Her uncle did two years in jail
For something he didn’t do
He confessed to stealing coal
As poverty makes you do
His brother was the culprit
But he was invalid
Back from the war
And lost a leg
A shattered man
A human wreck
He’d never last a day inside
And so a family conference
And his brother took the rap
That’s what I call virtue
Heroism in fact
Nobody cares about the poor
We all fend for ourselves
Authorities aren’t bothered
They just apply the law
Sign up for the war
Go and do your bit
Lose a leg ah shame
That’s the hell of it
Back at home and steal some coal
Trying to keep warm
Bobby will come and nab you now
Really where’s the harm?
Hilary cried remembering
This story from the past
How an uncle did the time
And the way life’s cast
The world is tilted towards the rich
And they in comfort lie
And the poor are always with us
So keep an open eye
Brian Fahy
25 September 2022
+The gospel today is Jesus’ story of Dives and Lazarus, the rich man and the poor man at his door. Hilary Mantel told a story of her uncles, how one of them came back from the war a totally shattered man. He stole coal but if the authorities put him in jail he would never have survived. His brother took the rap to save him. Poor people are easily convicted. The rich often buy their way out of trouble.
Erris Poetry 