Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Maud Clunes

Maud Clunes she does say she has had it with men
Three months ago she parted with her partner Ben 
When news of his infedilities did reach her ears
Her's is not the first love affair to end in tears
A grandmother for many years she was George Clunes faithful wife
But he left her and nowadays has one younger in his life
Maud in her early sixties attractive looking with hair of silver gray
She is one who is ageing in the natural way
For any more love affairs she does not have any plan
She says that Ben in her life is her last man
To two unfaifthful men  loyalty and love she did give
she vows to remain single for as long as she live
Unlucky in love of her one might say
And stories like her's one hears of every day.

Mother Nature Or Nature

Joy to so many she never fails to bring
And those who do love her of her praises do sing
Along with Mother Earth of more human friends of she is in need
Since many species of her wildborn creatures are losing out to human greed
The one who helps Mother Earth for to feed all
Living things including humans from the great to the small
Old growth trees she helped Mother Earth grow every day being cut down
For to build more factories in the ever expanding town
The beauty she helped to create seen in Countries Worldwide
In every city and town park and in every countryside
In every Season her great beauty to see
It is all around you and it is all around me
For the dwindling numbers of her wildlife us humans are mostle to blame
Mother Nature or Nature she goes by either name.

Happy People

Since she or he possess the bright inner glow
Of the happy person others of wish to know
Wherever they are at joy is to be found
They carry it with them and share it around
Few wish to know of the sad sacks of the town
Sad looking people in mood feeling down
With a friendly hello to everyone they does meet
The happy people spread joy on the street
Unhappy people as ever not rare
And they never does have happy stories to share
One reason that their friends are in the few
Is that others have their own worries not saying what is new
But happy people others of wish to know
Since they have in them the bright inner glow.

Monday, May 30, 2022

Mrs M

Mrs M believes god is not a male if there is a god this god must be a she
That only females can give birth to life forms though on this many with her would disagree 
The god she believes on is in Nature she says in her fauna and flora every day
I see the beauty that she does give birth to a beauty for i do not to view must pay
Mrs M a divorcee in her fifties a grandmother to the children of her daughter and son
She does not belong to a church or a religion though for poor people good things she has done
She says you do not need a god to feel for others to help those who of help are in need
Those who help others deserve good Karma since for it they regularly do sow the seed
Mrs M a friend of our Earth Mother community tree planting days she always does attend
She says due to human greed our Earth Mother is suffering and she is in need of every human friend
She is not one of the town's more famous people ageing with grace her hair is silver gray
But she is an attractive looking woman and kind of heart in her own gentle way
She does not have a partner or a lover quite happy for to live on her own
She believes if there is a god this god is female since to give birth to life  females are only known.

Surfers Paradise

Surfers Paradise in south Queensland where Australia's wealthiest holidaymakers abound
A sunlit beach on the Gold Coast with skyscraper holiday hotels in the background
Those who holiday in Surfers Paradise are very wealthy people up to five hundred dollars for a night stay
It is not the sort of a place that any  poor person could hope to go to even for a brief holiday
The sugar daddys there wine and dine their young lovers their wives at home of their infedilities unaware
I only speak of a common occurence and something that is not known to be rare
Indigenous tribes fished and hunted in South Queensland long before the Europeans came
On aboriginal land  to build a sunlit City that is now known as the Gold Coast by name
It is hard to believe all of this did happen a little over two centuries ago
That people can change the landscape of a country for wealthy people happens to be so
In the Gold Coast parks many beautiful bird species migratory and non migratory do reside
But it is not for it's amazing avian beauty  that the Gold Coast is famous Worldwide
But for the skyscraper hotels of Surfers Paradise where only rich people can afford to stay
Some of them ageing males with their beautiful young lovers unbeknown to their wives on their brief  holiday.

Yes You Can

If you wish to make the World better to live in
With some betterment of your own self  you ought to begin
Any improvement of self is never too small
And this applies not only to you but to all
Good in the World you most certainly can do
By treating other people as you would like them to treat you
A fair go of anyone never deny
Live and let live to everyone does apply
By your acts of kindness for your future good Karma you can plant the seed
By helping if you can one of helping in need
When to those doing it tough some assistance you lend
To a better World to live in you become a good friend
Yes you can make the World better to live in.

Sunday, May 29, 2022

An Honourable Man

An honourable man the octogenarian Joe
Growing old in a retirement home time has become his foe
The woman he loved Kate in a cemetery lay
Eight years ago from a long term illness she passed away

A sufferer of Jakob Disease for years for her he did care
On caring for her on her behalf no effort he did spare
To loyalty to one he loved he did remain true
And for this respect and credit is his due

Not all men and women loyal to love does stay
From a terminally ill partner they walk away
When loyalty was needed Joe did pass the test
One can say to live as a good person he gives of his best

Though his name will never be on a memorial wall
Of people not many as good as he is at all
In her time of most need he cared for his wife
And grieved for his loss when she passed from his life.

Everybody Grows Older

 Some people who have seen many a sunset and many a sunrise
In years have grown older but they have not grown wise
On their thinking on those different to them they seem rather amall
And over decades of time they have not changed at all
They are convinced that their ideas on life are right
The windows of their minds are closed to light
Their views on religion, culture, nationality and race
In discrimination does find a place
On a fair go for all they tell you they believe
But with their own words themselves they only deceive
Their idea of a fair go all does not include
But those who believe on a fair go are inclusive and do not exclude
Wisdom does not have an age to it one comes to realize
Everybody grows older but few does grow wise.

No Two People In Their Thinking

No two people in their thinking exactly the same
We are all individuals for want to it of a better name
Every day in life for many some new challenge to meet
And for success with each other many does compete
More losers than winners in the World every day
Suppose humanity is designed for to work on this way
Though sadly it all comes to nothing for everyone in the end
Since death never treats anyone as a friend
Even those of similar thinking on all things do not agree
In different eyes difference we does see
If we all agreed on all things we may live in harmony
But humanity to function right in thinking needs diversity
If we all agreed on all things how boring we would be
At least anyway this is how it seems to me.

Saturday, May 28, 2022

On Peewees

Familiar black and white Australians one often does see
As they raise their wings they does call out peewee
In cup shaped nest high on branch of tree the female bird lay
Three to four eggs with pink spots through the gray
They are known as magpie lark or mudlark or as peewee due to their song
Once seen and once heard one never again get them wrong
They find their food small insects mostly on the ground
With their heads ever bobbing as they walk around
Their familiar song they sing every day of the year
Peewee peewee one often does hear
Among the many Australian species of birds one of the better known
One can say of them they have ways of their own
Once seen and once heard them you will know again
As memories of them are not hard to retain.

Anna

It is only in visualizations that Anna today
With her young friends children games does play
Going back in time some six decades ago
In her early seventies time has become her foe

A widowed great grandmother eight years ago her husband Jack
Died rather suddenly of  a massive heart attack
For months she grieved his passing but time is grief's healer she say
And he is now alive in her memory today

News of a fomer friend's passing of late did move her to tears
They were best friend in their childhood years
They went on different journeys in life
She raised her children in their hometown as a local man's wife

The sad news of her passing brought back memories of a happier time
When they were children long before their physical prime
Before her yearn for adventure took her to elsewhere
To try out her luck in the big World out there.

In Life Every Day

In life every day a new challenge to meet
And for this thing known as success many does compete
In the age of technology narcissism is rife
The obsession with the self for far more than a minority has become a way of life
But one has to ask is this what living life is about
Since eventually everyone by time is counted out
The elites of sports and entertainment are feted Worldwide
It seems like these are the people with a god on their side
In a Human World for one to win big many have to lose
Winning is the thing everybody does choose
Everybody cannot be a winner does seem true to say
In a fair Human World it would not be this way 
But those who climb highest have the furthest to fall
And time as is said it does take care of all.

Friday, May 27, 2022

Jim From Yorkshire

For his home countryside in England far away
Jim from Yorkshire he always feels homesick in May
Though he has lived in Australia for sixty five years
Memories of his Homeland has him close to tears

A great grandad  in his mid eighties his hair silver gray
His wife of sixty years June where the deceased are does lay
Two years ago of a massive heart attack she breathed her last
Death though not pain free came upon her fast

He grieved for his beloved June the great love of his life
She was his soul mate and his devoted wife
But that time is the healer does seem true to say
And with the octogenarian Jim it too is this way

In his semi detached red brick unit he lives on his own
In his neighbourhood he is well loved and well known
The accent he brought with him from far away
Despite his years in Australia is with him today

In his visualizations Jim often does see
Masses of white blossoms blooming on every hawthorn tree
From where he now lives in distance far away
In the green countryside of  Yorkshire in May.

Never For Money

With rhyming words i am one who just loves to play
And i add to my numbers of rhymes every day
But never for money or widespread fame
In literary circles mine is not a known name
It is true that a rhymer never runs out of rhyme
I wrote my first rhymes in my physical prime
This is going back many decades ago
And since time that ages has become my foe
And though my worth as a rhymer i have reason to doubt
No shortage of subject material for to write rhymes about
It is not saying anything in any way that is new
That the wealthy and famous writers are in the few
The rhymes that come to me in notebook i write down
But never for money or literary renown.

The Game Of Comparison

What others say of me why should i much care
Since of my human flaws i am all too aware
I realize not everyone of me has nice things to say
Though i never harm anyone in any sort of a way
I too can be judgmental i know all too well
Though on the imperfections of others anyone ought not to dwell
Live and let live seems a good idea
Though sadly this is not the way of humanity
The verbal game of people comparison is played every day
It is a game in that anybody can play
Perhaps it is only saying something that most people of are aware
That those who do not take part in the game of comparison to say the least are rare
But them for their game of comparing i ought not criticize
For i am not unlike them i have come to realize.

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Mother Earth Does Need

Mother Earth does need more human friends on her side 
By people of greed she is being attacked Worldwide
Human greed gives rise to Global Warming that gives rise to Climate Change
And due to destruction of natural habitat many creatures have become endangered that were common on their range
Human beings must be responsible for many creatures becoming rare
The Earth that feeds us all is for us to live on and with other creatures to share
The one who supports us all creates every new millionaire
But surely too few foe her does seem to care
Of the financial economy political chatter abound
But all wealth has it's source in Mother Earth's ground
The one we depend on to live of more human friends is in need
Future generations of people will suffer because of our greed
Shortage of food and malnutrition due to us will be their price to pay
And of us they will not have any nice things to say.

We Live In An Age

We live in an age when some look on those who are friendly as not quite right
That those who say hello to strangers are not very bright
In a World where the narcissists and self centered are not in the few
To feel distant towards strangers is nothing new
To be friendly towards strangers is a form of respect
Though of warm and friendly people some are circumspect
But many look on friendly people in a positive way
They spread a flutter of joy in every friendly good day
Those who do not trust friendly people they pass on the street
Are mistrustful of all friendly people they meet
One can say of them they are not nice of  for to know
As they does seem lacking in the inner glow
The self centered of the World are no longer rare
This is only saying something that many of are aware.

True Love

True love in life should be everyone's due
But not everyone to true love does remain true
People fall in and out of love every day
But so few in love with each other a lifetime stay
Love affairs that start in passion often end in tears
And many loves grow stale with the passing of years
But there is an old wisdom worthy of recall
It is better to love and lose than never know of love at all
Some students of love say it is not a lie
That the love that is the fastest to bloom is often the quickest to die
True loves that last a lifetime are of the few
And this is not saying anything that is new
The full bloom of true love is hard to retain
And so few in love a whole lifetime remain.

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

What We Dislike In Others

What we dislike in others in ourselves we does see
Though many with this would choose to disagree
The truth on this saying is not for me to say
But each to their own it does seem this way
Many claim that others are our reflective mirrors is not in any way true
But some will tell you that to this some credence is due
Sometimes what your eyes tell you your mind does believe
Looks as is said can be known to deceive
We make our own judgments in life one does suppose
And we make our own friends and create our own foes
There are good and bad people in every Country Worldwide
And many of us does have our secrets to hide
What we dislike in others in our own selves we see
For the answer to this you better ask somebody other than me.

We All Age Rather Quickly

We all age rather quickly beyond our physical prime
And eventually we all does run out of time
You may be wealthy and talented and feted as a success
But life is the greatest gift you does possess

The one who does treat every life as the same
And is not the respecter of wealth and of fame
Will pay you a visit one night or day
On everyone's life death has the final say

Pay your respect to where it is due
And to your higher self try to stay true
Though you have many admirers and know of great success
Life is the greatest gift you does possess.

The good things you do for others says more about you
Than the good things for yourself that you choose to do
Though you have many admirers and know of great success
Life is the greatest gift you does possess.

Duhallow In May

Where the Blackwater through Duhallow is winding it's way
The old fields green and resplendent in their wildflowers of May
And the hawthorns quite beautiful cloaked in their blossoms of white
Of such natural beauty a lover of Nature would write
Duhallow in May is a beautiful time of year
The wild birds are singing and the Summer days near
The swallows home to breed from Lands far away
Above the fields chasing flying insects all day
The migratory nest parasite with the distinctive song
The cuckoo once heard one can never again get wrong
Cuckoo cuckoo is all they does say
The female their eggs in the nests of smaller birds lay
The only part in motherhood that she does play
She returns home to breed to Duhallow in May.

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Only True To Say

That extinction is forever only true to say
Wildborn species in the World getting rarer by the day
Australian children of the future sadly may never see
A koala eating leaves or dozing on high branch of a manna gum tree

The thought of it is even a sad thing
That in time we may not be that distant from the first silent Spring
Of birds there are less of them to see and hear
Many species of them becoming rarer by the year

Global Warming caused by carbon emissions and natural habitat destruction due to human greed
For extinction of wildlife does sow the seed
The Earth we live on does need more of the envioronmentally aware
But sadly those who abuse her are not even rare

For humanity it is not a source for pride
That wildlife numbers are on the decline Worldwide
Sadly too few for the one who does feed us does care
Mother Earth we depend on to live a sad thing of to be aware.

Winners Are Grinners

Winners are grinners as some like to say
And far more losers than winners in the World every day
For one to win big many have to lose
And losing is a thing anyone does not choose
Words of wisdom well worthy of recall
Those who climb highest on the ladder to success have the furthest to fall
But death the great equalizer treats none as a friend
And does finally bring every life to an end
Is not a respecter of money and fame
And is the one who does treat every life as the same
People compete with each other for success every day
This is how it is and it will always be this way
But eventually time it does take care of all
Humans and creatures from the great to the small.

Have You

Have you ever been to a party where you felt out of place
Where many there to you had a familiar face
But with any of them you had little in common to share
Of their values to yours different of you became aware
Well groomed and well dressed young males and their pretty young dears
Talking of their beautiful children and their successful careers
For attention with each other they did compete
You were among the sort you often with do not meet
The party you went along to with a friend
And just to enjoy their company you did pretend
The few hours you spent with them did seem far from brief
And you left the party with a sense of relief
In life a new challenge to meet every day
This is how it is and will always be this way.

Monday, May 23, 2022

Down On your Luck

Down on your luck and financially down
One of those doing it tough on your side of the town
Still hope in your mind is far from dead
And you can see better days of you ahead
Down on your luck but with hope you keep faith
Everything does come to those who does wait
On poor take home pay struggling to support your partner and family
Though working hard you know of poverty
A home mortgage and household bills for you to pay
And at work for you never an easy day
For a better paying job you often apply
Though without any luck you do not cease to try
You are not one to say life is unfair
Or surrender your mind to the thought of despair.

Dan In His Mid Nineties

All of those he went to school to the forever gone
But Dan in his mid nineties he is living on
The best athlete in the town seven decades ago
Long before time it did become his foe

But he jogs in the park for an hour every day
Though at a slow pace time on him has it's say
The national mile champion going way back in time
When in his mid twenties in his physical prime

A great grandfather ten years ago to cancer he lost his wife
On what for him was the saddest time of his life
He believes that to a good diet and exercise he owes his longevity
He hopes to be healthy and jogging at a century

The hair on his balding head is silver gray
The town's greatest athlete in time going back many a day
He does enjoy jogging and he does not lie
When he says he will be doing it until the day he does die.

Only Skin Deep

Beauty is only skin deep as a truism remain
The meaning in this it's own self does explain
Many of those beautiful to look at without inner beauty looks can deceive
What your eyes do tell you do not always believe
Many of the most attractive looking people are self centered, conceited and proud
And like nothing better than singing their own praises loud
They believe they are a gift to humanity
Fame is not a known source for humility
Of more people with inner beauty the Human World is in need
For a better World to live in they help sow the seed
Without the rewards of recognition or money for pay
They help people in need of helping every day
That beauty is only skin deep only true to say
And make out of this whatever you may.

Sunday, May 22, 2022

He Is One Of Those

He was born into a World where he cannot win
He is one of those known as the does not fit in
On sports he is not one bit interested at all
Most of those he went to school with are fans of or play football
He is not a patron of the local pub
Or a member of any community club
In his early twenties close to his life's prime
Bird watching is his passion on his work free time
The only bird watcher in the town so much about birds by him known
When out bird watching he is always on his own
Sadly for him he does not have anyone with his passion to share
As bird watchers in the World to say the least are rare
Many who know of him look on him as not born to win
Since he is one of those who does not fit in.

The Mother

Though bad things to others she or he may have done
The mother will verbally defend her daughter or son
Though as good living human beings the test they did fail
And for their crimes they are behind bars in jail
The mother does say that they are not guilty of any crime
And for crimes they did not commit they should not be serving prison time
Than the love of a mother for her offspring no love quite as strong
In her eyes her children could never do wrong
With that her children are not good people she would not agree
Only good in them is all she does see
The good mother her offsprings will always defend
And in their times of most need she is their greatest friend
Though as good living people the test they did fail
She will tell you that they should not be in jail.

What We Sow We Will Reap

What we sow we will reap life can work on this way
But this is just an old cliche many does say
People who on Karma does not believe
Say that to be successful you must know how to receive
They dismiss as losers the poor of the town
And say it is their own fault if they are financially down
To them Moses unwritten commandment is of your own self take care
And you never grow wealthy if some of your money with others you share
Those who are kind to others for to give them their due
To their higher selves try to live as true
But sadly in the Human World for one to win big many does have to lose
Though losing is a thing anyone does not choose
But those kind to others good Karma can expect to receive
This is something that should not be hard to believe.

Saturday, May 21, 2022

I Am Of The Place

I am of the place of the jackdaw and rook and gray crow
Where the rushes in clusters in the flat fields does grow
In the green countryside where the waterways meet
Just west of the Duhallow Town of Millstreet
From the mountains of my youth i live far away
And i have not seen Duhallow for many a day
Where the birds now are singing in the prime of the Spring
And Nature to view at her finest joy to many does bring
The hawthorns are cloaked in their white blossoms of May
And the swallows in pursuit of their flying insect prey
With the sun on their dark wings chirping as they fly
These migratory flying speedsters of the Spring sky
I am of the place where Blackwater winds it's way
By old country towns towards the sea night and day.

The Selfless

Of Kindness, empathy, generosity and compassion it can be the test
Natural disasters on people with these traits bring out the best
Quite selfless of them in truth one can say
To help those in need of helping they always go out of their way
They are even strangers to local renown
And will never be among the admired of the town
But they never desire that theirs should be a great name
They help others not for money or for fame
But just for the sake of performing a good deed
For their future good Karma they plant the good seed
The people who genuinely does believe
That in life you must give if you wish to receive
Where floods, storms and earthquakes have been
In the frontline of the helpers they are always seen.

Like The Great Christy Ring

 Just leave it to others your praises to sing
As did the great hurler the famed Christy Ring
On the field of play he always done his thing
And great honour to himself and to hurling, Glen Rovers and Cork he did bring
But the master hurler on the field of play
Of his greatness in public never had anything to say
That actions speak louder than words as a truism remain
The meaning in this it's own self does explain
Self praise in life never gets one too far
You should leave it to others to say of how great you are
We are in the age of self promotion in the twenty first century
And they are a rare breed now those with humility
Not many nowadays like the late and great hurler Christy Ring
In his humility great honour to himself and the game he loved he did bring.

Friday, May 20, 2022

On Badgers

Badgers are creatures of the mustelidae family 
They are creatures by day one seldom does see
As they are mostly nocturnal of an omnivorous diet
And are sturdy and quiite strong with a keen appetite
Mostly dark gray with white on their face
Quite distinctive from all other species of the mustelid race
They eat roots and dig for earthworms and on rabbits, hedgehogs and frogs do prey
And they break into fowl sheds and kill fowl though not often one can say
They line their sett with new bedding in the grey of twiliight
Before going out in search of food for the night
Due to persecution by humans badgers are becoming rare
Something of which Nature lovers are aware
To the weasel family they do belong
For their size they are sturdy and deceptively strong.

Autocratic Leaders

Of an autocratic leader any Country is not in need
And far too many of their sort in the World indeed
They give rise to unhappiness and division create
And against those who oppose them in any way discriminate
They do not believe on human rights and abuse their rule
Every autocratic leader by nature is cruel
Because of them many good pro human rights people are behind bars in jail
Autocratic leaders as human beings do fail
Narcissists with great power and quite obsessed 
Those who do not support them by their police and army oppressed
Far too many autocratic leaders in the World of today
A good leader to them is different in every way
By far too many of their sort Worldwide
They cannot unite those who only know how to divide.

On The Passing Of Jack Corkery

In Liscahane Millstreet with Maureen his wife
Jack Corkery he lived for most of his life
Survived by his wife and son and two grandsons one grieved by those he did befriend
Sad to learn his life's journey for him has come to an end
One who lived his life in an honourable way
Quiet and unassuming of him one can say
A gentleman one who never sought the limelight
In the Araglen Nursing Home in Boherbue he lived his last day and night
In his long life his friends in numbers did grow
And it can be said of him he had the inner glow
The great gift of life from him may have gone
But in all who knew him good memories of him will live on
From Liscahane his old home not that far away
In St Mary's Cemetery in Millstreet his last remains lay.

Thursday, May 19, 2022

The Fear Of The Unknown

The fear of the unknown it is obviously clear
The reason that so many people death fear
That eternal life for the soul may be a lie
Even good living religious people feel no wish to die
Though they are devoted to the god of their faith
They feel for their soul that heaven can wait
Since death they does fear of life post bodily death for the soul they must not be sure
If not with the thought of death they would not feel insecure
The fear of death is a fear that is among people Worldwide
And many who do not fear it end their lives in suicide
Of the praises of death you will not hear many sing
But as part of life it is a natural thing
It is the fear of the unknown most people fear
At the thought of dying is obviously clear.

Wild Rats And Mice

You will not hear anyone say things of them that is nice
Wherever there is food there are rats and mice
Despite trapping and baiting they still does survive
And  doubtless this is due to their sexual drive
They regularly give birth to many young and are quick to multiply
That they are Nature's survivors of them none can deny
A fan of wild rats and mice would be a hard one to find
Some of the diseases they carry spread to human kind
To rid the World of them humans their best does try
But Worldwide in numbers they multiply
To producers of food they come at a huge financial cost
Due to them every year tons of food are lost
I have yet to hear anyone of them say they are nice
They do not have any friends wild rats and mice.

Another Election

 Another election to us is near
But in politics few things does change from year to year
Since jobs and more jobs the major parties only talk about
Of what is most important to the majority of voters they leave none in doubt
But Global Warming that hurries on Climate Change 
From the major parties scarce gets a mention which seems a bit strange
Since Global Warming is the creation of human industry Worldwide
By our abuse of the Earth that does feed us which to us is not a sense of pride
And more Earth abusive jobs are being created every day
Which seems a bit sad for to have to say
Our legacy to the children of the future hardships to them will bring
And of us and our politicians praises they will not sing
From the soaring weather temperatures that leaves the Earth to grow crops far too dry
Famine and early death for future generations for this seems hard to deny.

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

We Make Gods Of

They make gods of sports people and entertainers and the super wealthy minority Worldwide
And gloryfying them to us a sense of pride
As if in their achievements for us there is some gain
Why people find pleasure in praising the achievements of strangers to them seems hard to explain

Does not mean you are a good person though you are famed Worldwide
Though you are the best at what you are good at of you cannot be denied
But your ego keeps swelling when others your praises does sing
And an over pumped ego for anyone is not a good thing 

We glorify people of so called royal blood into privilege born
And those who dare criticize them are treated with scorn
In some Countries to criticize the monarchy is a serious crime
And people who do so does serve prison time

Thanks be to the powers that be for death is all one can say
The deceased pauper is equal to the deceased billionaire today
Those who glorify some people help to create inequality
Though many with this i feel sure would not agree.

Even A Stranger To Many

Even a stranger to many on his side of the town
Yet in his words he never puts anyone down
Others he never feels out to impress
And with anyone never competes for fame or material success
His own praises he has never been heard to sing
He lives a quiet life and does his own thing
Devoted to his young daughter and her mother his wife
The down to earth fellow lives a moral life
Not a member of any community or sporting club
And not a customer of the local pub
He enjoys a few beers at home at the weekend
His aged neighbour on a pension living on her own says he is her best friend
He often does help me of him she does say
Just for the love of doing it and never for pay.

From Here Far Away

 In the high leafy groves from here far away
The wildborn birds of song they are singing today
And the wood pigeons cooing on the spruce and cypress trees
On a pleasant Spring day of around twenty degrees 
The fields lush and green have their Nature's flowers on display
And the hawthorns are cloaked on their white blossoms of May
On what is a beautiful time of the year
Towards the end of the Spring with June and Summer near
In May Nature at her very finest is seen
After recent spring showers the countryside looking green
On nutritious young grass gaining weight by the day
The contented cattle chewing their cuds does lay
And gathering nectar from the blossoming trees
The warm air full of the buzzing of bees.

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

One Of The Unsung

A book on his life millions of  copies would not sell
Yet he was a brave man and quite humble as well
When true courage was needed he had it to display
From the face of great danger he did not turn away

He risked his own life to pluck Mrs and Mr Roe's young son Jim
From the bed in his room with flames all around him
From the burning house he brought the boy out
Of what courage is he left none in doubt

All thanks to the man who did save his life
Today Jim Roe is a happily married man with a young daughter and a beautiful wife
In love and contented and of any cares free
And as happy as anyone could wish to be

But that luck was not with the man who saved his life happens to be so
He died in a car accident many years ago
In his mid twenties death did claim him young
As he lived he died as one of the town's unsung

When courage was needed in it he did not lack
Yet the offer of a medal for bravery he did knock back
Today Mrs and Mr Roe pay their respects to the brave and humble one
Who many years ago saved the life of their son.

Do Not Leave It To Others

Do not leave it to others to make a better World to live in
For this with your own self you have to begin
On how materially successful you are as a person says less about you
Than the good things for others that you choose to do
Of any more materially competitive people humanity is not in need
Since of a better World for all to live in their sort seldom sows the seed
The unwritten commandment many seems to obey
Care for your own self only the self centered say
Though they may never receive the credit they are due
To their higher selves they remain ever true
You can help to make a better World to live in if with others you share
But sadly no shortage of those who for self only care.

The First Australians

Their ancestors lived in Australia sixty thousand years ago
And maybe even longer as some would argue so
Not given the respect that they are worthy of which seems hard to undestand
But they will always be the first people of this great Southern Land 
To be born a First Australian is not to be one of the best
As many of them live in poverty the lot of the dispossessed
Of all indigenous races Worldwide and it seems sad to say
That most of them are among the poorest of the Australia of today
But despite dispossession and massacres some of them did survive
And descendants of the First Auistralians in the flesh today alive
The honour of the first Australians with them does remain
For as long as there are people in Australia this title they will retain
Many of them among Australia's poorest only true to say
And with all indigenous people Worldwide sadly it too is this way.

Monday, May 16, 2022

Those Born Into Privilege

Of government assistance they will never be in need
Those born into privilege are lucky indeed
Financially they have nothing to worry about 
And of their worth as people have no need for doubt
By billions of impressionable people Worldwide admired
Who of singing their praises never seem to grow tired
In a World where a person of great wealth and fame
By many seem to be well worthy of a great name
But amongst them you will not find one free of taint
Like Mother Theresa who was famous though poor and whilst living a saint
For death there will never be a loud hooray
But to the powers that be thanks to it one can say
For it is the one who makes equal of all
The wealthy and famous and the poor and all creatures great and small.

A Joy To Him To Hear

In the park playground children laugh as they play
The sound of their joy takes him far away
To his own childhood in the far away town
Many Seasons ago when his hair was light brown
Going back the years some seventy plus or so
Time that ages everyone has since become his foe
Of the friends of his childhood few living today
Memories of what was only with him does stay
The hair on his balding head is silver gray
Nobody grows younger only true to say
But the laughter of children reignites in him the joy
Of the games that he played with his young friends as a boy
The laughter of children always a joy to him to hear
In time it does take him back many a year.

Leave It To Nature

 Leave it to Nature to claim from you life's breath
And leave it to patriots to celebrate war and to glorify death
But live for as long as you possibly can
Live and die hopefully without any pain as an old woman or man
The praises of dead heroes are often sung
But it is only a fallacy that only the good die young
Like every old person is not a sage
Goodness too to it does not have an age
That life is your greatest gift as a truism remain
Of the meaning in this does one need to explain
A heroic death is based on a lie
You can love your Country and for it not die
Of life for the soul after bodily death not for me to say
I only feel grateful to be living today.

Sunday, May 15, 2022

On An Old School Class Photo

An old school class photograph of years long gone
But only the memories are living on
Of your friends back then you've not seen for many a day
Where the deceased are some of them does lay
And some in the old hometown did not stay
Their life's journey took them to Lands far awaay
From where as children into young adults they did grow
And where today few of them would know
Only the memories today do remain
Of the old town you may not see again
And the girls and boys you grew up with then
Like you no longer young women or men
An old school class photo takes you to the past
On looking back the years time seems to have gone fast.

Not Saying Anything That Is New

Worldwide there are good and decent people in every village and city and town
Of all races and shades of black, white and brown
But they have become rare the free of taint
And the rarest of all is the living saint
There is good in most people and one comes to believe
That those who like to give can expect to receive
If you look for the good in everybody some good you will find
Though some more so than others more geneous and kind
It is only the poorest people of the town
Unlucky in life and financially down
Who cannot afford a second hand car
Do really know who their friends are
Though many good people in the World of bad too quite a few
And this is not saying anything that is new.

On Australian Magpies

To the warbling of the magpies in the dawning gray
Many Australians do wake for to greet the new day
Australia's best known songbirds that sing every day of the year
Their warbling every Australian does regularly hear
In city and town parks and gardens and in the countryside
The crow sized black and white magpies are familiar to people Australia wide
On their breeding Season they regularly sing at night
On a moonlit evening their songs a source for delight
Territorial and fierce in defence of their territory
Magpies are birds one often hear and see
Unmistakeable in their appearance and their warbling song
Once seen and once heard one never again get them wrong
Of the birds of Australia among the best known
Magpies are quite territorial with ways of their own.

Saturday, May 14, 2022

To The Earth That Supports Us

To the Earth that supports us our existence we owe
Yet that most of us does not even respect her happens to be so
On her we all do depend on to live
Yet we take and take from her and in return to her nothing give
She is the main victim of our homo sapien greed
And of more human friends she is badly of in need
The Earth is for us to live on and with other creatures to share
But sad to think that her human friends are so rare
For our abuse of the one who feeds us future generations of people will pay
And of us they will not have any nice things to say
Those who brag of land ownership have got it all wrong
For how can we own to what we to does belong
When time on our lives will have the final say
On some form or other we will return to her one day.

So Friendly And Pleasant

So friendly and pleasant in her own charming way
She greets everyone with a smile and good day
Wherever she is at joy is to be found
For she brings it with her and shares it around
Young and unconceited and free of guile
On her beautiful face always a beautiful smile
Not in any way surly or rude
One who to life has a great attitude
If she has any problems them she does not show
The seeds of happiness she helps to sow
At the sharing of joy she does succeed
And of more of her sort the Human World is in need
People like she is nice of for to know
As she has in her the bright inner glow.

There Are Millions Of Rhymers

There are millions of rhymers in the Human World of today
Writing rhymes with them just a hobby in truth one can say
Something they do for enjoyment not for money for pay
With rhyming words the people who just love to play
There are rhymers Worldwide in every village and city and town
But few of them even know of local renown
In writing rhymes for a few only any money or fame
For most rhymers rhyming is a hungry belly game
Twenty first century literary critics dismiss every rhymer as a non poet
And do not consider them to be worthy of any literary note
There are more rhymers in the World than there has ever been today
They only write rhymes for enjoyment in truth one can say
That rhymers used to be popular happens to be so
But going back in time this now seems long ago.

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Cattle Egrets Are Back

In the coastal Moyne Shire in late Autumn in May
With June and Winter just three weeks away
The white migratory cattle egrets have returned for their Winter stay
With the cattle herd they spend their every day
Eating ground insects, grass hoppers and frogs that to their taste buds taste sweet
That hop or crawl out of danger's way of big trampling feet
Only to end their lives in an egret's craw
To eat and be eaten is in Nature's law
When the cattle egrets arrive in the coastal Moyne Shire you know Winter is near
In the coolness of late Autumn weatherwise not an unpleasant time of year
They leave the coastal lands for to breed in the Spring
The workings of Nature is an amazing thing
The coastal lands looking green after the recent rain
And the cattle egrets are back in the Moyne Shire again.

People Age Rather Quickly

People age rather quickly beyond their physical prime
And eventually we all does run out of time
And the babes born yesterday are ageing today
And younger anybody never does stay
On average the young does outlive the old
We do age rather quickly as has been told
And even those who believe on a life for the soul post bodily death
Will fight on for life up to their final breath
If they were so sure of heaven death they would not fear
This is only  saying what is obviously clear
As long as you are in good health and feeling mentally okay
Though aged feel happy for to greet every day
For death you never do hear a hooray
Only earthworms live where the deceased does lay.

In Beautiful May

In the still of the evening in the prime of the May
Just after suindown in the twilight gray
A water dwelling songbird of the Spring
The dark brown white breasred dipper in the river does sing
The birds with the high pitched metallic song
Once seen and once heard one never again does get wrong
May in the Northlands is a green time of year
Towards the end of the Spring with June and Summer near
The swallows back home to breed from Lands far away
Above the old fields chase flying insects all day
Familiar birds one does often hear and see
Red breast robins are singing to proclaim territory
And the voice of the cuckoo one often does hear
In beautiful May in the Spring of the year.

Thursday, May 12, 2022

What We do To The Earth

Less trees and less places for wildlife and less birds to sing
In time we may not be that distant from the first silent Spring
Mother Earth and Mother Nature of more human friends are in need
That extinction is forever is a truism indeed
What we do to the Earth that feeds us to our own selves we do
This is how i does see it whatever about you
This World is for us to live in and with other creatures to share
Humanity is badly in need of more of the environmentally aware
Destruction of habitat for wildlife for financial gain has it's source in human greed
By our abuse of the Earth that does feed us for hardship for humanity we are planting the seed
Our disrespect for the one who does feed us is to all of our shame
Future generations of people will have us to blame
For what to them will be our environmental legacy
Shortage of food that will give rise to famines and widespread poverty.

Far More Losers Than Winners

There are far more losers than winners in the World every day
That for some to win big many must lose humanity works in this way
Suppose we all cannot be winners in truth one can say
And to be one of the losers the price big to pay
The poor are always the unsung of every town
And they live their lives as even strangers to local renown
The wealthy and famous the power brokers Worldwide
It does seem the poor have the lesser god on their side
The one who wins big always becomes a great name
And power does belong to those of wealth and fame
But it is not the size of your home, swimming pool or car
That tells of the person that you really are
Yet there are far more losers than winners as a fact does remain
The meaning in this it's own self does explain.                                                        

The Power To Do Good

The power to do good only comes from within
And for a better World to live in with yourself you begin
How you choose to live it is all up to you
The wrongs you do to others to your own self you do
For a better World to live in you can plant the seed
By helping anybody of your help in need
The kindest and most caring people of any town
Do even seem strangers to local renown
Good people for their kindness and generosity are not hard to admire
Yet the admiration of others they never desire
Though their names never appear on a memorial wall
Their contribution to the betterment of humanity is never small
Those who willingly give in other ways receive
This is something that should not be hard to believe.

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Nature Is One

Nature is one who has ways of her own
And so much about her remains as unknown
And every day of her we learn something new
Her lessons one can say are not of the few
Of Nature we learn something new every day
She is quite amazing of her one can say
Yet the more we learn of her the more we come to realize
That of her we know little this is not a surprise
The one of the unrivalled magical power
From a tiny seed she helps Mother Earth grow a beautiful flower
Such joy in her natural beauty to so many she does bring
And those who does love her of her praises does sing
Yet it is a sad thing of to be aware
That many of her creatures are becoming rare.

I Am Of

I am of the fields of the rook and gray crow
Where the rushes in clusters near the waterways grow
Where Finnow the white river silent deep and slow
Winds it's way to Drishane where the Blackwater flow

My journey in life has brought me far south
Of the home of the badger and waterways of the brown trout
Where i would be a stranger now since there i did not stay
And i have not been there for many a day

Those i went to school with long past their lives prime
Like me they too would be showing the wear of time
Perhaps their grandchildren play games in the schoolyard as we did long ago
Years before time it did become our foe

I am of the place near a far away town
Where the roadways by the mountains do wind up and down
And only the memories with me now remain
Of faces and places i may not see again.

If You Do Not

If you do not pay to people the respect they are due
To your higher self  you are not being true
They are never among the admired of the town
Those who in their words enjoy putting others down
Live and let live as a truism remain
The meaning in this it's own self does explain
The people you bad mouth no lesser than you
What you do to them to your own self you do
Wisdom to it does not have an age
A young person can have the mind of a sage
Not every old person is knowledgeable and wise
This is something that many of come to realize
The lessons of life are not of the few
And every day we live we learn something new.

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Jeremiah Joseph Callanan

Today his poems live as worthy of literary note
Jeremiah Joseph Callanan was a great Irish poet
In Lisbon in Portugal on his life's thirty third year of poetry he wrote his last line
On the nineteenth of September eighteen twenty nine

Very ill homesick and alone in Sao Jose Hospital in Lisbon he died
Far from his home in Cork in the green countryside
Though nowadays no trace of his grave in Lisbon remain
With the passing of time his wonderful poems for him new fans does gain

The Recluse Of  Inchydoney, The Outlaw Of  Loch Lene and the Convict Of Clonmel
By lovers of poetry are poems that are known well
By Jeremiah Joseph Callanan the poet who died in his poetic prime
His poems living on through the centuries of time

Due to his poor health he went to Portugal for health mending sunshine
But he died a young man there in eighteen twenty nine
Reading his poems bring enjoyment to many today
He was a true poet of him one can say.

In Life Those Who Give

In life those who give can expect to receive
Though not everybody on this does believe
The materially minded by the belief does live
That the successful take far more than in return they does give
In a Human World where for one to win big many have to lose
Winning is the thing that everybody does choose
That one person's loss becomes another's gain
In the Human World as a truism remain
There are the very wealthy and financially down
Worldwide in every village and city and town
But the Reaper of Lives does treat as the same
The poor of the World and those of wealth and fame
But there is truth in the saying one has to believe
That in life those who give can expect to receive

In Beautiful May

When Nature her beauty to the countryside bring
In beautiful May of the northern Spring
The wild birds nest building and singing on leafy trees
And the weather quite pleasant of around twenty degrees
The fields lush and green resplendent in their Nature's flowers
That have come to bloom in the recent Spring showers
With June and the warmer Summer weather quite near
May is a beautiful time of the year
The hawthorns resplendent cloaked in their blossoms of pale white to gray
And the swallows back home to breed from Lands far away
With the sun on their dark wings in the blue and gray sky
On pursuit of flying insects chirp as they fly
May in the northlands in the prime of the Spring
Natural green beauty to the countryside bring.

Monday, May 9, 2022

If Is A Word

If is a word as some like to say
That always does seem for to get in the way
Of facing the truth that some put to good use
By many a bad loser used as an excuse
You say if only for this i would not have lost
A bit of ill luck came to me at a cost
And on hindsight did cost me a win
It was one of those days that my luck was not in
If is a word he uses often of late
Only for if he would celebrate
The greatest win that ever he would have had
If luck was not against him today he would feel glad
He was the best though things did not go his way
If luck was not against me i would have won he did say.

Your Greatest Gift

On pursuit of this thing known as personal success
We devote so much of our time on others trying to impress
And fear of failure in us gives rise to worry and stress
Yet life is the greatest gift that anyone does possess

The wealthiest ever person in the town is not living today
It is dark and quiet where his last remains lay
His family from his money and financial assets doing quite okay
That success is only for the living does seem true to say

You may be among the poor of the town
Feeling depressed and financially down
On a low financial income struggling to cope
But as is said of life where it is there is hope

The praises of money many may sing
But your gift of life is your most imporant thing
You will not find hope in the graves of the dead
The deceased cannot dream of better times ahead.

The Thief Of Joy

Something i learned from a wise woman as a young boy
That comparisons are always the thief of joy
Back then i was far too young for to realize
That what she said to me was so very wise
Where the deceased are she forever does lay
But the wisdom in her words are with me today
Of the praises of winners some only does sing
But for those who go unrecognized this is not a good thing
In the game of comparisons they does lose out
Which leaves them with low self esteem and self doubt
Comparing people an in thing in the twenty first century
Though this is not saying anything positive on humanity
Comparisons are always the thief of joy
Something i learned from a wise woman as a young boy.

Sunday, May 8, 2022

Far Superior To Me

The person that in everyone only good does see
In her or his words is a far superior person to me
They rise above the ordinary of them one can say
And for their honourable attitude to life respect to them seems apt to pay
They never put anyone verbally down
Yet they are not among the admired of the town
In their attitude to others in them nothing small
As they does believe on a fair go for all
To become wealthy and famous at the expense of others they feel no desire
For their honourable ways them one can only admire
Since they do have in them the bright inner glow
People like they are nice of for to know
A flaw in anyone they do not seem to see
I wish that i could say the same about me.

The Greatest Gift

Far greater than any other form of success
Life is the greatest gift any human does possess
The same for the billionaire the queen and the king
When they lose their gift of life they have lost everything
The human existence in time not a long span
On average a few years more for a woman than it is for a man
Does not matter if you do not have and end of life plan
Just live for as long as you possibly can
Live since any of your achievements compared to life to little amount
Without life you would not exist on this you can count
The good and the bad times in life we survive
But it is a great feeling just to be alive
As the wise mother said to her young son
Tomorrow will dawn but not for everyone.

Those With A Dream

Though dreams are just that and for so few come true
We all do need one in life to pursue
Those without a dream are lacking in hope
And with day to day living are struggling to cope
Those without a dream see no success of them ahead
And hopes for times better in them all but dead
They have created for themselves a cocoon of doubt
And feel they have nothing to feel happy about
But those with a dream though times on them are tough
Does feel that life's journey ahead of them will not always be rough
That hope springs eternal as a truism remain
The meaning in this it's own self  does explain
Those with a dream though financially down
Are not among the unhappiest people of the town.

Saturday, May 7, 2022

Curlews

From their wintering grounds sea beaches far away
They fly to breed to inland boglands in May
Once seen and once heard birds one never again get wrong
The curlews have a lovely flute like song

On calm evenings their song which sounds like curloo in distance travels far and wide
On their breeding ground in the quiet countryside
To where they breed their music with them they bring
The curlews song to hear is such a beautiful thing

In a simple nest well hidden on the ground
Among high rushes quite hard to be found
Three to four blue brown blotched eggs the female lay
In their breeding habits quite elusive one might say

Due to Climate Change and land drainage curlews no longer in large numbers abound
With their long slightly curved bills they probe for worms and slugs in the soft ground
Quite distinctive in their feathers of mottled brown
Curlews are never seen in a parkland in any town

To the boglands in the countryside in Spring
Such joy with them in their flute like songs they bring
But due to land drainage and Climate Change they are becoming rare
A sad thing indeed of for to be aware.

In May Far away

The wild birds are singing to greet the new day
In the leafy groves in May far away
And the fields lush and green resplendent in their flowers
That have come to bloom in the recent Spring showers
With the sun on their dark wings chirping as they fly
The swallows are chasing flying insects in the sky
With the approach of Winter in the mid to late Fall
The instincts in them to migrate will answer Nature's call
Nature she is at her finest in May
The hawthorns look resplendent cloaked in their blossoms of white to gray
And cattle out of wintering sheds of months of eating silage and hay
On nutritious young grass gaining weight by the day
And the countryside wearing her Nature's green
At her very finest is to be seen.

Of More Of Your Sort

Big praises and honours for yourself you may never win
But you can make the World better for others to live in 
By performing a good deed or more every day
And from one in need of help never turn away
It is not the good things you do for yourself says of the good in you
But the good things for others that you choose to do
They are such good people those who believe
In to live a good life one must give to receive
Though others your praises never does sing
In your acts of kindness joy to others you bring
Though not one of the admired of your side of the town
You never ignore the financially down
And since for a better World to live in you help plant the seed
Of more of your sort humanity is in need.

Friday, May 6, 2022

This Is How I Do See It

This is how i do see it whatever about you
Humans follow leaders but sheep also do
Those without a leader are looked on as odd
As born to life of the lesser god
We may dismiss sheep as not intelligent or wise
But we are nearer to them in ways than we do realize
Though you never see a sheep driving a car
We are not more superior to them than we think we are
The judas sheep her fellow sheep does betray
By leading them to their deaths up the slaughter house ramp every day
By her leadership qualities the judas sheep innocent of any crime
Saves the slaughter house workers in sweat and time
But are we much superior to sheep in every way
Since some of the leaders we choose us too does betray.

It Is Always Hard To Be Happy

It is always hard to be happy when your life goals you pursue
But that you can only be responsible for your own happiness happens to be true
Those who expect others to make them happy in their thinking do not have it right
Since such a terrminal happiness can die in a night
The person who has found new love may feel reason to smile
But for most people such a happiness only lasts for a short while
And the pain of lost love does linger for years
And can only be healed in the shedding of tears
Those who believe that the accumulation of large amounts of  money will make them happy have got it all wrong
Since to the similar source of stress and worry money belong
If money could make you happy there would not be one unhappy billionaire
But such is the case is such people are rare
They have become very endangered of extinction the free of care
And this is only saying something of most are aware.

On John Clare's 'I AM'

The poem of mental illness "I Am' was wwritten in Northampton Asylum by Helpston's John Clare
Poets of his calibre then as now are quite rare
A true meaning of a mental ilness existence through poetic eyes
How great his  poem was to become back then he would not realize
From the pen of a literary genius a cry of despair
Even on good and gifted people life is not always fair
In Northampton Asylum he breathed his last
But his poem "I Am'  lives today as a cry from the past
Of a poet who was struggling with his inner strife
Of his mind's torment and the meaning of life
Of a mentally ill person living in poverty
His great poem 'I Am' tells of the reality
That mentally ill people face in life every day
People like John Clare for fame such a price have to pay.

Thursday, May 5, 2022

On The Passing Of Dotie Corkery

Born to life as Nora Corkery in Derreen west of Millstreet Town
Where on old Clarabeg as ever looks down
To live as a good person her claim to fame
Dotie for her was her given nickname

Dotie was not born into the World to be anyone's wife
To the god she believed in she devoted her life
As a nun of the Sisters Of Charity she breathed her last
Though in Millstreet good memories of her remain from the past

Though this is going back many Seasons in time
Dotie was a beautiful young woman in her life's prime
So holy and humble untainted by conceit or guile
On her beautiful face she always had a beautiful smile

A comment on Dotie by Muriel Ryan on the Millstreet Web Site only too true
When in her written words she paid to her school friend the credit she was due
The highest respect in words of the to be Sister Nora she did pay
When she wrote that Dotie of anyone never had a bad word to say.

In Drishane Cemetery in Millstreet not far from where she first saw light of day
The last remains of the beautiful Dotie Corkery lay
Through her life as a spiritual person she did grow
As one of those rare people who had the inner glow.

No Longer His Wife

After twenty two years of marriage she is no longer his wife
With her present husband she hopes to grow old in life
Their son and daughter now young adults with lives of their own
And apart from each other in their ways they had grown
After work he spent a few hours with his mates in the pub
And she found new love in her local book club
They separated amicably she lives with her new husband today
It is each to their own as the wise one does say
That he is happily single the fact he does not hide
With the rare one night stand he is quite satisfied
He enjoys his time with his mates in the pub talking of football
Some men they are not that hard to please at all
His former wife loved him for awhile but of him due to his life interests grew tired
And now she is with the sort of man she desired.

On Willie Wagtails

Willie Wagtails are birds one does see every day
Black and white they are quite distinctive of them one can say
The male has white on his eyebrows which differentiate
Him from the female his similar looking mate

In a neat cup shaped nest of lichen felted with spider webs on low fork of tree
Thee female lay pale brown dotted eggs of mostly three
In Spring the male often sings during the night
And male and female hunt for insects on the ground in daylight

Willie wagtails are quite aggressive for their size
One can say of them they never cease to surprise
Aggression from them not an uncommon sight
From their territory they put bigger birds to flight

Quite fearless in defense of their territory
Small black and white birds one does often see
In city and town parks and in the countryside
Their range is huge they live Australia wide.

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

People Age Rather Quickly

People age rather quickly beyond their lives prime
And eventually everybody does run out of time
But it can be said it is a slip of the tongue
To say the old are always outlived by the young
The words of a wise woman remain with me
When she said on how long anyone does live there is no guarantee
The grandfather in his eighties is living today
And his grand daughter in her thirties where the deceased are does lay
For as long as you can do try to live on
No second chance of life when the last breath from your body has gone
Humans are born as mere mortals when all is said and done
And tomorrow will dawn but not for everyone
That the young outlive the old is based on a lie
And the longer you live the sooner you will die.

The Old Poet

So many memorable poems and songs he did write
For others to sing and enjoy and recite
But he will never more be at the pub's hour of song
To join in the chorus of the sing along
At community gatherings his was a known face
And nobody capable of taking his place
He is now at rest with the town's forever gone
But in his poems and songs memories of him live on
The best of the poets of all of the town
His fame did transcend the local renown
When his body did finally surrender to time
He was in his eighties well past his physical prime
The last breath of life from the Old Poet has gone
But his legacy of beautiful words do live on.

Where A Hero Was Needed

Many said as a football player he was not good enough
That he did not play hard when the going did get tough
But he was the hero of the Grand Final Day
And for him the club fans shouted a loud hooray
He kicked the goal for the club that won the Premiership Flag
And gave the club members and the fans a good reason to brag
He was the player who did count when it mattered most
And that evening in the town pubs to him they drank a toast
But all of that for him was a long time ago
Going back the years some three decades or so
When it mattered most his part he did play
But due to a motor car accident he is in a wheelchair today
On Grand Final Day he was best on ground
Where a hero was needed he was to be found.

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

In The Story Of Boris Becker

From a wealthy and famous sportsman to one who did fail
Six times Grand Slam tennis winner Boris Becker sentenced to serve time in jail
Sentenced for fraud after declaring bankruptcy a few years ago
From wealth and fame to poverty and disgrace for him happens to be so
Sentencing Judge Deborah Taylor at Southwaark Crown Court said the German sporting great lacked in humility
We dislike in others what we dislike in our selves in her too may be
That it is only a World for winners the truth one must face
Boris Becker one who had many admirers is now in disgrace
Though this is going back many Seasons in time
For a while he was the World's number one tennis player in his physical prime
His friends and fans of the past do not admire him today
That life is for winners only true to say
In the story of Boris Becker a lesson for all
Those who climb the highest have the furthest to fall.

Only Of The Few

So much about the war in the media every day
Being waged on Ukraine by Russia from here far away
A war that has given rise to millions of refugees and where many have been injured or have died
And where towns and villages and cities by bombings have been destroyed
Women and children raped and physically abused
And murdered in war crimes that cannot be excused
That war can bring out the worst in human beings cannot be denied
The mass graves of  Ukraine have their secrets to hide
The sad news from Ukraine that comes to us every day
Is of the bad side of humanity that is there on display
War of humanity brings out the darker side
In conflicts through decades of time in Countries Worldwide
What is happening in Ukraine in war nothing new
The wars without crimes only of the few.

Above The Brown Bogland

Above the brown bogland in the prime of the Spring
The male mottled brown skylark whilst ascending does sing
A musical speck in the gray of the sky
He never stops singing as upwards he does fly
His partner on the ground sits in her grass nest
With four bluish dark spotted eggs warming to life beneath her breast
In a few weeks she will have young for to raise
Nature she never does cease to amaze
A famous and widely known airborne bird of song
Once heard that one never again can get wrong
For their beautiful singing greatly admired
Lovers of Nature to write of them often inspired
A male skylark is singing in the dawning gray
Above the brown bogland on a morning in May.

Monday, May 2, 2022

Time Has become His Master

Time  has become his master he is eighty three
He is not the man that he used to be
The town's greatest athlete in his physical prime
Though this is going back many decades in time
When he was the town's greatest athlete
Handsome, slim and tall and quick on his feet
A former Olympian and three times National eight hundred metres champion and one of the World's best
And seldom found to be wanting then when put to the test
Eight times a great granddad divorced from his wife
Who feels happy to have a new man in her life
Had he given up running with him she would have stayed
But even to save his marriage too much of a sacrifice for him to have made
Rain, hail or shine he jogs every day
Though nowadays his fastest pace slow in truth one can say.

In Millstreet Today

From the fields of my youth i am ageing far away
And to many in Millstreet i would be a stranger today
I last saw Duhallow thirty six years ago
And since time that ages has become my foe
I may never again walk to where the waterways meet
In the rushy old fields near the Town of Millstreet
And many i knew there not in Millstreet today
Some of them deceased and others from there live far away
Yet the memories of what was in me does remain
Of old Clara half cloaked in the gray fogs of rain
And the breeding frogs croaking in the watery drain
The past in my memories i visit again
In distance today from there i am ageing far away
And to many i would be a stranger in Millstreet today.

Lord Byron

His name today lives as one worthy of literary note
There is no doubt Lord Byron was a major poet
He died as a young man in his poetic prime
But his biting satire has lived on in time
Byron supported the Greeks in a war with the Turks and at Missolonghi he became very ill and died
As well as being wealthy, adventurous and idealistic courage of him cannot be denied
His brief love affair with Lady Caroline Lamb ended for her in tears
Her supposed description of him has outlived her by almost two century of years
She said he was mad and bad and dangerous to know
Around the coining of this phrase a legend did grow
Of him and his adventurous life many stories written about
That Byron was one of England's greatest poets there can be little doubt
Since Byron died many Seasons have come and have gone
But his poems remain popular and his legend lives on.

Sunday, May 1, 2022

Of More Human Friends

Future generations of people may not be privileged to see
In their wild state creatures that are quite familiar to me
As extinction for many species of wildlife in time is not far away
And this seems a sad thing for to have to say
Australian children of the future may never see
A koala sleeping or eating leaves on a manna gum tree
The future not good for the wildborn and free
A sad thing to contemplate would you not agree?
Less wildlife to see and less birds for to sing
In time we may not be that distant from the first Silent Spring
Due to human destruction of their habitat and Climate Change
Many species of wildlife becoming rare in their common range
Nature and Mother Earth who all of us does feed
Of more human friends are of badly in need.

Nowhere To Hide

Time it will not always be on your side 
From old age and death there is nowhere to hide
That we are born to mortality is not a lie
And the longer you live the sooner you will die
The one who does not respect money and fame  
The Reaper of lives treat all lives as the same
Sooner or later on some night or day
The one known as death you a visit will pay
To the monarch like the pauper life's journey must end
Life's Reaper to anyone is not a friend
Many who thought they were irreplaceable among the forever gone
And life in the World without them goes on
The babies born yesterday ageing today
And death on their lives will have the final say

The Gray Roos At Tower Hill

The gray roos at Tower Hill seldom seen out by day
Resting among the high scrub from view most of them hidden away
Though a minority of them venture out from cover to graze in the daylight
They are mostly nocturnal creatures of the night
Up to a few centuries ago hunted for food by Tower Hill's first people the Peek Wurrong
In Tower Hill they had their Corroborees of dance and song
Dispossessed from their lands and it seems sad to say
No Peek Wurrong person in Tower Hill today
In the flesh in Illowa never to hunt again
But the descendants of the kangaroos they hunted in Tower Hill remain
Today in Tower Hill there are gray kangaroo 
But never a drone of a didgeridoo
And the Peek Wurrong only live in name
To be Tower Hill's first people their great claim to fame