Leaving the house in Carrabawn
A sunny August day
Bacon and cabbage when you come home
I heard my mother say
I drove to Murrisk in my car
And set about the climb
The Reek stood proud a few about
Fresh air and pure sunshine
I passed an old man on the way
Easy as you go
Wise words they were he gave to me
Be neither fast nor slow
Take it steady as you climb
You’ll get there in the end
And I was grateful to that man
Kind words make for a friend
The climb was good the top soon reached
A panorama then
Clear skies and brilliant blue around
And not a breath of wind
I sat and looked about me then
The whole wide world was mine
Clew Bay in all its splendour shone
Clare Island in sunshine
I looked at blue far distant hills
And thought of Margaret then
And a little boy now growing fast
No father did he ken
This beauty all around me now
I cannot its truth deny
But a sorrowful heart is a heavy load
To make the best one cry
The beauty of this world cries out
That man should live in peace
The heart is made for happiness
All enmity should cease
Our hidden selves should be revealed
Dark places yield to light
That we may live untroubled lives
Each day a happy sight
Our tender hearts need tender care
A place where we can speak
And tell the truth about our selves
The fresh air that we seek
Our life’s a mountain that we climb
An old man shows the way
Until we reach that blessed spot
And look out on Clew Bay
Brian Fahy
1 April 2021
Erris Poetry 