Author Archives: tyldesleyboy

I’ve suddenly started writing After a few years standing still I stopped because there’s No one now to hear What’s the point of writing If nobody reads your stuff And so I stopped And life then stood stop still I became ‘stagna aquarum’ A blocked up mossy pool An ox bow lake cut off fromContinue reading “The River Runs”

I’ve been here before My father said to me I about to shave him He in bed Where’s that Daddy? In these barracks He said Out in India I told him straight You’re not there now Am I not? No you’re here In your bed at home In Hindsford Lack of oxygen to the brainContinue reading “Where Did You Go?”

Troubled souls Have had their space invaded Children shouted at neglected hurt Abused and disabused of love They close the shutters There doesn’t seem to be A help above Interrogated interviewed examined They block all approaches from the front But walk beside them over moors and meadows A gentle conversation can start up Direct approachesContinue reading “Walking In The Air”

Morning bright Dun Laoghaire Harbour Plainly now in view Out on deck A freshening breeze Swishing sound of sea We’re breaking through Longed for moment Through the year Mist and fog and drizzling rain England’s regular routine Life in Lancashire Crossing o’er the rolling sea Darkness as we sleep Brings a morning bright and clearContinue reading “The Crossing”

I caught my breath the day I saw My mammy lying there Her lifeless body coffined now A stillness in the air This lovely lady my dear mum So full of life so good Was gone from me and I left dumb I hadn’t understood How powerful that day would be The moment I walkedContinue reading “The Mammy”

Holyhead dark at the dead of night The steam train burping belches Crowds disembarking faces bright And the signs as strange as Welch is Ship at anchor on high tide A ropey gangway skyward Climb aboard don’t look aside At oily water by-world Once on board around we go Then down the stairs we wanderContinue reading “Boat From Holyhead”

I walked up Shakerley Lane That cobbled path A turnpike road I believe in olden days Past Ellen Connelly’s farm She’s in my class And over the railway bridge where trains ablaze The bus from Leigh to Bolton 82 Comes round the corner I get on and pay I’m off to see the Wanderers youContinue reading “Evening Pilgrimage”

They met in Meinstedt One bright May morning In the year of 45 One on patrol As the day was dawning One hoping to stay alive The Tommy had journeyed From Indian sun Libya’s burning sand He landed at Arromanches Hun on the run A soldier of Allied Command The other a Nazi A generalContinue reading “Meeting in Meinstedt”

Every day at four o’clock I went on our flat roof Above St Mary’s monastery SW4 For fresh air if you like And a look at London life But actually I was there for something more For every day around four o’clock In a corner of the sky A silver dot appeared from out theContinue reading “Concorde”

You can’t be sad forever This I’ve found Our spirit wants to live On holy ground When Margaret died I thought end of the game Nothing more to live for All life’s tame I wrote a lot God knows I filled a book In fact I wrote some You can take a look But thenContinue reading “Coming Back To Life”

Leaving the house in Carrabawn A sunny August day Bacon and cabbage when you come home I heard my mother say I drove to Murrisk in my car And set about the climb The Reek stood proud a few about Fresh air and pure sunshine I passed an old man on the way Easy asContinue reading “Climbing the Reek”

He was bletherin’ away As he came past me Talking on his phone so loud and clear Is this Polish Or Ukrainian I hear? My God he’s speaking English And he a Scot’s lad You see I’ve only lived up here for twenty year Brian Fahy 23 April 2021

The Irish have a word They call it ‘craic’ Good company and lively conversation Everyone involved I heard it first when back In Erris at my mother’s humble station Hugh and Annie Had a flock of children And Nan as well her voice well to the fore I sat among this crowd As everyone talkedContinue reading “Craic”

Beaches come and go It would appear Now you see me Now I disappear Tide and time Make their entrances Their exits too Leaving a land severe At Dooagh now In Achill sand appears Returned like a Yank In fancy clothes Off it went Those many years ago Now come home Bathed in sunshine glowsContinue reading “Stranded”

The railway line is permanently in place The train meanwhile runs loud along its track The stillness and the motion put together The reason why I constantly come back The ocean and its waves are always moving And yet the sea itself is always there The ebb and flood of tide I find so soothingContinue reading “Still Moving”