The Pride Of Woodford

Her wavy shoulder length hair is as dark as the wing of a crow
The Pride of Woodford where the dark Merri flow
As with scarcely a ripple it creeps on it's way
Near the end of it's long Journey at Lady Bay
The finest of Woodford close to her physical prime
One of her can say on her side she has time
At the end of her teen years she is only nineteen
The World out there for her to be seen
In Woodford in south west Victoria one who will not stay
She daydreams of big cities from there far away
From near where the dark Merri to the ocean crawls slow
The yearn for adventure in her young mind does grow
With shoulder length wavy dark hair and eyes of light brown
The Pride of Woodford a south west Victoria small Town.

Of Nature I Know Little

Of Nature i know little in truth i can say
But of her i do learn some thing new every day
And the more i learn of her the more i realize
That her secrets are many this not a surprise
Everywhere i turn to look her beauty i do see
Every day it is everywhere all around me
A beauty to view to everyone that is free
That we never do have to pay for to see
The artists and writers her beauty does inspire
And of singing her praises some never do tire
But the more we learn of her the more our wonder of her does grow
And so little of her ways we realize we do know
Her beauty is all around me every day
A beauty for to see that i do not have to pay.

Got It All Wrong

It is true of time it does weaken the strong
And those who believe that some are not equal to others have got it all wrong
Since death is for everyone is true to say
And the Reaper of lives makes all equal one day
But if you are very wealthy a difference to the lives of some people you can make
And live as a good person for humanity's sake
But you have got it all wrong if in your thoughts you believe
That you were born into life only for to receive
For the betterment of humanity we all have some part for to play
And everyone can make a difference in some sort of a way
By being more compassionate and kind to those doing it tough
Who due to their poverty are condemned to live and sleep rough
For to be kind to others is not hard it does seem
And it can be quite helpful to one's self esteem.

In The Moyne Shire Today

The sun behind gray clouds is hidden away
It has been raining in the Moyne Shire since before daybreak today
But of the quick change in the weather i have not heard one complain
Since the dry countryside is in need of rain
For March thus far in the Moyne Shire it has been quite warm and dry
And why even more rain is needed no need to ask why
Since the weather forecast it has more dry and warm days ahead
And the farmers hopes of a financially profitable Autumn seem quite close to dead
The plagues of locusts and black crickets to them have come at a huge financial cost
Since by the grasshoppers much grass has been devoured and crops to them lost
And at Autumn a time of year when grass growth it is slow
More rain it is needed for grass for to grow
Though in the weather forecast more warm and dry weather is on the way
It is raining and windy in the Moyne Shire today.

Those Who Have Love In Them

Those who have love in them are known for to travel far
To war zones of the World to help the victims of war
They never join armies where people other people are trained for to kill
And they have not been known for to wish on others ill
Those who have love in them are kind in their way
And are known to perform good deeds every day
In word or deed they never put anyone down
And are surely an asset to their side of the town
Yet of most of their kind heroes and heroines not made
And in their honor never a street parade
On kindness and compassion they do lead the way
And the World better for them in it only true for to say
Those who have love in them are great people indeed
And of more of their sort the Human World is in need.

They Never Receive Genuine Respect

They never receive genuine respect though respect they demand
Those who need power over others i will never understand
They do have in them this great need to control
The people afflicted by darkness of soul

Like the weeds of the garden that stifle every flower
They rise up the ranks to positions of power
Their authority they abuse in quite an abusive way
And so many of their sort in the Human World of today

Abuse of power is the source of the most serious crime
By power hungry people over centuries of time
In crimes against humanity and in genocide
Millions of good and decent people have died

Those who never abuse their power are good people indeed
And for their future good karma are planting the seed
And i am not saying anything that is in any way new
When i say of their kind in the World far too few

They abuse their power in an abusive way
And their sort are not rare in the Human World of today
The people who in their minds do firmly believe
That by being disrespectful to others respect in return they ought to receive.

The Babbling Blackwater

In the fields of Duhallow where the rushes in clusters grow
The babbling Blackwater towards Mallow Town flow
Where it has flowed forever and will forever more
On it's journey towards Youghal to the Atlantic shore
The river that surely is as old as time
That has been the inspiration of song, story and rhyme
From the hills of the Cork Kerry border it babbles on it's way
On it's journey to saltwater by night and by day
It was flowing for thousands of centuries before the first people came
In a countryside then that did not have a name
Eventually time of every life form becomes the foe
But the waterways flow on though the years come and go
To the old rushy country from here far away
Where the dark brown Blackwater is babbling today.

You Can Only Be

You can only be the best that you can be
And be kind to others and live honestly
And if in word or deed you never put anyone down
You are surely a credit to your side of the town
And always be willing to help those of your helping in need
On so doing you are planting for yourself Karma's good seed
They do live successful lives those who give to receive
On compassion and kindness is rewarded by good things you do believe
The praises of the wealthy and famous the impressionable may sing
But success in itself is a relative thing
Those who are kind and compassionate one can only admire
Since to be caring and kinder others they do inspire
Success can be relative is how it seems to be
At least anyhow this is how it seems to me.

Brave Dan

Brave Dan says he has earned his every hair of gray
As a young man he fought in a war far away
A decorated ex soldier though his medals for bravery he never display
He is rather humble of him one might say

Ten times a grandfather divorced by his wife
One who does not have stories of an easy life
Of war he has many sad stories to tell
Though for one in his eighties he looks fit and well

Brave Dan will tell you he is not one to brag
Though he was best on ground when the football club won the flag
When he kicked the winning goal the fans were singing loud
Of such a great memory should he not feel proud

Brave Dan is a man people ought to admire
He tells of how he saved widow Zoff when her house was on fire
He broke down the door and dragged her through the smoke
The octogenarian brave fellow is a legendary bloke

To tell his fictitious stories of his greatness he is all too inclined
Brave Dan is a legend only in his own mind
And in fairness to him he believes his own lies
And every fictitious story he tells to another gives rise.

To Be Flawed Is To Be Human

Even the best of people are flawed in some way
To be flawed is to be human in truth one can say
Though some far more flawed than others is also quite true
And to every good living person honor and respect is her or his due
Though i have been to many places walked on many a street
A living saint is one i have yet for to meet
But what some look for in others they only do see
And i dislike in others what i dislike in me
It is said of pride it comes before a fall
Many of the wealthy are quite greedy in their ways and not nice people at all
But some of them who have been declared bankrupt have committed suicide
They have chosen death over living with a loss of pride
And in a Human World where somebody's loss becomes another's gain
That to be flawed is to be human the fact does remain.

We All Need A Dream

Although your dream for you it may not come true
We all need a dream in life for to pursue
A dream of success that you hope to achieve
On what you yearn for in life for to believe
You may be a poor one on the poor side of the town
Struggling to cope and financially down
But this does not mean you should not dream of success
And of living the good life at a fashionable address
Though only a minority their life dream realize
Above poverty people have been known to rise
But the one without hope as a pauper will stay
And live as a poor person till her or his life's final day
It will not help you to tell yourself life is unfair
Your dream can help you to rise above despair.

So Little I Do Know

I have not learned that much from life since i went to school
Far north of Illowa in the Moyne Shire close to Warrnambool
In Millstreet Town in Duhallow near where i lived for many years
For the what used to be i have shed my last tears

On my seventieth year i have come to realize so little of life i do know
But my wonderment at the ways of Nature never does cease to grow
And though knowledge is boundless it is not a lie
That from life we never stop learning till the day we do die

To know it all people ignorance has to be bliss
That they do know little the point they do miss
Since they believe they know it all they are lucky indeed
Of knowledge of any sort they are not in need

So little of people and nature i know of years past my life's prime
And since i am one of those who is running out of time
So little i do know i have come to realize
But we learn as we live in the words of the wise.

I Have Written Rhymes

I have written rhymes of the birds and the bees
of animals and flowers and of bushes and trees
And people on my travels i have met or known
My rhymes come from me and them i will not disown
One addicted to rhyming i well may be
It was my love of rhyme made a rhymer of me
I add to my numbers of rhymes every day
As a rhymer i live and as a rhymer i will stay
With rhyme words i am one who does love to play
I will rhyme till life's reaper comes reaping my way
In the world of literature rhymers not to the fore
And the literary critics my sort do ignore
And though the best years of my life in the forever gone
For as long as i can do i will be rhyming on.

George

A story of true love for me for to tell
George loved his beautiful partner Rhonda when she was younger and feeling well
Before the passing of time did bring gray to her hair
And he has loved her since a massive stroke confined her to a wheelchair

Of his devotion to Rhonda there is not any doubt
The story of George is what love is about
He remains true to her in her time of greatest need
He is one of honor and a great person indeed

True love does not have borders is a fact of life that is well known
Those who do love truly their feelings never disown
George will love Rhonda till death them will part
Their love for each other is more than a brief affair of the heart

Because of so called love some women of their husbands or partners live in fear
Of women being bashed by men far too many stories we read of and hear
Violence against to gain power over another is not love in any way
That love is not about abusing or controlling is only true for to say

I know of a few true men George is one by name
Though he may die as he lives as a stranger to fame
But his wheelchair bound partner Rhonda remains the great love of his life
A real man does not bash or abuse his partner or wife.

On Their Ruthless Climb

Far too many On their climb to wealth and renown
Are only too willing for to drag others down
That to come by money in a deceptive way
Is only good business and morally quite okay
But when they themselves are cheated out of money they classify it as a crime
That ought to be punished by years of prison time
For the offending person though for themselves it is quite okay
To become materially wealthy in a deceptive way
Call this double standards or call it what you may
The hypocritical are many in the Human World of today
Their sort are without any compassion at all
In their way of thinking they do seem quite small
They see it as okay for to drag others down
On their ruthless climb to wealth and renown.

He Says Far Too Many

He says far too many compassionate people in the Country on saying that he has it all wrong
If this is his idea of what is compassion the gene of compassion in him is not strong
For the hungry and homeless he has little pity for asylum seekers he does not have any tears
Though they are punished for being poor and stateless by being kept in detention for years
His idea of compassion to many quite different he feels that it is quite okay
That poor people who flee drought stricken areas and war zones deserve for to be locked away
In conditions far worse than most normal prisons though to want a safe life is their only crime
In detention centers surrounded by barbed wire they spend years of their time
Some people on their idea of a fair go disappoint me but each to their own as they say
But sadly he is only one of many who do look on human life on this way
Poor people who due to war and hunger are forced for to flee their homeland
For years incarcerated in detention centers something i struggle to understand
He said far too many compassionate people too easily moved to empathy
For the stateless asylum seekers though with him i did disagree.

A Warm March Day In South Western Victoria

The day is warm and sunny the paddocks brown and dry
The locusts in their billions flying in the southern sky
They are in plague proportions they strip the paddocks bare
Because of them they are financially poorer the farmers are aware
A March day in south western Victoria near the City of Warrnambool
Teenage girls and boys are swimming in a dark Merri River pool
The weather very warm for the Autumn of the year
With a warm breeze from the ocean the sunny sky is blue and clear
Looking like an Indian Summer the aging man does say
The weather glass is at a high it is thirty degrees today
The long range weather forecast in it has little rain
The creeks flowing in a trickle and bone dry every drain
And the locusts in their billions flying in the southern sky
They strip the paddocks bare of grass leaving the exposed ground cracked and dry.

The Years Go By Quickly

The years go by quickly beyond our lives prime
And eventually everyone runs out of time
Some proud of appearance do cover their gray
But hair dyes and anti aging creams does not keep aging at bay
For everyone there is a last night and day
And time on our lives does keep ticking away
The one to live forever has not been born as of yet
Though some very wealthy people this tend to forget
The monarch, president and celebrity and the billionaire
The Reaper of lives any life does not spare
Like all other life forms us human are born to die
Just a mere fact of life and fact never lie
The Reaper of lives between the lives of the unknown and the so called great
Is not one who ever does differentiate.

Those With Lots Of Love In Them

Those with lots of love in them are generous, caring and kind
And to the helping of those in need of helping are readily inclined
They are known to perform their good deeds every day
They do look at life in a positive way
The people who give without expecting to receive
That they are in the World for the betterment of humanity they do believe
Those with lots of love in them have an abundance of love in their mind
In refugee camps and war zones helping the wounded and hungry their sort you will find
In the towns and cities helping those sleeping rough
They devote so much of their time to those doing it tough
Of news headline makers never to the fore
But the Human World of their sort is in need of far more
For a better World to live in for the very poor they are planting the seed
Those with lots of love in them are great people indeed.

Have You In Your Moments

Have you in your moments of self reflection of your worth as a person do doubt
And feel your life for you is leading to nowhere and you are down though not yet quite out
But your will to live keeps you on going in hopes of better times of you ahead
And hope is only for the living it does not apply to the dead

You feel the whole World is against you that you are one without a friend
And at times you feel quite suicidal and think of bringing your life to an end
But the fear of death is a real fear one reason you wish to live on
And you do retain some hope for the future that the worst days in your life for you have gone

For many years you have been battling your deep and dark moods of despair
And you realize there is no point to others complaining that life to you it is unfair
You know they would not wish to hear of your troubles or care if your sorrows have grown
They only observe the unwritten commandment in life it is each to their own

There are so many like you in life who are struggling for to cope
Who for better times in the future can only live in hope
Life can be so lonely for one financially and mentally down
Yet there are many like you on your side of the town.

The Grumpy And The Moody

You can tell grumpy people by their body language or tone of voice
On how we do treat others we surely have a choice
On to be cordial in your greetings there is not a monetary price
It does not cost you anything in money to be nice
Of grumpy and moody people most do not wish to know
In truth one can say of them that they lack in the inner glow
They always seem so serious seems so hard for them to smile
At least they are what they appear to be and they seem free of guile
Yet i am one of many who is attracted to a smiling face
Wherever to they do go they bring joy to the place
Everyone is different as the wise one does say
But it takes a happy person for to bring joy to your day
I only can be nice to people who are nice to me
And the grumpy and the moody to their ways i leave them be.

The Former Pride Of Bushfield

She was the former Pride of Bushfield but this was a long time ago
She has lost the most of her beauty time becomes everyone's foe
A divorced grandmother in her mid sixties with dark hair dye she covers her gray
The beauty of the nineteen seventies is far from a beauty today
Overweight by many kilos not what she once used to be
Since she was the Rose of Bushfield many Seasons she did see
A favorite of the young men of Warrnambool when in her glorious prime
Now single without a partner she too has become a victim of time
Most single older males like younger women one might say this is a male thing
It is not the praises of older women males in the pub like to sing
That she was the former Pride of Bushfield to her no advantage today
That young women claim most male attention does seem a true thing to say
The beauty of the nineteen seventies is surely on the decline
It can be said of most people that they do not age like good wine.

This Is How Human Life Does Work

Birth circumstance, war and drought these three
Among the main causes of extreme poverty
Who would wish to be stateless or homeless or a refugee
In life lady luck she has been kind to me
Millions are hungry, displaced and homeless in the World of today
Yet the misfortune that did befall them not their fault in any way
In a Human World of inequality the social gap growing ever wide
Millions of people poor not through their own fault born without luck on their side
Poor from the day they were born people who battle the odds
Condemned to live in hell for their lifetimes the children of the lesser gods
Compared to them i feel lucky life has been kinder on me
So many doing it far tougher living in dire poverty
Condemned in life to be losers though this they never did choose
This is how human life does work for one to win others must lose.

A Warm March Day In Illowa

In the mostly blue sky just a few clouds of gray
It is warm and sunny in Illowa today
Quite warm for March in the far southern Fall
It does not feel that much like Autumn at all
The song of the magpies so pleasant to hear
The birds who do sing every day of the year
From mid Winter to late Spring they often sing at night
How nice to hear them warbling in the moonlight
A warm Autumn day in Illowa close to thirty degrees
And white butterflies dancing in the timid breeze
Attracted to the yellow flowers of the mustard weed
With so little time for to mate and to breed
The black and white cattle in the shade of the trees chewing their cuds lay
In Illowa in the afternoon of a March day.

Thought Can Make A Fool Of Us

Many of the wealthy and famous to the ways of time have gone
In their passing they proved to be expendable life without them goes on
Their wealth and their money did not keep them alive
The sharp scythe of Life's Reaper none known to survive
The one who does not respect money or fame
The lives of the wealthy and poor to life's Reaper the same
The fact is all of us humans are born to die
And as is said of fact it never does lie
Many who thought they were irreplaceable in cemeteries lay
And life without them it does go on today
Some of us with our sense of self importance can get carried away
That thought can make a fool of us seems true to say
We age rather quickly beyond our life's prime
And eventually we all become victims of time.

Sheila Barry

There are good days and bad days in life one can say
Sad news out of Millstreet Sheila Barry has passed away
A woman who did lead by good example in life
As a good mother to her children and to Patsy Barry a good wife

A woman well worthy of death's parting tears
A resident of Murphy's Terrace for decades of years
So humble in her ways and free of conceit
She will be sadly missed from the Town of Millstreet

In our journey in life to bear always some cross
Her family, relatives and friends can only grieve at her loss
And only good memories are left to retain
Of one never to be seen in the flesh again

Since death is a part of life it seems to be
The farewell bell that rang for her will ring for you and me
Due to her kind ways in life she made many a friend
Though sadly her journey has come to an end

To live as a good person is a just claim to renown
Sheila Barry will be sadly missed from Millstreet Town
Hope her parting from life for her was a painless release
By Cashman's Hill in St Mary's she now is at peace.

Kathy Baulch's Sheep

Kathy Baulch is a woman who does like sheep
A small flock of them on her land she does keep
Without a ram in numbers they cannot increase
Their lot is to age in contentment and peace

In the warm days of Summer them one often does see
Sitting chewing their cuds in the shade of the old red gum tree
Content in their old age and of any stress free
As sheep they are lucky as most would agree

Some of Kathy's sheep do not have a tooth in their mouth
Whilst some lay chewing their cuds others are stretched out
Content and relaxed in the cool of the shade
One can say of Kathy's sheep they have it made

In Kathy they do have a good human mate
Their meat will never be on a dinner plate
Most sheep for human consumption are born to die
To say Kathy's sheep were born to be lucky is not telling a lie

In the cool shade of the red gum in the heat of the day
Some of them stretched out some of them chewing their cuds lay
In the heat of the afternoon Kathy Baulch's sheep
An image of contentment in the memory for to keep.

Millstreet An Old Town

It's many famous people one of it's claims to renown
Millstreet in view of Clara a very famous Town
Of green old Duhallow a gem in the crown
For it's people and races of black, white and brown

For it's hospitable people Millstreet is quite well known
Where every visitor is welcomed as one of their own
One of the more multicultural rural Towns in the Ireland of today
Where many people make their homes in from Lands far away

One can say in truth far too many to name
Of Millstreet people who have known of fame
People for their achievements who are known far and wide
Who hail from the Town in Duhallow's green old countryside

To people of many a different culture and religion and race
Millstreet has become known as a welcoming place
If ever you visit the Town of Millstreet
People of varying backgrounds you surely will meet

A Town in full view of high Claramore
What can be said of Millstreet that has not been said before
By people who have visited there for a holiday
Or people from elsewhere who live there today

For it's hospitable people it has become widely known
Millstreet an old Town with a charm of it's own
Multicultural by nature and multicultural by name
But this only one of it's many claims to fame.

Not Of The Few

When i say the judgmental are not of the few
You may say to this do tell us what is new
You are judged by your take home pay and the size of your car
Wherever people socialize the judgmental are

Though on the equality of people the broad minded insist
They are talking of something that does not exist
Equality never has been or never will be
Though this is quite a sad thing would you not agree

We have learned as we live since we learned how to crawl
But there is no such a thing as a fair go for all
Since money has become so much a part of human life
Even among wealthy people inequality is rife

And judgmental people who on their right to judge take pride
Play their part in upholding the social divide
Like judgmental people of inequality the Human World will never be free
Suppose this is how it is and it always will be.

For Claraghatlea Near Millstreet Town

For Claraghatlea near Millstreet town i have shed my last tears
For i have not been back there for three decades of years
I retain fond memories of the place where i first saw light of day
And where i grew from a boy to a man before time left me gray
I retain fond memories of the rushy fields near the Town of Millstreet
In view of old Clara's bracken hill where the waterways do meet
Where i first grew to love Nature when i was a young boy
And learning of her ways today to me a source of joy
Claraghatlea just west of Millstreet Town was my first home-place
But where i was known to everyone today mine to most would be a stranger's face
I left there thirty years ago in December's drizzling rain
And the old fields that i used to love i may not see again
The now is what does matter as the wise person does say
And at 12 a m this evening the past will be today.

Such A Wonderful Thing

Those who do live in the poor side of the town
Who can laugh at life though financially down
Are people that one does have to admire
For to survive the hard times they have what it does require

They are the victims of birth circumstance
And of success in life they do stand little chance
Though they are very poor they never complain
And hope for a better future they do retain

That they can laugh though they live in poverty
Is quite admirable would you not agree
With their tough situations they have learned how to cope
Where there is laughter there also is hope

To despair they refuse for to give in
Their will to survive it does come from within
Laughter it does bring some joy to their day
And in their minds do keep the black moods at bay

Laughter it is such a wonderful thing
Some joy to the poorest it even does bring
One has to admire the financially down
Who can laugh at life in the poor side of town.

To Be One Of A Famed Family

To be one of a famed family of feathered songsters his main claim to renown
He sings every day in the park of the town
Why he sings in all Seasons i leave it to those who know Nature better to explain
In all sorts of weather wind, sunshine or rain
In town parks, woods and paddocks of the countryside
The black and white Australian magpies are known Nationwide
Familiar in their appearance and in their warbling song
Once seen and once heard one can never again get them wrong
Territorial birds many of them in years known to live long
Their natural strong links to territory remains ever strong
Till of old age or some other reason they eventually die
That they are Nature's survivors of them not a lie
He sings to warn his neighbor kind to stay clear of his territory those who know of Nature say
And i do hear him warbling in the park every day.

I May Never Again See

I may never again see Hibernia's shore
Or climb on old Clara above Claramore
And eat whortleberries on an evening in July
Above me the brown lark caroling in the gray sky
In the Autumn of my life years beyond my physical prime
I am one of those on the wrong side of time
Though for what used to be i have shed my last tears
And i only have memories now of long gone years
We can only live in the now as the wise one does say
Of late i have come to see life in this way
On this beautiful March day in early Autumn in the park by the bay
The sun it is shining in sky of blue and gray
The black and white magpie larks are calling pee wee
And Nature at her loveliest is all around me.

A Statement Of Fact

A statement of fact that to many is known
From the seeds of negativity success cannot be sown
And though arrogance often does come from success
This is not a high price to pay for wealth and fame nonetheless
From every negative individual the negativity does come from within
The feeling you get that you never can win
For a negative person look no further than me
Of my inhibitions i may never be free
We all are variable in our differences in truth one can say
And few look at life in exactly the same way
But negativity and positivity apart the fact does remain
That one person's loss becomes another person's gain
But that negativity cannot breed success is definitely not a lie
It is as much a fact as we are born to die.

Of Beautiful Women

In a town where women of beauty are not rare
I am too old to worry and too old to care
Of beautiful women in their physical prime
An aging balding fellow on the wrong side of time
One the years has left looking wrinkled and gray
I am one who has known of a better day
Of life one might say i am in my late Fall
And beautiful young women no longer interest me at all
Just like an old tractor puffing along
Physically i used to be one of the average strong
The company of young women i used to enjoy years ago
But time that rusts iron has become my foe
And i have reached the stage of life that i have come to realize
That most young women like young men this is not a surprise.

To Say The Least Rare

He or she in a lifetime to say the least rare
Have gone through life without some cross to bear
Who in their adult lives have never known sorrow or shed any tears
And in good health and contentment did live their last years
Life for so many people is so very tough
So many are hungry and living and sleeping rough
So many grieving for loved ones who from life have passed away
Those without some care or worry are quite rare today
An unhappy person is one not hard to meet
And to do so you need not visit poverty street
Sad to say in the Human World the fact does remain
That one person's loss becomes another's gain
And those who go through life without some cross for to bear
For to only say the least are very rare.

Protecting Your Seed

In sexual drive with it's source in pleasure in most people a need
Linked in nature as the survival of our genes one of the main reasons we breed
This is what is known to some as protecting your seed
Us humans like most other creatures are quite complex indeed

The truth in Einstein's theory of relativity seems quite hard for one to deny
Not unlike wild rabbits us humans in numbers multiply
And like rabbits many of our kind in shootings and due to diseases at a young age do die
I only state fact here and fact never lie

Wild rabbits due to their damage to the natural environment by most people not held in high esteem
But us humans are more damaging than they are to the environment or so it does seem
We do not seem to realize that the World is for us to live in and with others creatures to share
Because of us many non human species are extinct or becoming rare

Sexual pleasure in humans and all other life forms strongly linked to the survival of d n a
Since we too are creatures of nature and this is nature's way
Of ensuring our survival though i am quite wrong on this many would say
But it is each to their own and make of this what you may.

When You Call It Your Country

When you call it your country you have got it all wrong
Since your country owns you and to it you belong
People come to and from life go but the country remain
And that your country owns you do i need to explain
You may wave the flag of your country for to honor the brave
Who went to war for it and are now in their grave
But why should anyone die for what they in reality do not own
You can only love your country by living for it since the dead cannot love a fact that is known
When you call it your country you believe your own lie
For mortals cannot own a country since mortals do die
And you do not love your country by waving your national flag
For flags are human creations and a patriotic brag
How can you own something that in reality owns you
I only do say what is obviously true.

The Dancer

She is in her mid seventies and heavy on her feet
And with the younger dancers she cannot hope to compete
But when the music starts she is first on the floor
And she dances on for two hours sometimes more
The dancer she may have seen a far better day
But she is one who does not see life in this way
She will tell you that dancing is an antidote to tears
She has been a dancer since she was young in years
Her husband a war veteran died two years ago
Though she did grieve his passing she will not allow grief to become her foe
Ten times a grandmother she does not bow to time
Though it has been many years since she was in her physical prime
At the R S L club on a Saturday night
For two hours she dances to her hearts delight.

For Every Writer

For every writer a no inspiration day
When on paper you do not have anything for to say
You cannot think of anything for to write about
Today for you writing does seem to be out
The writers blocks you have had in you have quickly expired
Tomorrow to write again you may feel inspired
That writers block is for real as most writers know all too well
Frustrating days without writing of they have to tell
Writers with writers block on their block days for self do feel sad
Suppose in life one must take the good with the bad
Some days inspiration is blocked in the mind
And the words for to write the writer cannot find
For every writer a no inspiration day
You win some and lose some life is this way.

On The Passing Of Danny Spooner

His devoted fans will never join in the refrain
With the great Danny Spooner in a sea shanty again
The singer of old songs has lived the last night and day
Of a life journey that began for him in England far away

From Daylesford in central Victoria where he had lived for many years
News of his passing has left many of his fans in tears
For the collector and singer of old songs perhaps one if not the last of his kind
At singing of sea shanties and telling of old stories none as great as he was comes to mind

At music festivals in Australia Danny and his tiny musical squeeze box became well known
Over decades in time his fans in numbers had grown
A fuzzy haired and fuzzy bearded broad shouldered man
Perhaps in his eighties of time quite a span

Danny Spooner has died though the legend lives on
Of one of the last links to Seasons long gone
For his old stories and sea shanties of England he became known far and wide
Great memories of him will live on in tape though his body has died

At music festivals in Australia never more to be heard and seen
But great memories of Danny will remain evergreen
In all who did love him and it would be true to say
That he was one who gained new friends and new fans every day.

Diana The Beautiful

Not many true stories and lots of old wives tales
Of Diana the beautiful deceased Princess of Wales
Of how she lived and of how she died
On some ways she did not have luck on her side

Along with her driver and her partner Dodi Al Fayed she died in a car crash in France
Of surviving the massive impact all three did not stand a chance
Being pursued by the paparazzi as she had been for years
The news of her passing in many gave rise to tears

Like every other human being not one without a flaw
But to be flawed is to be human is part of natural law
She lived as a great person for to give to her what is her due
And that she deserved a far better ending to her life only happens to be true

For her work on behalf of anti land mines and the poor and for her kindness of heart
From most other royals one who did stand apart
But it was escaping harassment from the pursuing paparazzi why even otherwise pretend
That brought about for her an untimely and a premature end

For her endorsement of worthy human causes she carried the flame
Diana who lost her life due to her fame
Quite a beautiful looking woman in some ways quite shy
That the good do die young in her case does apply.

Though I Am Getting On In Years

Though i am getting on in years i have good hearing and good eyes
And i am lucky in my life i have come to realize
I have good health and in any way not physically impaired
And of any afflictions or illnesses one of the lucky to have been spared
I do not have any reason for to complain
Since i have never suffered of any physical prolonged ache or pain
Of most allergies and their sort i do live free
It does seem lady luck she is smiling on me
So many people have sad personal stories to tell
Of how for years they have been living as physically quite unwell
Good and decent people it seems sad to say
That life has not been kind to them as health goes anyway
I am luckier than most are my health is quite okay
The lady of luck has been smiling my way.

Stranger Than Fiction

The sweet taste of love it is ever so sweet
They kissed by the unshaded window in the room near the street
That true love blossoms outwards from love's inner glow
Is something that everyone does seem to know

People walking by on the pavement of the caressing and kissing did have a clear view
But none stopped to stare this to them nothing new
In the twenty first century public displays of affection are quite the in thing
And from most people not even a second glance kissing and cuddling does bring

But the passion of the young lovers of one middle aged man did catch the eye
With a rope looking for his donkey he stopped on passing by
He overheard the young man say to his lover i see the beauty of the world in your eyes
Which to his curiosity only gave further rise

He said if you see the world in her eyes look again and tell me
If my missing donkey anywhere in there you do see
But the lovers went on kissing to his question they paid no heed
They choose to ignore him in his time of need

A story that i was told the other day
And whether he did or did not find his donkey the story teller could not say
He assured me the story is true but make of it what you may
That truth can sometimes seem stranger than fiction it does seem this way.

Young Ben

At the loss of his granddad five year old Ben is in tears
Trying to come to terms with human mortality in his tender years
The grief at the loss of a dear friend it has hit him bad
He is learning at a young age that life sometimes can be sad

Can i talk to granddad by phone to his mum he does say
In his new home in heaven from here far away
She tells him the phone line to heaven is too busy today
And do not worry about granddad he is happy where he is and feeling okay

To feel the grief of loss in his human existence he has come to this stage
He does realize that life is not always happy at a very young age
Yet too young to understand that granddad in the flesh he will never more meet
To play cricket with him in the park off of high street

The grief he feels at present in time will subside
And he will come to terms with that the body of granddad has died
And that tears to the eyes come from the well of the heart
And that sadness and joy of life are a part

The loss of his deceased grandfather young Ben does grieve
But what his mum tells him he does believe
That he will meet granddad in heaven one day
And in a sunlit park cricket they will play.

True Happiness Until Death

True happiness until death is based on a fallacy
To Be content in your mind at most times is the best you can hope to be
Anyone who can live without too many mentally down times in life doing okay
One cannot expect to live a lifetime without one sad day
Life is what you make of it is not always true
Though happiness you may well feel is your due
Some who thought money would make them happy when they became financially well off only came to realize
That they still felt unhappy this is not a surprise
Those who are happy at most times are of a rare breed
And one can say of them in life they are lucky indeed
Those who believe happiness with money it can be bought
Are victims of what is known as of self deception by thought
On the pursuit of happiness many for years do persist
Only to realize that happiness for one's life time does not exist.

Malcolm Turnbull's Dream

To be a great Prime Minister of Australia was Malcolm Turnbull's dream
But on the online comments on him of late criticisms by the ream
For his recent slump in popularity his nemesis Tony Abbott by name
Is the one that the poor Malcolm in some ways does place the blame

In September 2015 when he deposed Tony Abbott to become Australia's Prime Minister he was lauded as a great king
And the majority of voters his praises did loudly sing
But what a difference to the life of a politician less than two years can bring
In early twenty seventeen Malcolm to power he is struggling to cling

Poor in some ways Malcolm is not so in a financial way
One of the wealthiest people in the Australia of today
If he is deposed as Australia's prime Minister he will be financially okay
It will be just a small puncture in his over inflated ego in truth one can say

They have dwindled in numbers those on him who believe
As Prime minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull has only flattered to deceive
Like some of his predecessors as a P M he has failed to make the grade
And hopes of him clinging to power until the next federal election are beginning to fade.

No Words You Can Say

No words you can say for to console a person for the loss of a cherished one
A loved husband or wife or partner or daughter or son,
Aunt, Uncle, nephew or niece, or friend
Only time can truly heal grief why otherwise pretend
And so few go through life without bearing some cross
Without knowing of the grief that does come with great loss
A sorrow with some that does linger for years
That often does overflow in bouts of tears
Long after the funeral and the condolence words are said the grief does remain
Why mental sorrow does linger not hard to explain
Only photographs and mental images of one dear left to you to retain
And them you are never to meet in the flesh again
So few go through life without bearing some cross
And words of condolence will do little for your sense of loss.

It Is Mentally

It is mentally good for us a healthy sense of self esteem
But too much of it is not good for anyone it does seem
As an over inflated sense of self importance causes the ego to swell
And with an over inflated ego in the mind all is not well
One can say of the egotistical there are quite a share
Since their sort has never been known to be rare
That success can be ego inflating truer words never said
Even a little of it in some goes to the head
Some even in a small achievement tend to get carried away
It does take all kinds as the wise one does say
Of a healthy sense of self esteem everyone is in need
Though for some just a little success does seem too much indeed
Some of even their modest successes to others like to make known
But then as it is said it is each to their own.

I Am Lucky In Life

I am lucky in life in truth i can say
In the very nice people i meet every day
People who to help others regularly go out of their way
Respect to them in words i only can pay
People who are quite compassionate and kind
And to performing of good deeds are regularly inclined
The egotistical so full of their own self conceit
Are people i am never happy for to meet
Though of singing their own praises some never seem to tire
These are people that i for one cannot admire
So many good people i feel privileged for to know
Kind people who are blessed of the inner glow
Some of them i happen for to meet every day
And it is each to their own as the wise one does say.

To Most Politicians

To most politicians selfishness, greed and love of power to their egos is fuel
They have the mentality of the born to rule
That we give them the power and then of them complain
Is something that is way beyond me to explain
We are governed by people with big egos i firmly believe
Suppose some of our karma in life on this way we receive
Those who call a politician the honorable member has got it all wrong
To far more worthy people than they are the word honorable belong
To their political opponents in parliament they do not have any kind words to say
Like schoolyard bullies they behave in an obnoxious way
Their policies for many only poverty create
It is not for poor people that they legislate
That they govern for all they may well pretend
But any politician i know of does not have one poor friend.

For Many Years

For many years i have been a rhyming buff
And i have written reams and reams of rhyming stuff
And since fame is not for those who write doggerel
Perhaps i am bound for the poetasters hell
As a young man i daydreamed i might be a poet
Or somebody worthy of literary note
But daydreams are just that and seldom come true
And to be a good writer in life not my due
Though everyone needed in the wordsmith trade
It is said of writers that they are born not made
I loved reading rhymes when i was a boy
And writing them now is a thing i enjoy
If i said i will quit rhyming this would be a lie
As i hope to be doing it on the day i do die.

Perhaps Never More

Perhaps never more to climb on Clara when Summer sun is in the sky
And eat whortleberries from the heather on an evening in July
Or see the brown trout in clear Finnow pool spotted skins gleaming in the sunshine
What i only now can visualize in reality once was mine
All i have now are the memories of the song the chaffinch sing
Or the dark winged barn swallows the returned feathered migrants of the Spring
Home to breed and raise their broods from warm climates far away
Above the old fields chasing flying insects they spend many hours each day
Perhaps i will never again see the hawthorns cloaked in their white blooms of the May
Or wafting in the breeze get the scent of young grass freshly mowed for silage or hay
All i do have left are memories of what never more will be
The years on me now are telling time is catching up on me
And we can only live in the now as the wise person does say
This evening at the stroke of midnight the past it will be today.

We All Become Victims Of Time

Time that rusts steel and iron does weaken the strong
And the longest lived human life in time is not long
Human life is three score and ten years on average in time not a lengthy span
A few years more for a woman than it is for a man
Since the Reaper of lives does not respect wealth and fame
The wealthiest and poorest do end as the same
Your wealth and possessions behind you must stay
Everybody is equal where dead people lay
Us humans not perfect not one without some flaw
And life it can often be like Murphy's law
That bad things can happen to people who have never done anything bad
To say quite the least this does seem rather sad
The years go by quickly beyond our physical prime
And eventually we all become victims of time.

You Do Not Need To Tell Me

You do not need to tell me of how marvelous you are
Or of the size of your house or swimming pool or car
Or of your marvelous children or your beautiful wife
Though good on you for leading a materially successful life

Self promotion nowadays is quite the in thing
And you are just one of many that their own praises like to sing
But self praise is no praise as the wise one does say
And i happen for to be one who see it in this way

In a Human World where billions of people for material success do compete
Those seen to be losers live on poverty street
But in life for others to win big they had to lose
Though the sort of life they live is not the sort of life they did choose

Since i am a fellow quite hard to impress
Why bother to tell me of your latest success
For those doing it tough you do not feel any sympathy
Yet sad to think many like you who lack in empathy

Are materially successful and seen by many as great
Suppose the people we aspire to be like we do celebrate
On the ladder of material success you are one who has climbed far
Though you do not need to tell me of how marvelous you are.

So Many For The Flag

So many for the flag of their Country in battles have died
In the war zones of death in Countries Worldwide
But when the Last Post is played for the one who died brave
The young soldier does not hear in the deep dark depths of the grave
For to love your Country for it you do not have to die
Since love of Country by dying for it is based on a lie
Love of Country to the living can only belong
And those who will tell you differently have got it wrong
And though they died for their Country and for this hero worship is their due
That the dead cannot love their Country happens to be true
And though much of deceased war heroes is written and said
And the nationalists and patriots honor the war dead
For to love your Country for it you do not have to die
And those who do tell you differently believe their own lie.

One More Doggerel Day

I am one with rhyme words who does love to play
And for me it has been one more doggerel day
And though my worth as a rhymer as ever i do doubt
There are no shortage of things for to write rhymes about

The fourth day of March in the calendar Fall
But it does not feel that much like Autumn at all
It seems like a warm day in Summer with just a slight breeze
On a weather temperature high for the day of close to thirty degrees

In the mostly blue sky just a few clouds of gray
In the shade of the trees the cattle chewing their cuds lay
Among the rank grass the color of hay
Not good for cattle weight gain would seem true to say

With the sun on their dark wings chirping as they fly
Welcome swallows chasing flying insects across the sky
And with so little time to mate, lay eggs and breed
The cabbage white butterflies flit above the mustard weed

Such beautiful weather for the time of year
The warbling of the magpies are pleasant to hear
And in a familiar voice to many and familiar to me
The black and white magpie larks singing pee wee.

We Read And Hear Of

We read and hear of the wealthy and famous they are in the news every day
And nothing about poor people their lives not seen as important sad to say
Though news of the wealthy and famous has become rather boring to me
They are admired by the masses each to their own is how it seems to be
Poverty like wealth in the Human World does come in varying degrees
Though the difference in living standards almost non existent between the homeless, stateless and the refugees
The Human World is all about winners and they do become widely known
And the stories of the poor and downtrodden the populist media has chosen to disown
In the Human World only the big winners the impressionable Masses admire
It is not the poor of the World that the aspirational inspire
Yet for winners there has to be losers the Human World works in this way
This is how it is and it always was and this is how it will always stay
That the winners are always applauded this is how it is and will remain
And somebody's loss as has been said always becomes somebody's gain.

In Poetasters Hell

There may be a place for me in poetasters hell
Where with notebook and pen i can write doggerel
Such an after earthly life would suit me okay
Since with rhyming words i am one who does love to play

Where none would say of me he is not a poet
Nor care if i am not one who is worthy of literary note
I would be among those of Earthly ill fame
In hell everybody is treated as the same

None for to say of me he is not a success
In the place of the damned where there is none to impress
Though in my earthly life penning of doggerel my biggest crime
For to write it in hell i will have plenty of time

I will not be in heaven where angels do dwell
There are no rooms there for writers of doggerel
I will be where no one does care that i do not write well
Scribbling worthless rhymes down in poetasters hell.

Breezy Warrnambool

The Premier City in Victoria's south west
For it's hospitable people to none second best
Even in the warmest of Summer the sea breeze keeps the air reasonably cool
The coastal rural City of great beauty breezy old Warrnambool
Why so many people like to holiday in Warrnambool is not any surprise
After spending some time there one comes to realize
Why Warrnambool is loved by so many and has become widely known
In reality it does have a charm of it's own
Where people greet every visitor as a loved local face
It's friendly residents make Warrnambool a very welcoming place
Scenic places such as Park Lake Pertobe, Thunder Point, The Breakwater and Lady Bay
Make Warrnambool quite unique in it's own way
Breezy Warrnambool in south west Victoria's coastal countryside
For it's hospitable people and scenic beauty it is known Worldwide.

Save Your Criticism

The deceased do not hear you when them you criticize
Though to not speak ill of them is prudent and wise
Since against verbal attacks themselves they cannot defend
And the dead should be left in peace since their life's journey did end
The living against any verbal attack
Have words at their disposal for to fight back
The dead in their silence are past harming anyone
Though in their lifetimes some of them to others harm may have done
It is some of the living we should worry about
Especially the money and power hungry that humanity can do without
And the autocratic and callous so called leaders of present times
Guilty of mass murders the most serious of crimes
Save your criticism for the living as the wise one has said
They are past harming anybody those who are dead.

Pride Is A Thing

The words of a wise person i do recall
Pride is a thing that comes before a fall
Too proud to accept help when of helping in need
Pride it can be self defeatist indeed
Pride can be of the weak not of the strong
Too proud to admit it when you are wrong
In many ways similar to arrogance it does seem
Proud people never victims of low self esteem
The look of pride on the beaming face
Of the proud winner of the big foot race
Yet pride does not relish the taste of defeat
And from the mind makes a hasty retreat
Pride has been known to come before a fall
But what applies to some does not apply to all.

Chris Kiely

In the Parish of Millstreet she lived for most of her life
Chris Walsh who became the late school teacher Dick Kiely's Wife
In Liscahane she raised her family
She is one who will live on in memory

Though this is going back many decades in time
I remember Chris Kiely in her physical prime
Quite a beautiful person attractive to behold
Good memories remain young they never grow old

One can say of Chris that she was one of Millstreet's own
In the Town and Parish where she was loved and to many known
One who loved life and made the most of every day
About her she did have a beautiful way

From her family home in Liscahane around two kilometers away
By Cashman's Hill in St Mary's her last remains lay
The last breath of life from her body has gone
But in all who knew Chris good memories of her will live on

Chris will be grieved by her family and missed by her many a friend
But life's journey for everyone does have an end
One never for to be seen in Duhallow again
But in all who knew or knew of her good memories of her will remain.

I May Never More

I may never more see the gray fogs of rain
Creep over the Boggeragh mountains again
Or hear the ripple of the crystal clear rill
Flowing down the high fields from it's source by the hill
My journey in life it has brought me far south
Of the fields of the badger and the streams of the brown trout
And only the fading memories are with me today
Of where i grew to love Nature from here far away
In the old rushy fields when i was a boy
And learning of her ways today i enjoy
Yet the more i learn of her the more i have come to realize
That of her i know little this not a surprise
And though we learn as we live i have no reason to doubt
That of Nature i know very little about.

Why Cannot We Be Nicer To Each Other

Why cannot we be nicer to each other some in their words like to put others down
There are many so many people cruel with their words in every village, city and town
If you for some reason do not like a person of this person unkind things do not say
like you too this person too has feelings though you may not see it in this way

I know that i am far from a perfect fellow in some of my ways i am very small
But one thing that i do have in my favor is i believe on a fair go for all
Cruel words to the feelings are quite hurtful and hurt feelings as ever do smart
I only can admire the people who on hurting others feelings never do take part

If you do not like another person her or his praises you do not need to sing
But among your friends in your words do not demean this person on your behalf to do so is not a nice thing
Far too many judgmental people putting those they do not like under verbal attack
For cruel words when they are put out there are never again easy to take back

Why cannot we be nicer to each other to be kinder we do not need to pay
Far too many far from nice people their game of hurting others feelings like to play
Though perhaps i am not one to be preaching since i am far from perfect it does seem
But to be saying unkind things of those that i do not like would do nothing for my sense of self esteem.

Early March In Duhallow

The rain drizzling down from low clouds of gray
And cattle in farmyard sheds bellowing for silage or hay
Though buds on their branches deciduous trees have no leaves yet to display
The wild birds are not singing in Duhallow today
The Blackwater bank high in flood waters of brown
On it's long journey to the sea near Youghal flowing on towards Mallow Town
From it's source in the high country into a huge waterways it does grow
Swollen by streams and smaller rivers with a loud babble it does flow
The Boggeraghs half cloaked in the gray fogs of rain
And brown storm water flowing swiftly in every river, rill, stream and drain
Though the prime days of Spring to Duhallow are near
The weather there can be quite wet and windy in March of the year
The swallows not yet home from lands far away
And the sun may not shine on Duhallow today.

Since I Am Not A Literary Critic

Since i am not a literary critic why ask me who should or should not be worthy of literary note
Like who is or is not a playwright or novelist or journalist or a poet
In literature only the opinions of the literary critics and uni literary dons to any thing does amount
And the literary opinions of one such as i are not even seen for to count
In the late twentieth and early twenty first century literature has undergone change
But with the passing of time this is not anything strange
Since time does bring with it changes to give to it what is it's due
And that old ways do lose out to it only happens for to be true
Literature and cultural values have changed much since i was a boy
The old poems and stories by the fire at night i used to enjoy
Told and recited by then aging mentors times are quite different today
Among the long deceased at peace forever they do lay
But who is or is not a good writer is not for me for to say
I leave this to those who for their opinions are quite well rewarded in pay.

From The Book Of Life

From the book of life we do learn every day
We never stop learning it does seem this way
And the more we do learn the more we realize
That we do know so little this not a surprise
A saying on know all people i do recall
Is that they have nothing to learn since they know it all
Even those who are blessed of the higher I Q
If you do ask them they will tell you
That there is so much that they cannot profess for to know
And their realization of this only does seem to grow
The years do pass quickly beyond our lives prime
And with so much to learn in so little time
That there is so little we do know we come to realize
But this after all is not any surprise.

I Love To Hear The Sound Of Laughter

I love to hear the sound of laughter it never fails to make my day
The laughter of a happy barroom, the laughter of children at play
Human feelings very different where sorrow is joy not to be found
The happy one does have many friends where laughter is happiness abound
Of the praises of the sound of laughter i always feel happy to sing
For laughter spreads in joy ripples it can be an infectious thing
The one who does not like the sound of laughter is one who does lack in joy of life
One of mind not very happy struggling with dark inner strife
Every time i hear the sound of laughter i feel like laughing as well
Life for the one who cannot laugh has to be a living hell
Life would be sad without laughter to sorrow an antidote
Those who laugh a lot are quite popular since happiness they do promote
With those who do not like the sound of laughter something about them seems wrong
It is so very infectious that with the one laughing i laugh along.

Belinda And David

The moment Belinda met David for him it was love at first sight
She was so attractive and charming all smiling and giggly and bright
With wavy brown hair to her shoulders and beautiful nugget brown eyes
Love between them has lasted more than six decades of time in this many a sunrise
Belinda and David are octogenarians they have seen many years of life
Their great grandchildren teenagers in her he found a good and loving wife
After sixty years of being together their love remains ever strong
Their love has to be a true love since few loves known to last this long
Belinda and David do not use anti aging creams and hair dyes one might say they are aging with grace
In sixty years of living together many challenges they had to face
few marriages ever last this long as soul mates today they remain
A love of life and for each other together today they retain
Sometimes i see Belinda and David walking in the park hand in hand
That true love does not have a time limit is something i can understand.

One Might Say A Bit Rough

The best of my rhymes one might say a bit rough
Just one of those known as not quite good enough
By literary critics for to be classified
Though i have written reams of rhymes this to me no sense of pride
Self promotion i can say has never been my thing
My own praises i am one who never does sing
For many years i have been a rhyming buff
And i find it a pleasure for to write rhyming stuff
In nineteen seventy three in my physical prime
I wrote my first rhymes this is going back in time
And i add to my numbers of rhymes every day
Though just for the love of it never for pay
I have never referred to myself as a poet
Such an honored title i leave to those who do feel worthy of literary note.

I Am Not One Of Those

Success as most see it of i have not known
But why should i care much my life is my own
The opinions of others is their business and their business cannot be mine
And what they think of me with me is fine

The opinions of others do not worry me
On saying this i may sound arrogant this well may be
There are none of us perfect would you not agree
Of flaws like all others i am one who is not free

Success and failure at life's journey's end the same
The reaper of lives does not differentiate between the lives of the poor and those of wealth and fame
You will not find inequality where dead people lay
We all must return to Nature one day

What others say of me why should i much care
Since of my human weaknesses i am aware
That i can be quite arrogant i already know
I am not one of those who has the inner glow.

The White Flower Of Peace Is Not Blooming Today

News of more maimed and dying in bombings and terrorism from here far away
The white flower of peace is not blooming today
In war and terrorism it is always the innocent for the sins of others does pay
And this is a very sad thing for to say
It is people who use religion and borders as an excuse for this are to blame
But they alone are responsible for their crimes of shame
For their future bad Karma they are planting the seed
Of their sort of people humanity is not in need
They take human life as if it were something cheap
But what applies to everyone also applies to them what we sow we must reap
So much for religion and borders and national pride
Far too many in wars and acts of terrorism have died
In the crimes of the bad the innocent should not be made to pay
The white flower of peace is not blooming today.

Above The Old Rushy Fields

Above the old rushy fields where Finnow is flowing
The chilly freshening winds from the Boggeraghs are blowing
And Blackwater flowing bank high towards the ocean via Mallow
In the calendar Spring in early March in Duhallow
Deciduous trees bare though leaf buds on their branches appearing
A sign that Spring weather to North Cork is nearing
The cattle in Farmyard sheds though Winter supposed to be over
It could well be a month yet before they eat clover
In early March in Duhallow it is often windy and raining
And farmers low in fodder for their cattle of weather complaining
The sun it is hidden in the gray sky heavily clouded
And in the fogs of rain the Boggeraghs are shrouded
The birds not yet nesting or singing and no sign of a swallow
In chilly early March in wet and windy Duhallow.

I Am Not Into Competition

I am not into competition or being seen as one as good and clever
Or into self promotion i am one who would never
Say i am one better than anyone not even as a rhymer
I do have learned a bit from life as should any old timer
I never refer to myself as a poet i am not into self lauding
When others are reading their poems i am one of the applauding
I am today as i used to be before i left Duhallow
To travel in the World out there my dreams in life to follow
We all have our own weaknesses mine is a rhyming addiction
But something one does enjoy doing should not be a mental affliction
Some say why you have written so much rhyme there has to be some reason
I tell them it is something i enjoy and have been doing it for many a Season
I have never wished to be number one at anything let others have the glory
But like every other human being to tell i too have a life story.

How Sad Very Sad

From their car in the park as they sip on their tea
They will never more see the moon rise over the sea
And they will never more talk of the beauty together they see
How sad very sad sometimes life it can be

He often thinks of her his deceased wife
His beautiful soul mate the love of his life
Until death devoted to him his ever faithful Ann
Without her life has become so sad for Stan

An octogenarian grandfather living on his own
One can say of him of happier days he has known
Three years ago his beloved Ann in her late seventies of stomach cancer died
Life is so sad for him without her by his side

Shuffling on the sidewalks on tired aging feet
Old Stan is one that i sometimes do meet
On his balding head hair of silver gray
He always does greet me with a cheerful good day

For every up in life there can be a down
People like Stan living in every town
Grieving for one they will never more see
How sad very sad sometimes love it can be.

I Cannot Say

I cannot say age has made me wiser i have grown older and fatter
And yesterday has been and gone today is all that does matter
Tomorrow is another day and time is on the hurry
And one small worry it does seem can lead to a bigger worry
Enjoy life if you can do and make the most of living
Life is not all about receiving it is also about giving
In the Human World sad to say far too many of the greedy
And far too few of the kind and caring for to help the poor and needy
I cannot do much for anyone since i am not materially wealthy
Though i have no reason to complain since i feel content and healthy
For those in poverty life would be better if every materially wealthy person were generous, kind and caring
And among those in need of financial help some of their material wealth felt like sharing
I am luckier than most people are so many than me doing it tougher
And i feel that luck is on my side since my life journey could be rougher.

The Beautiful Place

The beautiful place just as the sun rise
Above the eastern horizon i can visualize
When Nature's feathered minstrels chirp, whistle and sing
The great gift of memory is such a beautiful thing
Happy to witness the birth of a day
By the babbling brown creek from here far away
As the sun like a large orange ball rise above the distant hill
The fresh morning air does have a slight chill
In distance far from the streets of the town
Where the noisy traffic pass up and down
Fancy does often take me far away
To the beautiful place at the dawn of the day
The pure and clean air does have a slight chill
As the sun slowly rises above the brown hill.

John Manifold The Legendary Australian Poet

Born in Toorak in Melbourne he lived for years in Camperdown
In south west Victoria an old rural town
His journeys in life took him to places far and wide
In his seventieth year in Brisbane he died

In literature his name lives as one worthy of note
John Manifold the legendary Australian poet
And as a collector of old songs his became a widely known name
One who learned about life on his journey to fame

A true to belief socialist and a communist by choice
For the Australian Communist Party his was a leading voice
For his political beliefs one who argued with reason
At a time when the Australian Government treated communism as a form of treason

Though literature in Australia has undergone change and been through many stages
His great poem The Bunyip And The whistling Kettle remains as one for the ages
Among Australia's best poems a great literary creation
He was one inspired by an amazing imagination

If anything as a literary figure he was underrated
John Manifold is one who should be celebrated
To be other than he was he never pretended
He lived by his beliefs till his life's journey ended.

For A Religious Person

For a religious person who prays to your god
Going by some of the things you say it does seem a bit odd
And quite hypocritical since in your words you put down
The poorest of the poor in the poor side of the town

For a religious person you lack in empathy
Since for those doing it tough you do not feel sympathy
You waste your time in going to church to pray
Since you are not being true to your god on some of the things you do say

You are one of those who do lend your voice
To those who believe poverty is by choice
So little of humanity's ways you seem of to know
Though you profess for to have the inner glow

You work for good pay and drive in a big car
But holy in name is all that you are
A truly devout person would help those doing it tough
And feel empathy for the homeless and those living rough

You may go to church to your god for to pray
But by their words you know people the wise one does say
And you in your words do like putting down
The poor and the homeless in the poor side of the town.

I Am One Who Has Looked At Life

I am one who has looked at life in many a way
And on paper i am one who has much to say
Only to realize the more i do learn so little i do know
Of people and life and Nature though my wonder of such only grow
Yet so little i do know i have come to realize
Though this in itself is not any surprise
Since the World's greatest minds are learning from life every day
That we never stop learning does seem true to say
Of the praises of geniuses many may sing
But the one has not yet been born who does know everything
It is true of those who think they know it all that ignorance is bliss
Of the lesson in the saying we learn as we live the point they do miss
It is surely a fact and fact never lie
That we will be learning from life till the day we do die.

Where Love Is

Where love is there never is anger or bitterness jealousy or strife
And those who have love in their being do love self and others and life
Though too much love of self leads to narcissism and narcissism is love gone wrong
Where love is you will not find a narcissistic person since where love is only love belong
Where love is dislike and hatred are strangers and compassion and kindness abound
For those who have love carry it in them and among others do share it around
Those who have love always good people and love in the World they promote
Where love is there never is trouble to war it is an antidote
Where love is conceit always absent and for arrogance there is not any space
For such feelings in love surroundings would definitely be out of place
Love does give rise to love of others and where love is there is harmony
Those who do have love in their being are an asset to humanity
Where love is you also find happiness for they seem to interrelate
And where love is there is joy and laughter and those with love life celebrate.

Motherly Love

When it comes to the welfare of her offspring fear to her becomes a stranger
The mother to protect her young puts her own life in danger
Stories of human and animal mothers on behalf of their young nothing short of amazing
The love and bravery of a mother is something well worth praising
The mothers who have sacrificed their lives to save their young to say the least are many
Of greater sacrifices of love than this there surely are not any
The love of mothers for their young is a love that is often under rated
Compared to other sorts of love it is not often celebrated
The love of mothers for their young is something well worth admiring
A love that transcends the fear of death and this is quite inspiring
We read and hear of every day of love that is based on passion
Though many of such loves are not known to last they are never out of fashion
Many human and animal mothers have died in protecting their young from danger
For the welfare of those she gave birth to fear of death to her becomes a stranger.

On A Warm February Day In The Moyne Shire

The sun shining bright in the sky blue and gray
It is very warm in the Moyne Shire today
A freshening wind blowing from Gorman's bay
Is carrying with it the sweet scent of hay
A week left in February the calendar Autumn of March is near
The weather known to change quickly at this time of year
With warmth in the sunshine and warmth in the breeze
On a forecast high for the day of thirty two degrees
The creeks are low and bone dry every drain
And the dry brown countryside is in need of more rain
The black and white dainty magpie larks are calling pee wee
And a magpie is warbling on a sunlit gum tree
And the cattle chewing their cuds in the shade of the trees
On a warm February day in the Moyne Shire of over thirty degrees.

Cannot Worry

Cannot worry where my last remains are destined to lay
Or if they are cremated when i have lived my last day
Any worries i have had will be no more
I have had a good innings of ten years with three score
I have traveled a bit some of Nature's wonders did see
Though many have seen more of the World than me
It will not affect me post my last night and day
If people unkind or kind things of me do say
I will be past joy and worry, sadness and fear
On my passing i would not wish anyone for to shed a tear
When the last breath of life from my body has gone
The wild birds will sing and life will go on
I just wish to live for as long as i can
And hopefully die without pain as a very old man.

There Is More To Life

There is more to life than being wealthy and famous
And there is more to life than being a billionaire
To poor people your money is of no interest or advantage
If with them you are not prepared for to share

There is more to life than being a child of the president or monarch
If in your troubled mind great unhappiness is rife
For though money can afford you with all of the material comforts
It will not or will never buy for you a happy life

There is more to life than being a famous and wealthy entertainer
Though for many this would be a dream come true
Many who achieve their dreams in life do not become better people
They only live for wealth and fame this to give them their due

There is more to life than being materially successful
Though such people by many people are greatly admired
It does not mean that you are a good person
If many to be like you feel inspired

There is more to life than being your town's materially wealthiest person
Though success by most judged in a material way
To me the good are the kind and compassionate
Who help those in need of helping every day.

Fr John Joe Garvey

Since as a pupil in the nineteen fifties he attended the Boys Primary School in Millstreet Town
The roadways of life he has been up and down
Even as a young teenager when his hair was brown
He dreamed of helping others not of wealth and renown

Fr John Joe Garvey perhaps in his early seventies is a devout man
He is helping the poorest of people in Sudan
Yet he seems a forgotten person in his Hometown today
And this does seem a sad thing for to have to say

Where there are many hungry to be fed and many souls for to save
It takes a brave and honorable person to live to do good where many go to an early grave
To drought ravaged and war torn tropical Sudan a person like Fr John Joe is an asset indeed
And of far more of his kind the Human World is in need

People like him are people one can only admire
And of singing their praises i for one cannot tire
But sadly for his sort never a street parade
It is not out of acts of compassion and kindness that heroes are made

In his Hometown of Millstreet in Duhallow where his journey in life began
Today it does seem he is a forgotten man
To do good in the World one who has traveled far
To a drought ravaged tropical Country of famine and war.

Everyone Do Have Their Dreams

Everyone do have their dreams in life to pursue
But sadly for many their dreams do not come true
We all cannot be winners as some like to say
For everyone their dreams do not come true life works in this way
To live as a good and caring woman or man
And help one in need of your help if you can
And in your words and deeds never put anyone down
You are one who is an asset to your side of the town
Those who achieve their dreams and flatter to deceive
And never learn how to give and only know how to receive
And for those doing it tough cannot find sympathy
They lack in the great gifts of compassion and empathy
And though their dreams in life for them did come true
They will receive the Karma that they are due.

Philomena Cronin

She was born and raised in Annagloor in a cottage in view of Clara Hill
Her mother Mary as a child used to call her the Brave Phil
A name she lives up to for she is honest and brave
Good traits that she will carry with her to the grave

The eldest of five girls and a boy of the late Jer and Mary Long
The friendships she has forged in life today does remain as quite strong
She is one of those big hearted people without any desire for renown
There has not been too many like her in Annagloor near Millstreet Town

For close to fifty years married to the recently deceased artist John Cronin in time one can say quite a span
John was quite an honorable fellow a good woman deserves a good man
Philomena a good mum to her children and to John she was such a good wife
And though she has known days of sadness she is one who can laugh at life

Since i last saw Philomena and John it must have been over thirty years ago
Since then there has been many Seasons and time becomes everyone's foe
But people like she is do not change much she looks on life's brighter side
And of those she feel are in need of helping of her help she has never denied.

The Brave Phil her mum used to call her and she does live up to her name
Since for the best of good human values she is one who carries the flame
One i have not seen for many Seasons but good memories of her with me does remain
In the big hearted and brave Philomena Duhallow's loss became Sliabh Luachra's gain.

Memories Of What Was

Most of the images of faces on the website of Millstreet
Are of people i do not know of or never may meet
In my first home place now many strangers to me
Years of absence makes us strangers is how it seems to be

Perhaps some of their parents i knew of or knew
Where my friends used to be many perhaps today there are few
That i knew or knew of in Seasons long past
The memories of what was in me fading fast

But home is where you live to me too must apply
I only have memories of days long gone by
When i was younger and my hair was dark brown
In Claraghatlea a mile west of Millstreet Town

Some i went to school with not living today
At peace with Nature their last remains lay
Others like me are showing their years in gray
Time that rusts iron wears all things away

My bond to Duhallow is no longer that strong
Perhaps from there i have been absent for far too long
Home to me is where i live in Illowa near the City of Warrnambool
Far south of where i went to primary school

Most of the images on the Millstreet wewb site are strangers to me
They are not among the images of faces stored in my memory
Though perhaps some of their parents i have known or known of in the past
Memories of what was in me fading fast.

If Human Law Does Not Find You

If human law does not find you karma will one day
This i do believe in despite what some say
Though others may see it in ways differently
What goes around comes around is true to me

Bad seed to good plants are never known for to grow
This is also in Karma we reap what we sow
But it is each to their own and believe what you may
And i believe that for wrongs we do to others to Karma we pay

The one who helps the poor people of helping in need
For her or his future good Karma is planting the seed
By how we treat others in our lives every day
We give rise to our good or bad Karma since Karma works in this way

What we sow in life in return from Karma we will receive
This is something on which i do firmly believe
But not everyone with me on this would agree
Since we all look at life in our ways differently.

A Koroit Beauty

Of raven wavy hair and eyes of dark brown
The fairest of the fair of old Koroit Town
A beautiful young woman free of conceit and guile
With the warmth of kindness in her wonderful smile
Her sort of person to say the least rare
Of her amazing physical beauty she seems unaware
Whenever i meet her she smiles and hello to me say
It is people like her who brings joy to my day
Perhaps in her early twenties near the prime of her life
If not already married for some lucky one she will make a beautiful wife
Since about her she does have such a charming way
I hope in Koroit she is one who will stay
Since people like she is in numbers do not abound
She carries joy with her and shares it around.

March The First In The Moyne Shire

On the first day of March in the Moyne Shire the first day of the Southern Fall
The weather is so very warm it does not feel like Autumn at all
The sun glowing bright in the blue sky on a weather temperature high for the day of thirty three degrees
Even in the shade it is quite warm with only a very slight breeze
In a voice that is familiar to many and a voice that is familiar to me
A white backed magpie is warbling on a high branch of a sunlit gum tree
His kind among Australia's finest feathered songsters does sing every day of the year
Their flute like notes heard in all sorts of weather and always a joy for to hear
The dry grass in the dry paddocks the color of sun faded hay
And out of the sun in the tree shade the cattle chewing their cuds do lay
Of white butterflies there are many seemingly dancing in the sunny sky
So little time for them for living the sun on their wings as they fly
The first day of the calendar Autumn it is quite warm in the Moyne Shire
On what is a total fire ban day one lit match could start a huge fire.