Author Archives: tyldesleyboy

I do not talk of God I’ve never seen him I talk of Jesus Christ Now him I know And what he said And how he lived What happened at the end And how he promised heaven To all who call him friend   When he died they buried him Laid him in a tombContinue reading “Quo Vadis Domine?”

Everything is utter here The edge of everything Sheer cliff hills fall to the sea A pounding sea roars in   A wide and broad Atlantic Curls in around this coast Quiet islands lie offshore The Mullet’s gentle boast   Standing on the edge of sand Where western waters weave Looking to horizons On daysContinue reading “The Edge Of Things”

I have spent the day in Achill From the comfort of my home YouTube videos handy I can see the raging foam First time visitors full of awe At Keem and on Keel strand And striding the heights at Minaun Surveying a splendid land   I bought some salmon for the tea And potatoes tooContinue reading “Heart And Home”

Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland Where would I like to be? I’d like to be in Erris For the sake of memory To walk again the roads I walked When all the world was young And see again dear faces Of loved ones who are gone   But life is not just memory Life isContinue reading “Patrick’s Day”

Luke 11:14-23   He cured a man who could not speak And freed his tongue to talk And his enemies accused him Of doing the Devil’s work   Folk who could talk so freely Employed the gift of words To blacken one so innocent Theatre of the absurd   Our age an age of mediaContinue reading “Power Of Speech”

In our street a man has died I knew him to say hello A handsome and a pleasant man Hard worker too I know   I passed his house most every day Going for my bus Or coming back from shopping A nod there was between us   He died more than two weeks agoContinue reading “Intimation”

A house I used to live in Stands open to the sky Abandoned ruined desolate A sore sight for your eye But now a new developer With plans to renovate Means Acre House will rise again And meet a better fate   And people are abandoned Just like that ruined place Fall foul of brokenContinue reading “Restoration”

My father’s anniversary comes round Reminders of that day are here again The Cheltenham Festival runs on testing ground A fitting feast to match my father’s end   But I don’t need reminders of that man He lives beside me watching for his son His life and his example spur me on Be all thatContinue reading “Is It So Far On?”

I had been uprooted from my home I never could go back I lived exiled in monasteries Obedient to that track And when in summer I got home My parents for to see I went back home to Mayo As happy as could be   Mayo became my paradise The green and pleasant land IContinue reading “Margaret”

He was welcomed back to Nazareth Folk proud of their own Smiles and handshakes all around Good to have you home Nice to see you back again Come in and settle down See you synagogue Sabbath day We’ve heard you’ve broke new ground   But then it all back-fired on him Murmurings went round ThisContinue reading “Social Attitudes”

  St Mel’s Cathedral Longford  A place I used to pass When driving to the West in days gone by I visited tonight Internet online And heard a sermon preached Oh my oh my   Brilliant and powerful Engaging of the soul Listened to each word and knew them true There’s nothing more important InContinue reading “Say It”

  I stepped outside just now The air was mild The cold has gone That weather harsh and wild A gentle breeze Caressed my face instead Welcome to the world Our cosy bed   The climate of our politics Is crude A right wing Tory menace Unpleasant brood Calamity on calamity The tale Brexit BorisContinue reading “Mild”

Jacob’s Well Is where we meet the Lord Bringing our empty bucket and our thirst We come alone No company this time Just myself and memories Of how things were at first   How a life of promise Petered out Replaced by compromise And yes self-doubt How I lost the run of my own selfContinue reading “At Jacob’s Well”

The Irish were not welcome here But they came here in droves Driven out by famine Or just working on the roads Poverty in Paddy’s land Drove them out from home They are settled now in millions Diaspora alone   The black man was not welcome here He wasn’t one of us Though Windrush didContinue reading “‘Great’ Britain”

I’m old now There’s nothing more to say No sermons yet to preach No audience to teach I am now what they call ‘passee’ But that just makes me laugh I’ve seen and learned so much It’s good to write it down And pass it on   The Lord today faces enemies He doesn’t pointContinue reading “Play Your Part”