Category Archives: Uncategorized

Busy world outside In here quiet space Candlelight tranquillity Person face to face Tabernacle presence Person in the pew Heart engages heart I will speak with you   This is no long distance Looking far away No far out horizon This is close – to pray God is ever by your side Turn in hereContinue reading “Face To Face”

When asked who he was On first becoming pope Francis paused and considered it What a question! How to cope!   After considered silence Francis made reply I am a sinner he said at last A response to make you cry   To know that you’re a sinner A frail and feeble soul Is notContinue reading “Who Am I?”

I saw a photo of myself a child In sailor suit my sister by my side She looks boldly at the cameraman I uncertain guarded my time I bide   Lovely gentle children I see there Innocent they sit and face the day A long road they will travel and still do Looking back we’veContinue reading “Love The Child”

What to do at 75 Old and slowing down Widowed now ten years How those years have flown!   Same as I have always done At least I’ll have a try Love the Lord and serve him well Keep others in my eye   I have my home I have my food I sleep soundContinue reading “Yot Me Do, Mammy?”

My father born this day in 1916 The Battle of the Somme was in full flow Tom Kettle wrote his poem for his daughter And thousands died in a bloody horror show   An uncle of my father died in May Another uncle too near Christmas day In 1917 near Jerusalem My father would passContinue reading “Birthday Boy”

Beal na Bla Now I have it Nothing to do with flowers But the ‘opening to the good land’ Where farmers can use their powers   And here it was they killed him A bullet to the head Michael Collins great man Now alas he’s dead   He opened up for Ireland A way forContinue reading “One Hundred Years Ago”

Luke 13:22-30   Agonizomai Not far from agony It means to make an effort It means to strive To enter by the narrow gate Go through the narrow door Each day demands our effort To walk on heaven’s floor   Don’t be lackadaisical Wide boys will not win Practise daily self-control Good self discipline Life’sContinue reading “The Narrow Door”

It was a sacred ritual Saturday night at five Out of the Blue was playing Then the scores came on live Vernons’ pools or Littlewoods Daddy checked them all Eight score draws we’re looking for Twenty-four points in all   Working down the mine all week Weekend brought some pleasure Home for tea and checkContinue reading “Change And Decay”

Matthew 22:34-40   What our mothers told us from the start Be good they said Live life from the heart Be honest in your dealings Never tell a lie This is our nature Nurture it Even when we cry   Love others as you love yourself The second thing to do You see it inContinue reading “Blueprint”

Matthew 22:1-14   We receive an invitation every day Welcome to the world and to your life You are invited to participate There is a place for you Bring joy to all this gathering And bring a partner too   The rule of law and order keeps us safe We’ve known no war No hostileContinue reading “The Kingdom Of Heaven”

My grandson started school today A milestone on the road He will learn so many things I know So many skills upload And more than that he’ll make new friends And see what others do And learn to play his part in life And how not to jump the queue   A farmer and theContinue reading “The Ways Of Life”

Matthew 19:23-30   The rich can be obscenely rich The poor obscenely poor There will always be the rich man And the poor man at his door   I once lived in a stately home Far from the madding crowd Isolated seminary A red brick living shroud   The stately homes of any land ScreamContinue reading “Rich And Poor”

Matthew 19:16-22   The young man wasn’t satisfied Something was amiss He kept all the commandments Life could have been bliss Money he had aplenty Life was easy street But still he came to Jesus His life was not complete   This life it is a passing thing Yet we get wed to things AndContinue reading “What Must I Do?”

The lamp is always burning The light is always there The presence of the Lord Turn to me in prayer   No matter where we’ve wandered No matter how we are I’m here I’ll listen to you Sit down pull up a chair   In the morning when you wake At night when you goContinue reading “Sanctuary”

I found Old Trafford too closed in High stands for haughty looks Tall structures focused on the pitch Failure given no truck These were the Fergie years Years of excess Then Liverpool came a-calling 4-1 they won ah bless   Fergie was an autocrat A single-minded power Gruff betimes and angry too He mellowed withContinue reading “United They Fall”