Author Archives: tyldesleyboy

The Lord didn’t argue politics Or say ‘I told you so’ He didn’t say ‘you should you must’ Or tell you where to go He didn’t give out lectures Or ever pontificate He gave his time to everyone Come they soon or late   No, the Lord told stories To reveal the world to usContinue reading “Growing into Christ”

‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words will never pass away.’   Those words appealed to my father For we like things that last Things we can rely on In a world that goes too fast The solid earth the sky of blue The water in the stream The things that last foreverContinue reading “Father To Son”

The destruction of Jerusalem The fall of the year Agony among the nations Hatred anger fear Portents come together The signs of the times Cold disturbing weather Oh for warmer climes   In the midst of darkness Jesus sees the light Coming on the clouds of heaven Justice in all its might From the throneContinue reading “Quare Times”

They shot him dead For possession of a gun Robert Erskine Childers And for being an Englishman English-Irish heritage Imperialist and rebel Rode his bike from Kerry Right into his peril   In America they live with guns Call it a human right Then someone goes on a killing spree A one-way vicious fight TheContinue reading “Forcing The Issue”

She lived in the Bronx But will be buried in Burrishoole Beside the quiet water of Clew Bay A life lived in America The bustle and the noise But home is calling Ever was the way   The Last Judgement window In Newport’s towering church Will welcome home the girl who went away The crowdedContinue reading “Laid To Rest”

‘Thinking is the cause of man’s greatness’ A quotation from Pascal On a card my mother gave to me Together with a bible The day I was ordained   It took me by surprise I thought ‘praying’ perhaps Might be suggested But no – ‘thinking’ it was And I am grateful for it   ItContinue reading “Pensare”

My father had no choice A war broke out He had joined the army To see the light of day Away from coalmine’s darkness And sent to sunny climes Three years he was in India He called them happy times   And then the war and Hitler Everybody doomed To years of stress and miseryContinue reading “Man on a Cross”

Paradise What Celtic call their place A walled enclosure in Iran Its origin its space A place of total happiness Impossible to our eyes We’ve rarely known that quality And cynics would despise   And yet The promise from the cross Given to a thief A paradise awaits us both Once we’re done with griefContinue reading “Paradise”

I tracked you home I’m sensitive like that From Gatwick’s busy flight paths And London’s teeming streets To that quiet road in Achill Where Mangans used to meet   You lived your days in London Brought up the family Bonny girl you were and all As anyone could see A ready smile and humour AbleContinue reading “In Memoriam: Bridget Mangan”

Navalny in his prison cell Is locked away again In permanent isolation To block his powerful spell His power? The human word Cuts through all the lies He must be killed or silenced But truth – it never dies   In Jerusalem the elders Conspire to bring him down The preacher up from Galilee NowContinue reading “Contradiction”

  A lovely lady dies too soon Road accident I see A nurse she was A lovely nurse Who sees you or me? We do not know the half of it Until the person dies And then our love it is outpoured Tears blur our eyes   And here today another shock A lovely ladyContinue reading “November Notice”

I am back at school My book arrived today The Power and the Wisdom By John L McKenzie S.J. I feel enthused as I sit and read The man a scholar true And a healthy human being That comes shining through   If you google Hawkstone Hall You will see before your eyes The splendoursContinue reading “Teacher”

Look back and yes remember The days of photographs The days of our childhood The playtime and the laughs The coming home at teatime The dinner on the table The bath on Saturday night Cosy like a stable   But don’t look back forever That will never do Today is just as good Come onContinue reading “Nah Then Sithee”

They’ll march and they’ll remember Deaths in foreign fields The Falklands and Afghanistan And Passchendaele’s proud bield A hundred years remembering Each soldier’s dying day And monuments at home we’ll build Remembering the fray   But Christ said in Gethsemane To put away the sword Those who live that way will die This his fatefulContinue reading “Remembrance Sunday”

This blackened town Choked to death in coal dust Pit and mill and factory Where people earn a crust All gone now just memory The air is bracing clean The pitmen and their whippets Nowhere to be seen   Thank God it’s gone The age of coal My father’s fated job His father before himContinue reading “Remembrance Day”