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My father was a long-range sniper Royal Artillery But he also killed a lad up close A thing he never told me Long-range snipers do not see The damage that they do But infantry are one to one Who dies? It’s me or you   And evil in our world ‘s arm’s length It’s comfortableContinue reading “The Harm We Do”

  I know we’ve done away with sin Confession is now redundant But evil hasn’t gone away It seems in the ascendant And evil things need naming And bringing to the light We need to confess we’re sinners Be ready for the fight   Sex trafficking is rampant A massive industry Young girls from RomaniaContinue reading “I Am a Sinful Man”

‘They pumped shame into the air And we all breathed it in’ Marian Keyes on Ireland Catholicism and sin   I recognise I recognise That mood that atmosphere The Church’s domination Held everyone in fear   Then about depression That I am all alone I recognise I recognise My heart is as a stone  Continue reading “Earthen Vessels”

  I am of the western people Of Mayo long ago Of Glencullen and of Muinguinane Carey lands I know Of Doolough and Cloontiakilla Where Mary Gaughan lived My grandmother’s mother The Gaelic tongue alive   That takes me back to famine times And the people who lived then Whose names and whose faces AreContinue reading “Western People”

Kill steal adultery False witness covet covet Honour father mother That about just does it   Seven commandments for this world The other three for God And he is out of the picture Just someone we forgot   We don’t keep any of them Like broken stones they lie We need to go up theContinue reading “Commandments of Life”

Bolton players used to get the bus on match days Down to Burnden Park to play the game Football a workingman’s recreation No money then everyone the same   Now it’s all flash cars and flashy watches Awash with cash megabucks regime A Rolls Royce comes to Goodison on Saturday Out steps Dele Alli it’sContinue reading “Working Man’s Blues”

Even to touch the fringe of his cloak That would be enough Power would go out of him to heal They knew it they had seen it They had heard the tale then told Just get near him touch him Health worth more than gold   The same is true for us today Reach outContinue reading “Ambition”

An old acquaintance has died Not seen these many years I knew him as a lad at school And in seminary years We gave a mission in ’83 In Pudsey Yorkshire way Our paths have hardly crossed since then He died the other day   Two years my junior lovely lad Made a lovely priestContinue reading “Old Friend”

  ‘Stick to the books,’ his father said ‘It’s the only way forward,’ John did precisely that Got his education And home he came From travels abroad To be a leader for his nation   Books hold words Convey ideas Give us consolation Inspire us in the way to go Establish us in our stationContinue reading “By The Book”

I smile At the selfishness of a child Not that they are selfish But at their sense of self They only know themselves And what they feel They are not intimidated The world is just for them Quite right too Welcome to the world And what is real   But sense of self diminishes AsContinue reading “I Am Me”

He left her for a moment And she was gone His little sister stolen kidnapped gone And ever since he’s lived his life Looking for that girl To find her or find out Just what happened to her   He kind of blames himself Though not to blame Because he was there beside her SheContinue reading “Life Goes On”

‘Why do you love us?’ the young girl said ‘The country people don’t love us’ She was a Traveller child ‘The others think they’re above us’   And why do we have internment camps Processing our fears Displaced persons locked away Unseen their silent tears   Because we fear what we don’t know Our ignoranceContinue reading “Them”

Obedience took all my drive from me You’re in the army now Do as you’re told The system did not encourage you to flourish It formed you fervently Into its own small mould   They are at it still The thought police are out You can’t think that It’s not what we’re about That clericalContinue reading “Fishermen”

Are we sheep without a shepherd? It sure feels like that Rich and poor a great divide Women assaulted Women died Cost of living through the roof Covid casualties Parties proof Alcohol and drugs abound Police under pressure Are they sound? Social messaging oh so cruel Bullying tactics add more fuel Daily deaths upon theContinue reading “Wandering Sheep”

We make fools of ourselves for women My father said one time I don’t know what his memory was But I do remember mine And today we see King Herod Eaten up with lust Ready to give her anything Because he must he must   His court was full of gossip Who is this JesusContinue reading “The Court of Herod”