They say when you hit forty
You are responsible for your face
The point it makes is worthy
Self pity a disgrace
The early years are learning years
You have to learn the tune
But by the time you get to forty
That’s when you should croon
The numbers aren’t exact I know
For some it can take longer
But there comes a point in every life
When really you should be stronger
You know the score the system
You’ve been around the block
Time to take your share and part
Nothing more should shock
Emotion belongs to childhood
Sulks to teenage years
Sadness then and misery
Come to join our fears
Dark depression then assaults
And threatens to destroy
But faith in God can conquer all
And lead to promised joy
Maturity and gratitude
The goal of every life
Reading our story backward
We see the joy the grief
Now the wisdom of the years
Comes clearly into play
Be a joy for others to know
Show them all the way
Brian Fahy
24 January 2023
+ A friend of Margaret’s said to me after she died, ‘I only had to see Margaret on the street and it made me smile.’
Erris Poetry 