judge you favourably on the size of your home or your car

To them your worldly possessions show of how successful you are

Whilst others judge you favourably for the kindness and compassion to others you display

Each to their own thinking on this one can say

Among the wealthy and admired the humble are few

And this is not saying anything that is new

It was a wise person the one who first said

That praise is a thing that can go to one's head

Though the wealthy and famous many admire

And just to be like them in life their desire

Not everybody their praises does sing

As is said of success it can be a relative thing.

Where The Bass Waters Flow

Of life and it's ups and downs one who does know

The man from the place where the Bass waters flow

Dark and deep to the Pacific winding it's way

In Bunurong Country by night and by day

Though he has never had a long term partner or wife

He is one who has had many lovers in his life

But since in any one place he has had not a long stay

If he has fathered children he cannot say

He has worked on building sites in many a city and town

Or his travels in the big country up and down

In his late eighties his better days are in the distant past

In the home for the aged he will breathe his last

Far from where the Bass to the ocean is babbling along

In the flat coastal country of the Bunurong.

I Write Rhymes As A Hobby

I live as a stranger to wealth and to fame 

And i do not have achievements as such to my name

I write rhymes as a hobby without the rewards of pay

It is something i do enjoy doing every day

I never refer to myself as a poet

And i do not feel worthy of literary note

Just one who loves rhyming my sort are not few

And this is not saying anything that is new

There are people like me Worldwide in every village and city and town

Who write for enjoyment not for money or literary renown

I thoroughly enjoy rhyming in truth i can say

And if i stop enjoy doing it i will give it away

I hope to keep on writing until the day i do die

If i did say differently this would be a lie.

If Everyone Were Like Them

About war nothing good only about it what is wrong

And if you sing of war sing an anti war song

Like the people who march in the anti war parade

Of them sad to say heroes are never made

Yet if everyone were like them there would not be wars to fight

Though patriots dismiss them as of the not right

By nationalists and  patriots of anti war people nice things  never said

They dismiss as traitors those who do not honour the war dead

The war supposed to end all wars ended a century ago

And the enemy back then is no longer the foe

But more wars are being fought in the World every day

If everyone were an anti war person it would not be this way

For them The Last Post will never be played

But with them in the World hopes for peace does not fade

In wars only wrong and nothing that is right

But if everyone were anti war there would not be wars to fight.

Port Fairy In April

Port Fairy in April in the gloam of the day 

The silver gulls above Griffith Island are mewing in the twilight gray

The freshening breeze from the ocean in it hs a slight chill

And the black and white magpies with the silvery musical bill

Are warbling high on the park trees

Their distinctive music carrying in the breeze

In the park by the ocean every day of the year

The sharp caws of the little ravens one often does hear

And the ibis the white and the straw necked on the norfolk pine roost for the night

On the coastal wetalnds by day quite a common sight

With their long bills they probe for slugs and earth worms in the soft ground

In large flocks they always do seem to abound

A cool breeze from the ocean blowing after sundown

Of Port Fairy in April an old coastal Town.

Mummy's Boy

Nothing wrong with Big Billy though his nickname is Mummy's Boy

His family in his life is his source of joy

He is a big fellow broad shoudered and strong

But on his first date with Belinda he brought his mummy along

Belinda passed mum's approval as a wife for her son she gave her the okay

And Billy and Belinda are the proud parents of two young daughters today

They live with Billy's mum as one happy family

They are an example of family harmony

Billy's dad with his mum for long did not stay

He left her before Billy first saw light of day

From an early age on his mum he did depend

As well as his devoted mother she was his greatest friend

Luck it has always been in Billy's life

With a mother who loves him and a devoted wife.

Time On Your Life

Time on your life ever ticks away

And though you are not feeling that happy today

So many more doing it tougher than you in the town

Feeling quite unhappy and financially down

The people in the World nowadays are rare

Who can say they live free of any worry or care

They have become endangered Worldwide the carefree

So few truly happy is how it seems to be

Lack of money can give rise to low self esteem

Of unhappiness in many the main cause it does seem

The financially poor of their self worth live in doubt

They have little if anything to feel happy about

Life can be a battle as the wise one does say

And you are not alone on having a bad day.

Putin By His Decisions

Are the likes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos good for humanity not for me to say

As financial newsmakers their part they does play

Though far superior to the likes of Putin in every way

And he is in the news headlines every day

It will not matter to Putin if the war in Ukraine by Russia is lost or won

The price he will pay for the bad things his army and bombers to the people of Ukraine have done

By his murderous disciples towns and villages and cities in Ukraine have been destroyed

And because of him thousands of good Ukranians have become refugees or have died

So much suffering and cruelty one bad person with power can instigate

Though even for one like Putin it is never too late

To recall his army and end his bombing and bring this war to an end

That he is not the first or will not be the last despotic leader in the World on one can depend

Putin by his decisions to the people of Ukraine such bad things has done

His mother and his father in him did not raise a good son

Even the good people of Russia him will disown

For his future bad Karma such bad seeds he has sown.

Nature The One

It is all around you and it is all around me

The beauty in Nature we do not pay to see

And on our walks we learn from her every day

We never stop learning life works on this way

Nature's wonders are many and her secrets not few

And everyday of her we learn something new

So much about her that remains as unknown

One can say that she does have ways of her own

The one who helps Mother Earth grow a tree from a tiny seed

Of more human friends Nature is in need

Many of her flora and fauna join the endangered list every day

Due to human destruction of their natural habitat which is sad to say

From a tiny seed  she helps Mother Earth to grow a beautiful flower

Nature the one with the magical power.

One Of The Selfless

Sometimes a great person lives nearer than we does realize

She has never been shortlisted for any prize

Or not even seen to be worthy of local renown

Though she is the kindest person in the town

One can say of her the ordinary she does transcend

To many doing it tough in life she is a good friend

Of the needs of the financially down she is aware

People like she is have always been rare

For her kindness and generosity she never seeks money or any sort of fame

It is not her wish in life to become a great name

For her future good Karma she plants the good seed

Of more of her sort the Human World is in need

She is one of the selfless and her sort are few

And this is not saying anything that is new.

Laughing Jane

Wherever she is laughter does abound

She carries it with her and shares it around

Laughter is a great gift none ought to deny

Laughing Jane is the nickname that she is known by

Her children are the happiest young people in the town

Just like their mother never seen to be feeling down

Jane's spouse Jim is one who has little to say

But he always seems happy in his own quiet way

He says Jane she has brought joy to his life

He feels happy for to have her for his wife

Laughter it is such a wonderful thing

Wherever Jane is with her it she does bring

She is a person others of  wish to know

As she does have in her the bright inner glow.

Bill And Jenny

Bill the great grandfather divorced from Jenny his wife

She has a younger man by a few years in her life

You will not hear him say better days he has known

He is quite happy living on his own

Jenny walked out on him ten years ago 

She is happier nowadays with her partner Joe

She says Bill spends most of his time in the nearby pub 

Or playing bowls and drinking with his mates in the bowls club

Bill says he is far happier without her today

Since nice things to or about him she never did say

Happy at night watching sports on t v

And enjoying a beer in his own company

You will not hear him say of happier days he has known

He is contented living on his own.

Time Keeps On Ticking

Time keeps on ticking it never stands still

If some disease, illness or accident does not claim the life from you old age surely will

The Town's Rose of the sixties in her physical prime

Despite face lifts and hair dyes is showing the wear of time

It only lives as a myth the legend of Tir Na Nog

That was first brought to life by a lovable rogue

The praises of youthful beauty have often been sung

But the fact of our existence is nobody stays young

The town's former champion athlete is now walking slow

He used to be the one of every local did know

But going back the years this now seems long ago

And as is said of time it becomes everyone's foe

Time never stops it keeps ticking on

At the stroke of midnight today will have gone.

We Reap What We Sow

Something that should not be hard to believe

Those who willingly give can expect to receive 

Though Karma works in strange ways as many do know

There must be some truth on we reap what we sow

Those who perform good deeds every day

And on helping people in need of helping go out of their way

Without expecting recognition or money for pay

They will reap good Karma of them one can say

The good things for yourself that you choose to do

Does not tell us anything of the goodness in you

It is the selfless to their higher selves who are true

Though they never receive the credit they are due

It is those who help people of helping in need

For their future good Karma who plant the good seed

From poor seed a good crop never does grow

There is truth in the saying we reap what we sow.

Millstreet Has Not Left Me

It is said our life's journeys are part of our life's destiny

Though many with this do choose to disagree

The bigger World out there i went for to see

And i thought i had left Millstreet but Millstreet has not left me

The mental images of what was today i retain

Of faces and places i may not see again

Though i may never more see a Duhallow sunrise

The past comes to me when i visualize

On Duhallow and Sliabh Luachra and the countryside bordering Millstreet Town

Old Clara with the bracken face as ever looks down

And in fancy i walk in the fields to where the waterways meet

A few kilometres west of the Town of Millstreet

Just like the words of an old memorable song

Wherever you go to your past with you goes along

In every migrant from their first home living far away

Memories of the what was are in them today

Since i left Duhallow many Seasons ago

Time that ages all life has become my foe

I thought i had left Millstreet but Millstreet has not left me

I retain the mental images of the what used to be.

Due To Our Environmental Practices

The Earth that does feed us all with other creatures we are supposed to share

But due to our environmental practices many species of wildlife are becoming rare

Due to human greed for money more trees for removal being cut down

To make way for more buildings on the outskirts of every city and town

And due to this wildlife of their natural habitat are losing out

That this is a cause of their decrease in numbers there can be little doubt

In time we may not be distant from the first silent Spring

And this to contemplate on is a very sad thing

Future generations of Australians may not be privileged to see

A koala eating leaves on a manna gum tree

And further north in the Arctic the great white ice bear

With each passing Season becoming more rare

Due to human created Global Warming and the removal of trees

We are responsible for the decline in wildlife number in varying degrees.

April in The Northlands

The swallows have returned home for to breed for the Spring

And the wildborn nesting birds whistle and sing

And the cattle out of farmyard sheds from months of living on silage and hay

On nutritious young grass are gaining weight by the day

The fields lush and green resplendent in their Nature's flowers

Blooming in the sunshine after mild April showers

And the dippers are singing in the waterway

They will have their young for to feed in May

The migratory bird a nest parasite that is known for it's song

The cuckoo by it's voice cannot be got wrong

Her egg in the nest of a small bird she does lay

And cuckoo cuckoo is all it has to say

Four hungry fox cubs outside of their den

Feasting on a gift from their mother a well fed hen

That in a nearby backyard she did kill

Free range fowl owners wish on every fox ill

With Summer approaching and warmer days near

April in the Northlands is a nice time of year

The wildborn nesting birds whistle and sing

Nature to April such beauty does bring.

Live And Let Live

Live and let live as a truism remain

The meaning in this it's own self does explain

To your own higher self try to live true

By paying to all others the respect they are due

Those who find pleasure on putting others down

Are not the most popular people in any town

On their thinking they are to say the least quite small

Since they do not believe on a fair go for all

Those who live honourable lives do give to receive

And on a fair go for everybody does believe

You do not make a better World to live in

By your personal achievements or the honours for youself you do win

But the good things for others that you choose to do

Says of the good in the one that is you.

Change For The Better

The one without friends is the one without foes

There is some truth in this one has to suppose

And the enemy of your enemy can become your friend

Since similarities breed friendships why otherwise pretend

People with each other play politics every day

And mind games are a thing many does like to play

In a World where for one to win big many does have to lose

The reason losing is a thing that anyone does not choose

But having this said in truth one can say

Your financial luck can change in a day

Yesterday you felt sad and was financially down

And today you are the happiest person in the town

An overnight lotto win has made you an instant millionaire

That your life can change for the better in a day you have become aware.

It Is The Good Things For Others

It is not the honours and medals and prizes you win

That helps make a better World for to live in

It is the good things for others that you choose to do

That tells of the good that is living in you

By performing a good deed or two every day

For a better World to live in your part you does play

You are not a person of great wealth and fame

That by many is admired and known to by name

But by being kind to the financially down

Who are doing it tough on your side of the town

To humanity you are a far better friend

Than most millionaires are why otherwise pretend

Since what you do for others as a person says more about you

Than anything for yourself that you choose to do.

On Long Billed Corellas

Within their range birds one often does see

White members of the cockatoo family

With long hooked thin bill and red feathers on  their face

Mostly non migratory they live their lives in one place

Often kept in aviaries they are not hard birds to tame

Long billed corella is their common name

The female lay white eggs of two or three

In cavity high in trunk of old growth tree

In flocks in large numbers they do abound

Often seen searching for bulbs and seeds and roots on the ground

To town parks and grain crops damage often by them done

And because of  this some enemies for themselves they have won

High on the trees in large flocks quite noisy before roosting at night

Within their range they are a common sight.

In Case You Get Me Wrong

A good education is quite beneficial to anyone in case you get me wrong

But i know a highly educated man and he cannot differentiate between a crow and a currawong

He tried to convince me that a currawong is a species of crow

On doing so of Nature so little he seem to know

A man who has more than one university degree

Far more educated than a fellow like me

But of Nature he knows little and as the wise one does say

That education and general knowledge are different in every way

That a currawong is a species of crow he is convinced he is right

This is saying that day is not different to night

It is obvious that Nature was not a subject of any of his degrees

And his university education did not involve wildlife and trees

Education and knowledge are different is how it seems to be

Though many on this may well disagree.

That Love Is A Great Gift

That love is a great gift none ought to deny

To them drop food not bombs from the sky

The fear of death does not win you a friend

Only hatred and mistrust why otherwise pretend

You cannot make them love you by murdering their family

By doing this you make them a lifetime enemy

Them you will never conquer by fear

That only acts of love win you friends is obviously clear

How can they love you when because of you their family and friends are dead

Do not drop bombs on them drop food instead

Show them love they will love you in return

How can they love you if their homes you bomb and burn

That love is a great gift none ought to deny

To them drop food not bombs from the sky.

Death Is For Heroes

The hero is dead the coward living today

And enjoying the good life in a Land far away

He felt no desire for a heroic death

His only fight will be for his life's final breath

With two happy and healthy young daugthers and a beautiful wife

He acted wisely when instead of death he choose life

His name will never be on a memorial wall

But this does not bother him one bit at all

Had he stood and fought he now too would be dead

He choose the right option the battle he fled

Death is for heroes is not based on a lie

But those who love life feel no wish for to die

From the battle he fled in distance far away

In the park playground he and his wife watch their children at play.

Of Nature Every Day

Of Nature every day new things to learn of and beauty to see

She is a great teacher and her lessons are free 

And the more we learn of her the more we come to realize

That of her we know little this not a surprise

Nature is one who has ways of her own

And so much about her remains as unknown

Learning of her flora and fauna such joy to the learner does bring

But there is more to the bird than the song it does sing

It is a sad thought of to be aware

That many of Nature's creatures are becoming rare

The Earth and Nature are suffering due to human greed

And of more human friends they are in need

Of Nature we learn something new every day

We never stop learning life works on this way.

A Warm April Day In The Moyne Shire

For mid Autumn and mid April quite a warm day

In the sunny blue sky just a few clouds of gray

Quite exceptional fine weather for the time of year

For the coastal Moyne Shire with Winter so near

Above the dry brown paddocks chirping as they fly

Chasing flying insects in the sunny sky

The dark welcome swallows who travel far and wide

On their migratory ways across the big countryside

The brown and dry paddocks in need of some rain

And not one drop of water in any roadside drain

But according to the weather forecasters rain to the Moyne Shire is near

News that the farmers and gardeners are happy to hear

A warm day in April well over twenty degrees

With the magpies warbling on the sunlit tall trees.

The Girls And Boys I Went To School With

The girls and boys i went to school with going back in time many a day

Most of them i have not seen for years and only memories with me stay

Of my first home from here even by the shortest route far north and far away

That the past lives in us as a memory is only true to say

We enjoyed our childhood innocence playing the games that children play

But as Longfellow the poet once wrote It Is Not Always May

And all we have are memories of the long ago

Of our childhood innocence and fun long before time became our foe

The girls and boys i went to school with like me young did not stay

Some of them forever are where the deceased does lay

And some of them like me migrated and are showing the wear of time

The years seem to go by quickly beyond our physical prime

The girls and boys i went to school with remain young in my memory

Perhaps i would not recognize them now if in the flesh them i did see

I only have mental images of them to retain

And as they looked as children in me they do remain.

Iceland

Iceland a nice Country to live in i have read of and been told

And Icelandic people are generally happy and live to grow old 

To live there for most of the year it would be quite cold

But in Spring and Summer great natural beauty there for to behold

That Iceland does not have much native fauna does seem hard to understand

Apart from the Arctic fox  most of it's fauna has been introduced to the far northern Land

But from internet images of it in Summer it's landscape has a beauty that is rare

A natural beauty that with anywhere can favourably compare

As time on my side and money are no longer with me

Perhaps Iceland i never will visit to see

And that with money speaks every language one has to agree

We can only daydream of for us what might be

But if Iceland is a destination in your travel plan

Even in Summer there you will not get a suntan.

There Are Always A Few

You may be among the best liked of the town

But always a few to put you verbally down

The wisdom of a wise one worthy of recall

You may well win many but you won't win them all

You may win many but not all in life one does suppose

The most popular of people are not without foes

You may be one who makes new friends every day

But not everyone of you does have nice things to say

Similar dislikes bring people together why otherwise pretend

The enemy of your enemy may become your friend

The perfect person not been born yet is not saying what is new

And those true to their higher selves are of the few

Though you are among the most popular and best liked in the town

There are always a few to verbally put you down.

The Limousin Bull

He bellows all night when there's a full moon in the sky

The brown limousin bull in the paddock to where i live nearby

That the moon does affect him in some way seems hard to deny

Why this has to be one does wonder why

I have yet to hear him utter a sound 

On a moonless night when darkness cover the ground

But he behaves very differently when the moon is full

He becomes a very agitated bull

I have yet to hear him bellow by day

Among his herd of  cows he has nothing to say

The moon does affect him in some sort of a way

On his change of mood some part it does play

At most times he is quite an easy going bull

He only does bellow when the moon is full. 

The Rhymers

Like all others the rhymers eventually do run out of  time

But for as long as they never run out of rhyme

And no shortage of subject material for rhymers to write rhymes about

Though as poets by the literary critics rhymers are counted out

Worldwide there are rhymers in every village and city and town

And few of them ever transcend the local renown

But true rhymers love rhyming and to give them their due

To the writing of rhyme they remain ever true

Rhymers with rhyming words do love to play

And they add to their numbers of rhymes every day

To celebrate a big victory of their town's football club

The rhymers recite their rhymes in their local pub

To a loud encore and a rousing hooray

They add to the joy of a glorious day.

That Wisdom Comes With Age

That wisdom comes with age to doubt does give rise

I know this old bloke and he is far from wise

He wears a brown hair wig to cloak his silver gray

In the park he walks hand in hand with one fifty years younger than he is today

To marry again he is legally free

To be with the young beauty he has divorced his wife number three

Twenty years younger than he is but financially she has done okay

As a divorce settlement some of his multi million fortune to her he did pay

An octogenarian great grandfather well past his physical prime

He believes that he has found his soulmate this time

That she does not love him he does not realize

She will only marry him for his money is not a surprise

Quite naive for his age for to give him his due

That wisdom comes with age is not always true.

Had He Lived In The Now

Live in the now and the now is today

Tomorrow will dawn and time does tick away

The future ahead and the past a memory

Of what was for you in the what used to be

To time our master we eventually must bow

And the now is all that does matter for we live in the now

Can anyone say what tomorrow for them will bring

In life there is no such as a certain thing

This morning he woke for to greet a new day

But as he drove to work along the highway

Overtaking a slow car with an oncoming truck he did collide

And in his squashed car he instantly died

He was daydreaming of wealth and fame in the years ahead

Had he lived in the now he may not be dead.

I Was Of The Place

I was of the place where Finnow does flow

In fields where the rushes in clusters do grow

To the Blackwater by night and by day

Onwards to saltwater babbling on it's way

It was my yearn for travel that lured me far south

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

I have not seen the mountains of Duhallow and Sliabh Luachra for thirty five years

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

I was of the place where the hawthorns in May 

Were covered in blossoms of pale white to gray

And the fields lush and green resplendent in Nature's flowers

Blooming in the sunshine after recent showers

I was of the fields that often in the morning of a Winter's day

From overnight frost were looking quite gray

But this is going back thirty five years or so

And in any human life does seem long ago.

Of The Praises Of Death

Of the praises of death you will not hear anyone sing

But equality to humanity it never fails to bring

It does not respect those of great wealth and fame

The billionaire and the pauper it treats as the same

This morning  many did not wake to see daylight

Death stole the life from them like a thief in the night

Death every day Worldwide visits every village and city and town

And does not differentiate between black, white and brown

Mortality for human beings is based on a lie

Like all other life forms we are born to die

Death is not ageist or racist in any sort of a way

It claims the lives of people Worldwide every day

The heroes the villians the brave and the bold

The wealthy and famous and the young and the old.

I Am One Of Those People

I am one of those people who enjoy writing rhyme

It is something i have been doing for a long time

Without the rewards of money or any sort of fame

A rhymer never does become a great literary name

Since i feel as one unworthy of literary note

I never refer to myself as a poet

I add to my numbers of rhymes every day

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

I used to like reading rhymes as a young boy

And writing them nowadays i thoroughly enjoy

In my mid seventies my best years long gone

But for as long as i can do i will keep rhyming on

I wrote my first rhymes forty nine years ago

And since time that ages has become my foe.

Far From Where The Capercaillie Live

An ageing migrant from the wooded far north west countryside

In more than six decades of travelling  he has travelled far and wide

He has lived and worked in many Countries since he was nineteen

A lot of the World he is one who has seen

Where the capercaillie live by the spruce woods far away

On a cold morning in October he first saw light of day

For one in his eighties his memory serves him well

Of his boyhood lived close to Nature he has many great stories to tell

As a boy the big dark blue male capercaillie he often did see

Displaying on their leks it lives in his memory

With tail raised and outspread and head raised making a clicking sort of sound

In a clearing in the wood with conifers all around

The much smaller female of mottled gray

Watched as the male performed his courtship display

After mating in a scrape on the ground her pale dark dotted eggs she did lay

Good memories live on as the wise one does say

Good memories of his boyhood close to Nature in him does remain

Though the home of the conifers he may not see again

As is said of youth with anyone it does not have a long stay

Far from where the capercaillie live he is showing his years in gray.

On Laughter

Laugh and the World laughs with you as a truism remain

The meaning in this it's own self does explain

For laughter to hear is a beautiful sound

And the one who is laughing does share joy around

Those who have laughter in them others wish of to know

Since they are blessed of the bright inner glow

They do not gain new friends the sad sacks of the town

With unsmiling faces and feeling mentally down

Of the praises of laughter one does have to sing

Joy with it to others it never fails to bring

Those who have laughter of joy sows the seed

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

That laughter is a great gift happens to be true

And when you are laughing none happier than you. 

Why Should I Care

They are nice to me because of my vote of this i am aware

But of who wins the  election why should i care

The major political parties i never promote

And for them to govern i never cast my vote

They talk of jobs and more jobs at an environmental cost

Because of them how many more trees to the Country will be lost

The abuse of our Earth is to all of our shame

Future generations of people will have us to blame

For the damaged Earth they inherit from us that enough food to feed them cannot grow

Sadly it is they who may pay for the bad Karma we sow

So many beautiful creatures future generations of people may never see

Like a koala eating leaves on a manna gum tree

So why should i vote for those who try to destroy

The beauty every day that brings me so much joy?

I Want To Live On

Three score and ten years the average lifetime span

I am five years with that which makes me an old man

But i am feeling healthy and have no wish to die

If i did tell you differently this would be a lie

I cannot boast of material success

And others i feel no desire to impress

Being looked on as a failure does not cause me any mental duress

Since i have the greatest gift anyone does possess

And this is life the greatest gift of all

That came to us in our mother's womb before we learned how to crawl

A gift with money that cannot be bought 

And eventually will be lost to everyone though hard to keep it many have fought

And if there is an afterlife for the soul i will not be where angels dwell

Since in my Earthly life i was not devout or done financially well

And i wasted my time on penning doggerel

My forever home will be a place known as hell

What i receive from life is my due i suppose

And like most with few friends i do not have many foes

My best physical years in the forever gone

But i do love life and i want to live on.

Not Hard To Believe

Though wealthy financially poor in another way

Since loyal to money they does choose to stay

They live for self only and do not believe

In the theory of give for to receive

Spiritually poor the multi millionaire

Who with others any of their fortune refuse to share

Wealthy in material ways but of mind poverty

Of their captor greed they will never be free

There is more to living a life than being one of the wealthy of the town

Though it is better to be wealthy and unhappy than being unhappy and financially down

Though the praises of money many people does sing

It is quite important but it is not everything

But the happy millionaire gives to receive

The truth in this is not hard to believe.

Wolverines

A creature in the flesh i have never seen

A strong and a ferocious animal known as the wolverine

Of the carnivorous mustelidae family

Elusive and fearless and known for their ferocity

The size of a large dog mostly dark brown and gray

Mostly scavengers though they too hunt for prey

Fearless for their size they have a killer bite

They does have a voracious appetite

Related to badgers and otters and stoats one of the weasel family

In the cold regions of the World they defend their territory

For their size among the ferocious they do seem to be

Of the creatures of the wild and the free

With long hairy coats they live in Countries where the cold winds blow

And feel at home among the ice and snow.

Not A Quitter

The only thing they have to live for is hope

Of better times the people struggling to cope

Of living life from day to day

On trying to support a family on low take home pay

The financial cost of living rising but for them no pay rise

When they ask the boss for a pay rise the answer not a surprise

Profit margins are low we are one of the businesses doing it financially tough in the town

If we have to give any of our employees a pay rise we may as well close business down

To supplement the household income your partner does work part time

With a home mortgage to pay and you past your physical prime

And the financial upkeep of  your two primary school going daughters and your autistic son

On coping with the problems you have better anyone could not have done

Life can be hard for those doing it financially tough

When the best that you do for you does not seem good enough

And though you are financially down you refuse to be counted out

That you are not a quitter you leave none in doubt.

She Is A Great Teacher

She is a great teacher in truth one can say

And from Nature we learn something new every day

And the more we learn of her the more we realize

That of her we know little this is not a surprise

Most of those who on environmental science have university degrees

And such knowledge does not grow on bushes and trees

Will tell you on Nature they will never know everything

Though the praises of knowledge one should feel happy to sing

Her wonders are many and her secrets not few 

And every day opf her we learn something new

All things about Nature by any human being will never be known

She is one who does have ways of her own

Nature she is a great teacher indeed

And of more human friends she is of in need.

Everybody Has A Life Story

The poorest of people judged by the judgmental as the never do well

Of their lives do have their own stories to tell

As much as the wealthy and famous people do

This is how i do see it however about you

But sadly as the forgotten they do grow old

And their stories in book form will never be told

That money speaks every language only true to say

But in a fair Human World it would not be this way

That all people are equal is based on a lie

Though the  rich and the poor become equal on the day they do die

That death is the equalizer as a truism remain

The meaning in this it's own self does explain

Everybody has a life story but the story of the poor will never be told

And if they live long enough they become the forgotten old.

In The Migrants

In the migrants only the memories of what was for them remain

Of faces and places they may not see again

On the old street they often did walk up and down

When they were younger in their first hometown

Where to many they would be a stranger today

One passing through from a place far away

Some they grew up with in the hometown did not stay

And some where the deceased are for ever do lay

All we have to retain are memories of the past

On looking back the Seasons time seems to go fast

At the stroke of midnight the past will be today

And that nobody grows younger only true to say

Some they grew up with in the hometown growing old

Happy ageing at home  though stories of adventure by them never told

In their visualizations mental images of the past they retain

That in moments of nostalgia they visit again

The migrants remember the what used to be

And the faces and places they may never more see

Their yearn for adventure took them to elsewhere

To live and grow old in the big World out there.

You Can Only Live To Be

You can only live to be the best person that you can be

True kindness does have it's source in empathy

There is more to living than for the me

Though many with this may not choose to agree

Karma will reward you for the good things for others you do

As a person your generosity of spirit says more about you

Than the good things you do for yourself does one need to explain

That when you help one in need of helping satisfaction is your gain

The praises of generosity feel happy to sing

A sense of satisfaction for the giver can be a joyful thing

For to live as a good person you must give to receive

This is something that should not be hard to believe

To take and take for your own benefit and in return nothing give

For anyone is not a good way to live.

Lisnaboy In Summer

The good memories remain in me as a source for joy

Of Summer in my uncle Dan and aunt Mary's farm in Lisnaboy

In unsettled weather in the meadows we crowered the recent grass mowed for hay

Good memories a lifetime does tend to stay

Young birds were chirping on many a bush and tree

And Nature's green beauty was everywhere for to see

Lisnaboy in Summer has a natural beauty that is rare

With the finest i have seen it does compare

In Cullen Cemetery Dan and Mary's bones lay

And i would feel a stranger in Lisnaboy today

From green old Duhallow i live far away

And only the good memories of what was with me stay

Of Lisnaboy in Summer of the long ago

Long before time it did become my foe.

Those Who Look For Beauty

Those who look for beauty only beauty does see

At least anyway this is how it seems to be

Above the petty judgments of others they always does rise

Of the Human World they are the non judgmental and wise

Their names you will not see on any memorial wall

Since being of the admired does not interest them at all

They never do play the games of us and they

If they have nothing nice to say of you nothing of you they does say

They are the people who of seem to know

That in life we do reap the Karma we sow

To their higher selves they try to live as true

And credit for this is surely their due

Beauty they only look for and beauty they does see

They have what it takes to be non judgmental would you not agree?

It Is Only Saying Something

It is only saying something that most of are aware

That true poets today in the World are rare

Though many refer to themselves as a poet

The literary critics only rate a few as worthy of note

Yes the poets in the flesh in the World are few

And this is not saying anything that is new

Though those who claim themselves to be poets are in every town

They never does transcend the local renown

Worldwide recognition it never does bring

To those their own praises who does love to sing

The well paid literary critics does have a big say

On the literary careers of those they consider as good writers today

Though many claim for themselves the title of poet

Few does become worthy of literary note.

For To Battle The Odds

Born into life for to battle the odds

They are the people of the lesser gods

Homeless as teenagers their parents in jail

It seems hard to succeed for those born to fail

Condemned by life due to birth circumstance

Their sort of success does stand little chance

Any luck in life it is not on their side

Many of them will end their lives in suicide

About most people it seems true to say

That the parents who brought them to life have a huge part to play

Of what sort of future of their children lay ahead

Of people homeless as children who lead succcessful lives so few stories to be read

The parents who gave you life you would not choose

If by your circumstance of birth you are born to lose.

I Just Wish To Live

I just wish to live for as long as i can live and die without pain as a very old man

Since the longest lived human life in real time is not a long span

And since i do not have a god to kneel to for to pray

I hope that i will not die for many a day

Though i am many Seasons past my physical prime

And i am one who has become a victim of time

I feel grateful to wake to greet every new day i live to see

And hear the birds singing and chirping on every nearby bush and tree

As the greatest gift we possess life is such a wonderful thing

And of it's praises i always feel happy to sing

Without life in me this rhyme i could not write

For to post to an internet literary site

Life is the greatest gift anyone does possess

Far greater than any other form of success.

The Ugliness And Brutality

The ugliness and brutality of war in the news every day

Of the Russian soldiers crimes on Ukranian civilians what can any sane person say

Except that they are worse than brutal a blot on humanity

What has been happening in Ukraine is worse than brutality

The murder and raping of civilians to war is nothing new

The wars free of atrocities to say the least are few

Rusians like all other Nationalities are mostly good people it is their government and army is to blame

For the deaths and brutalizing of Ukranian civilians in awful acts of shame

To war that creates heroes there is a darker side

What is happening in Ukraine has happened almost Worldwide

Of the Russian war on Ukraine few good stories to tell

Many Ukranian people have been living in Earthly Hell

For those who commit war atrocities there is a price to pay

If the law does not catch up with them Karma will one day

For Your Best Friend

For your best friend do not search in your own kind

Unrequited love in humans you will not find

Get yourself a dog in her or him you will find a true friend

One who will love you until their life's end

For a good feed and a walk and a few kind words every day

Your dog as your true friend it's lifetime will stay

You are a god in your dog's eyes

That you are a flawed human being it does not realize

Your dog loves you for who you are not what she or he wishes you to be

And only true greatness in you does see

Human friendship has a price on it why otherwise pretend

But than your dog you do not have a truer friend

A loyalty and love for you do not have to pay

For it's lifetime your dog as your best friend will stay.

On Peewees

Peewee peewee peewee is all they have to say

These medium sized black and white birds that are seen every day

Known as magpie larks or mudlarks and known to many as peewee

They are birds one does often hear and very often see

Though similar in colour the male from the female not hard to differentiate

He has more dark under his throat than his white under the throat mate

They build a cup shaped nest of mud high on fork of branch of tree

Where the female lay pale pink blotched eggs of four or five or three

Their heads seem ever bobbing as they walk around

Searching for tiny insects that they find on the ground

As the male does call out peewee his wings he always raise

The habits of the wild creatures of Nature never cease to amaze

Magpie larks are familiar birds to people of Australia wide

In city and town parks and gardens and paddocks and backyards of the countryside

Familiar in appearance and their peewee song

Birds from once seen and once heard you never again do get wrong.

We All Need Some Ego

We all need some ego for to survive

It is in us to create life in our sexual drive

It is in us a lifetime like an unquenchable fire

The ego it is in our every desire

And nothing worse than an ego that is out of control

On the gentler human feelings it does take it's toll

In narcissism, self centeredness, attention seeking and greed

The swelling egos of all of these is in need

Even the kindest of people some ego possess

Though in comparison to many of it they have less

That those who lose their fear of death lose most of their ego some credence is due

Though it seems hard to say if this is true

Only know we all need some ego in the World to survive

Even in the humblest of people it is alive.

Belinda And Sue

Children to their feelings more so than adults are true

Young Belinda loves her white rabbit Sue

When she leaves her out of her cage she never leaves her out of her sight

And she keeps her indoors and safe from danger at night

Last year she grieved for her black rabbit Bill

That the big ginger moggy next door did kill

The cat knows that he is permanently barred

From ever again entering her yard

Six months ago Sue was a present for her seventh birthday from her mum and her dad

She says the best present she has ever had

She grieved for her pet Bill who had a violent premature end

And every evening she hurries from school to play with her new furry friend

Such is the love of Belinda for Sue

Children than adults to their feelings more true.

Because Of Our Greed

Of the wealthy and admired of the World of today

Many of the future generations of people will not have nice things to say

Since for our sins against Mother Earth the price they may pay

In famines due to Earth damage by us life can work on this way

When me and people of my generation back to Earth have long gone

Life on this Planet that feeds us will surely go on

But from damage by twenty and twenty first century human beings the Earth to recover from it will be slow

This is something that many of are coming to know

Less wildlife for future generations of people to see

A sad thing to contemplate is how it seems to be

By future generations the admired of today will be looked on as the environmental criminals of the past

Due to Global Warming as a result of human greed the climate is changing fast

The Earth that does feed us of more friends is in need

And it seems sad to think that future generations may suffer because of our greed.

The More Perfect One

No shortage of opinionated people for i am one too

Never said i was anywhere near to perfect whatever about you?

Who likes to proclaim yourself one of the wisest of the town

Yet wise people verbally never put anyone down

One of the town's wisest people is not one of the old dears

She is in her mid thirties and quite wise for her years

Of anyone negative things she never does say

She keeps her opinions to herself to be judgmental is not her way

She does not have many friends but she does not have foes

People like her not amongst the admired one has to suppose

She is one i happen to greatly admire

And to live as a better person me she does inspire

That she is not perfect is not stating a lie

But she is less imperfect than you or i.

April In Millstreet

Just west of the Duhallow Town of Millstreet

In the green  countryside where the waterways meet

In view of the mountains from here far away

The wildborn nesting birds singing today

The old fields resplendent in their April flowers

That have come to bloom in the recent Spring showers

April in Millstreet is a nice time of year

The countryside green and the Summer days near

The dark brown river bird dipper of breast white as snow

Is singing where Finnow to the Blackwater flow

The dark migratory swallows home from Lands far away

Will have young in the nest for to feed in May

In April in Millstreet the fields looking green

And Nature at her finest is to be seen.

An Advisor

 She said to me why do you write every day

Without recognition or the reward of pay

If i told her it is something i enjoy doing she would not comprehend

Just one of many to me who could not be a friend

One of those who with others who for material success compete

An acquaintance of mine that i do not often meet

Her unsolicited advice i never ask for or need

Of her type one can say no shortage indeed

And everytime we meet her advice to me is the same

Since in rhyming for you there is no money or fame

With words why do you even bother to play

It is about time that you gave doggerelizing away

Meeting her never brings joy to my day

But at least for her advice i do not have to pay.

An April Day In the Southwest

Though the sun behind gray clouds is hiding away 

For April and Autumn quite a typical day

Not warm or cold around eighteen degrees

With only a very slight cool coastal breeze

Blowing up the hill from the saltwater bay

Above the dry paddocks of tall stringy grass the colour of hay

Not everyone like long spells of dry weather in truth one can say

The farmers and gardeners for rain do pray

The long range weather forecast for the southwest is mostly dry

But having this said one does wonder why

In eastern Australia flooding is rife

With huge flood damage to property as well as loss of life

That the weather of late has been acting so strange

May well have something to do with Climate Change.

On Mother Earth's Friends And Foes

Of our dependence on Mother Earth who feeds us all too few seem aware

It does seem sad to think that her friends are so rare

We take and take from her and in return to her little give

Yet she grows the food on we depend on to live

What we do to our Earth Mother to our own selves we do

This is how i feel about it whatever about you

Yet sad to think out of those who are true friends of her's heroes are never made

For their sort there is never a street parade

And their names never appear on a memorial wall

The people who love the one who feeds all

Of humanity including all other life forms whilst so many admire

Those who become wealthy from stealing from the Earth's treasures and never seem to tire

Of singing their praises a sad reflection indeed

On those who admire people who steal from the Earth to satisfy their greed.

In Illowa In April

The weather at times sunny but on the side of cool

In April in Illowa near the City of  Warrnambool

Deciduous trees shedding their leaves near the prime of  the Fall

And for the time of year the weather mild overall

Once home to the tribe known as the Peek Wurrong

To unwritten pre history their stories belong

On warm sunny evenings in Tower Hill in the shade of the trees

Many decades ago they had their corroborees

Today in Illowa you may hear the calls of a yellow tailed black cockatoo

But never the drone of a didgeridoo

In the dry coastal countryside near Koroit Town

The paddocks a few weeks ago looking stringy and brown

In the cooler damper weather some green showing today

A sign that Winter from Illowa is not far away.

Nobody Grows Younger

Only the memories of the past you retain

And though you do wish you were younger again

In memory you only can go back in time

To your physical best years in your life's prime

Nobody grows younger in truth one can say

The baby is ageing that was born yesterday

It is just a myth the legend of  Tir Na Nog

That was brought to life by a lovable rogue

Immortality for us human beings is based on a lie

One fact of our existence is we eventually die

Of the praises of life many feel happy to sing

But to grow old and die is a natural thing

In life every day we do turn a new page

And nobody ever grows younger with age.

Agnostic Joe

You ask Joe about religion he says i only know

That this one known as Jesus must have had the inner glow

For to walk on the waves of Galilee

But was he the son of god ask one other than me

And as for Mohammed of him what can i say

Though millions of his followers to him do regularly pray

But is he a true god this i have thought about

Though any of his believers on this does not harbour one doubt

And as for the Buddha with believers Worldwide

That buddism is the only form of religion a belief they do not hide

When asked is Buddha a god their answer is always yes

But Joe on the existence of a god is one hard to impress

For he is known to many as Agnostic Joe

When asked of the existence of god he says i do not know to say so

If billions of people Worldwide believe in a god with me this is fine

But what they believe in is no business of mine

Joe says any deceased person i have known has not come back to me to tell

Of the existence of a god or of a heaven or a hell

Joe is an agnostic who believes nothing on god he hears of  and on only what he does see

On his thinking he is different to most is how it seems to be.

In The Age Of The Celebrity

In the twenty twenties of the twenty first century

We are in the age of the celebrity

In sports, politics and entertainment we read of and hear of every day

Of those known to be successful in quite a big way

Money and admiration in the celebrities cause egos to swell

Too much praise can go to the head of the praised one as we all know too well

Since so many of singing their praises never seem to grow tired

It must be hard to remain humble for the greatly admired

It is hard to remain humble for the one with a famous name

Since the ego does find it hard to cope with fame

When praise goes to the head it is not good for the soul

And the ego when swollen on the gentler human feelings take toll

We are in the age of the celebrity in the twenty first century

But too much praise is not good for the ego is how it seems to be.

You May Think You Are

You may think you are the best at what you do

But remember there may be one better than you

And  this person  from you may not be far away

Greatness can be relative as some like to say

You may be the best at what you do in the town

But this is no claim to widespread renown

The one who in reality happens to be the best

Is the one who is arguably better than all of the rest

Though for  one as good as you one might have to travel far

Just because you say you are the best does not mean that you are

That self praise is no praise as a truism remain

The meaning in this it's own self does explain

You say you are best but some on this with you disagree

It can be relative is how it seems to be.

Based On A Lie

Immortality for us human beings is based on a lie

We are born into life to eventually die

Each day we do live is one nearer to our last day

And on how long we live is not for us to say

The longest lived human life just a few years with a century

In real time not that long would you not agree

Three score and ten years the average human life span

With a few years more for a woman than it is for a man

Life is the greatest gift that anyone does possess

Far greater than any other form of success

Though their praises many may happily sing

Those who lose their gift of life do lose everything

That we are born to mortality is not a lie

And the longer we live the sooner we will die.

No Business Of Mine

What others think of me is no business of mine

Since this is their business and this suits me fine

To criticize others though not a crime

People could have better to do with their time

Than verbally putting other people down

The unpaid judgmental are in every town

It is not saying anything in any way that is new

That their sort of people are not in the few

It is only of few people nice things they say

Though for their judgments on others they never receive any pay

Since the rules of a fair go they do not go by

Live and let live to them does not apply

Of so few people they do have nice things to say

They are not learning from life something new every day.

Like A Game Of Football

Life in some ways is like a game of football

The winners are those who does take all

Of the adulation as well as the praise

The losers can only hope for better days

The winners are those who do celebrate

The losers tonight will not party until late

It is a World for winners only true to say

This is how it is and will always be this way

There are winners and losers in every town

The losers are sad faced and feeling down

And though losing is a thing anyone does not choose

For one to win big many does have to lose

Life is for winners like a game of football

Of the praise and the glory they do take all.

Home Is where

The saying of home is where the heart is some credence is due

But home is where you now live happens to be true

I have seen migrants close to tears for their first homeplace far away

Though where they now live is their home most of them does say

Those with the wanderlust in them in one town never stay

To grow old as travellers is in their d n a

They are happy when driving to the next town along the highway

Many people are happy to live in one place

Where theirs to everyone is a well known face

The tag of the stay at home people they are known by

Their great love of their only homeplace they would never deny

They will never grow old under a foreign sky

Home is where the heart is to their sort apply

Some woul;d never leave their hometown for to live elsewhere

Whilst others are content when travelling in the big World out there.

Not Everything

She or he may be one of great wealth and fame

To many people Worldwide a known and familiar name

As a person of power and influence a multi billionaire

But perhaps one with a mind that is burdened by care

As many wealthy and famous people are

Happiness seldom comes with a grand new home and brand new expensive model of car

Since the praises of money many people may sing

It is quite important but is not everything

One of the known wealthy people of the town

Whose fame did transcend the local renown

In her mid forties recently died

As a victim of unhappiness in the act of suicide

Leaving a husband and two daughters in their late teens her passing to grieve

Of life she decided to take permanent leave.

For Many Today

Though many of their imminent end may not realize 

This morning for many will be their last sunrise

Many of those very ill in a hospital bed

Of living time may have many days ahead

Some young people in good health may be in their life's final day

Since death is not ageist only true to say

They woke up this morning not expecting to die

But that death comes when least expected is not a lie

Many the young girl and boy and young woman and man

For a bright future with a great plan

By death has been deprived of their of any future success

Of life the greatest gift that they did possess

At times death it can come unexpected and fast

For many today it will be their last.

How Great This Would Be

If everybody lived by the law and minded their own business how great this would be

Trust and harmony between people would abound would you not agree

And love and peace it would reign in Countries Worldwide

And dreams by war and greed would not be destroyed

But sadly humanity is not designed on this way

In the news and in newspapers we hear of and read of  war crimes every day

For our crimes and our sins always some price to pay

There are none of us perfect in truth one can say

The very thought of Heaven on Earth is such a beautiful thing

And of the praises of dreamers one only can sing

Sadly the dream of a perfect Human World to live in will never come true

Suppose perfection will never be humanity's due

But in a Human World where once good friends often does become foes

For the betterment of humanity to dream no harm in one would suppose.

Young Rose Of The Town

Though quite attractive down to earth without any guile

And she does possess such a beautiful smile

Dark wavy hair to her shoulders and eyes of light brown

The unassuming young Rose of the town

My face full of time wrinklles the hair on my balding head gray

But with a big smile she always bids me good day

Young and old she treats as the same which of her does say

That she is not ageist in any sort of a way 

A close friend of her's has told me of late

That she has her visa and is soon to migrate

To a distant city in a distant Land

Her youthful yearn for adventure should not be hard to understand

Since she is in her early twenties and the fact does remain

That her loss to the town will become some big city's gain.

I Should Not Have The Right

I should not have the right for to begrudge

As well as not the right to be anyone's judge

But i do begrudge and judge just the same

And on my lack of success others tend to blame

I should not have the right between people to differentiate

But since i have been doing some mind searching of late

I have come to realize that i possess this flaw

Though this does not define me as an outlaw

I should not have the right others to criticize

But having said this i have come to realize

That i am not in any way self assuming or wise

And for being non critical i would never win a prize

I should not have the right about my life to complain

Since i live in good health without any physical pain

But few human beings can rise above the ordinary

And one of the few does not include me

I should not have the right to verbally put anyone down

But i am not one of the few non judgmental of the town

When i look for flaws in others the flaws i do see

Also happen to be he flaws that are in me.

The Greatest Gift

You may be regretting your lack of material success

But you have the greatest gift that anyone can possess

And this is life the gift that is beyond compare

This is something of everyone are of aware

Though you may never make the wealthy people's list

Without life you would not even exist

Which makes life by far the greatest gift of them all

All other gifts to it to say the least small

The sun may be hidden behind clouds of gray

But how nice to be living and healthy today

You may not be among the wealthy of the town

And you have your days of feeling mentally down

But in some ways you are lucky nonetheless

As you have the greatest gift anyone can possess.

At Ninety Five

He feels happy and healthy and lucky to be alive

And lucid at the grand old age of age of ninety five

Many times a great grandfather divorced from his second wife

Living on his own and content in his life

The hair on his balding head is silver gray

And though physically he has seen a far better day

His memory in good working order does stay

Quite bright for his years of him one can say

At ninety five fit and healthy and looking to the years ahead

And most of those he went to school with are among the dead

He says i feel happy and healthy without an ache or pain

And do not have a reason of any sort to complain

His best days in life in the forever gone

But on his ninety fifth year he keeps on keeping on.

The Sheep Breeding Man

In the flesh he is one you will not see today

Where all is quiet and dark his last remains lay

Predeceased by his wife by two years or so

Time eventually does become everyone's foe

In his farmlet as a breeder of prize winning sheep he did succeed

At many shows his animals won the open class and best of breed

In his once thirty hectare farmlet today families in brick homes do reside

That the housing needs of the increasing numbers change the views of some landscapes cannot be denied

His middle aged son to a building developer the land for a huge price sold

Money speaks every language as has been told

The change to a place that a decade does bring

But all changes as said are not a good thing

As a breeder of prize sheep in a class of his own

But nowadays few of his existence has known

Though in sheep breeding circles it is true now and then

His name mentioned among the great sheep breeding men

He lived for eight decades of time quite a span

And was known to many as The Sheep Breeding Man

In what was his farmlet one does not see or hear sheep today

Time brings with it changes life works on this way.

For One To Win Big

Though losing is a thing anyone does not choose

For one to win big many does have to lose

This is how it is in the Human World of today

And in the centuries ahead this is how it will stay

In the Human World there will always be more losers than winners as a fact does remain

And that somebody's loss always becomes another's gain

There are winners and losers and this applies to all

Human life in some ways is like a game of football

Everyday for many in life a challenge to meet

And millions of people for jobs and financial success compete

But death the egalatarian treat as the same

The poor of every village, city and town as well as those of wealth and fame

Though the power to do good only comes from within

There has to be losers for others to win.

Many Good People

Many good people sadly die in jail

In Countries where the justice system does fail

Ruled by dictatorial governments that those who verbally them oppose

Are branded as criminals and government foes

Brave people who for speaking out the big price does pay

And in prison may live their last night and day

Not all bad people in jail do die

Those who tell you different believe their own lie

They lack in discretion some of them do say

And for by being too brave this is the price they must pay

But if even half of the population spoke against the dictatorial government there can be little doubt

That a change for the better for all this would bring about

For speaking against the government their freedom of them denied

Many good people in prisons have died.

On Laughter

Laughter is such a wonderful thing

The very sound of it joy to others does bring

People who have it make new friends every day

That people want to know the happy one seems true to say

The sound of laughter is a joy for to hear

That it has happiness in it is obviously clear

Few wish to know of the sad faced one feeling down

Whose sort never becomes the most popular one in any town

But the person of everyone wishes to know

Is the one with laughter who does have the bright inner glow

The one who laughs easily has a mind that is at peace

Of tension it does have it's valve of release

The one who has laughter makes new friends every day

It is the best of medicine as some are known to say.

John Betjeman

The Poet Laureate of England for quite a long time

But there was more to John Betjeman than a man of rhyme

He wrote such readable poetry with a style of his own

Though long deceased the fans of his poetry in numbers have grown

He was such a likeable and jolly man

And his friends like his fans grew in numbers over his life span

With words he was one who did love to play

Quite a literary character of sorts of him one can say

Such joy to so many in his words he did bring

John Betjeman in his poetry of the praises of life did sing

His often humorous poetry told of one who was witty and kind

He was one who did have a beautiful mind

Though long deceased his musical poetry as popular remain

And the reason for this does one have to explain?