Hawkstone

Hawkstone

A mile long drive through fields
Led into Hawkstone
Another drive mile long led out again
Out to minor roads
In deep Salopia
We’re in the middle of nowhere
Do you ken!

We are students for the priesthood
In an order
Redemptorists the preachers
Hell below!
Separate from ordinary clergy
Separate from everything we know

Left for six years there
On a slow cooker
Never saw a soul
From day to day
Gaffer said that he chalked up
A record
Never left the grounds
For one whole year

Visitors were none
We never saw them
Family could come
For four days clear
The rest of time just cows
Let out a-grazing
Their social life as good as ours
Var near

You’ll gather that I found
The place a problem
Endured it for conditioned now was I
To follow all obediently
Uncomplaining
It damaged me
The Church the power
Not I

Its history is in many ways
Quite splendid
A manor house for gentry
In its prime
A refuge for the wounded
When a war came
And then the Reds came in
For me a crime!

But lately it had flourished
In religion
Pastoral centre
International style
And now hotel
And absolutely splendid
If you’ve got the cash
You could stay awhile

Never should have gone there
In the first place
Should have stayed at home
To grow up fine
Meet the girls
And go out playing football
Gone to Uni
Settled down in time

But like your man
That is the road not travelled
The one I came has worked out
Now just fine
I met a lovely girl
Her name was Margaret
And Michael is a splendid son
Of mine

Brian Fahy
14 May 2021