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Between the Muing and Glencullen River Sits Aunty Sarah’s house All closed up today The family away It marks the origin of my life Immaculate conception Is that why I’m fixated so On this corner of creation   Down from the house a meadowland And a path down to the river And facing you isContinue reading “Where The River Flows”

Here in Stirling Castle You could not see the king But if you spoke to a minister He might get near to him A long line of anterooms Kept the folk at bay Only privileged people Got near to have their say   And I’m told that with dictators The same routine goes on PutinContinue reading “When You Pray”

  A sunny morning in my mother’s glen Everything delighted way back then Waking up to sunshine Turf fire blazing bright Eggs and bacon on the table All the world is right   The meadow and the meadow grass Soft to lie upon A carpet of wild flowers in the breeze A walk down toContinue reading “Panorama in the Glen”

The air is cold outside My house is warm The sky is brilliant blue But the world is all alarm And Putin won’t stop bombing Now has much to lose Such is the cost of anger Ashamed when we blow a fuse   We usually say I’m sorry When we step out of line ButContinue reading “A Day Will Come”

Bombs in Iraq Brought bombs on British streets People find their own way to hit back A little girl called Saffie died Only eight years old Others too got bombed that day Manchester cried   I did What I thought was right Said Mister Tony Blair As a bottom line it’s honest But does itContinue reading “Pressure”

The grand scenario The end of the world Christ in glory seated on the throne Gathered all before him The nations of the world Final examination The rights and wrongs are told   What will be the judgement? On that final day What great schemes will be played out? What the final say   EveryContinue reading “Reckoning”

It is hard to change the habits of a lifetime And it’s been a long long time since Russia fell Fell from the clutches of the Romanovs Into the depths of communism’s well   Invaded twice from Europe’s neighbouring heartland They suffered millions dying in the snow And Communism’s cruel cold collective And a peopleContinue reading “Thoughts in War Time”

When did we see you, Lord? When?   I’ve seen you in images The bambino in the crib I’ve seen you in the sacrament In the tabernacle hid I’ve seen you in the stations That line the holy wall And in hearing the holy gospel I’ve seen you most of all   But in theContinue reading “Your Face”

Delia recommends an hour of silence At 80 mind she can afford the time And I at 75 the same opinion Silence is a very good friend of mine   I like some noise The radio in the morning Radio 4 brings me all the news And every now and again I want some musicContinue reading “Silence”

People driving cattle down to Newport Left a scar a road upon the hill High up above the bog the cows were driven You can see it there upon the hillside still   No tarmac there no pavement ‘neath your footsteps Just the beaten path they walked so long From Bangor down to Newport forContinue reading “Old Drover Road”

Robert Lloyd Praeger, the Irish naturalist, described it as ‘the very loneliest place’ in Ireland. He was talking about the bogs of Erris, in northwest Mayo, that he traversed when he walked the Bangor Trail. It is mountain, moorland and bog and no habitation for miles and miles and miles. Praeger then made a mostContinue reading “Wilderness”

  I made soda bread this morning Made it to my mother’s recipe All the usual ingredients And then you add a drop of cold tea You make a cross and pray It be a good one And later on I slice a piece for me But much as I love my soda bread IContinue reading “Not Bread Alone”

People will do anything for money Steal a digger to attack an ATM Destroy the wall to get at all the money Honest to God you wouldn’t be up to them   Pile a load of people in a lorry Forget about their need for food or air Open up and find you have deadContinue reading “Testing in the Desert”

We left our house our home our happy place And walked side by side along the road And across the Piggy Bridge the great divide Where Hindsford Brook gave on to Hindsford side And past the smell of pigs and abattoir To the busy road where lollipop men abide And finally into the noise ofContinue reading “Abroad in the World”

  At the time I was a lonely priest Grateful for my family And a regular pint of stout And holidays in Erris The nursery of my life Hills to climb and strands to stretch the legs And looking ever westward Behind me only dregs   One fine day I climbed a lonely mountain CarrafullContinue reading “Peter Flannery”