Canute sat down beside the sea
And waited for the tide
He knew what the result would be
Damp feet and ruined pride
The power of God is greater
Than any word of mine
The rule of kings is temporal
Everlasting the divine
Mary Whitehouse set herself
Against a coming tide
The break up of propriety
Old ways on the slide
Extreme rigidity gave way
Liberality came in
Anything goes the new watchword
And out went mortal sin
My old friend Alphonsus
A holy man indeed
Was summoned to the window
Vesuvius on the bleed
He raised his hand in blessing
The danger fell to fade
And people lived in safety
Because an old man prayed
Brian Fahy
30 March 2022
+ Tides of all kinds sweep across the world, tides of fashion and of politics, of philosophy and social behaviour. We cannot really stop a tide. They tend to wash through. But holy people help us navigate the surging tide and preserve our humanity.
Erris Poetry 