A quiet strange young man it appears
That English Irishman Patrick Pearse
Caught up in his own dreams
In his own mind
Irish folklore Celtic warriors tall
He will be another Christ
And Easter fall
Impatient of the Saxon and delay
He chose to fight and lose another day
To be taken out and shot in Arbour Hill
To galvanise the people and their will
Oppressive rule as bad as rebel cause
Leads on to death and vicious cruelty
Thirty years of torture Ulster knew
Let present day show us a kinder crew
A failure to communicate he said
Paul Newman as they shot him in the head
The refusal to listen
Or hear what others say
Brings all the world to violence
Can you hear me now! I say
Peacemakers must always work for peace
It doesn’t grow on trees
It needs good care
Respect for friend and foe alike
Dedication to the task
Gandhi King they knew the way
And Christ who died on that Friday
Calls us now to follow him
Yes you – since you ask
Brian Fahy
14 May 2022
Erris Poetry 