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Mark 3:20-21   The family of Jesus come to take charge of him, convinced he is out of his mind.   We love you But we don’t like you Don’t like what you’ve become Don’t like the things you say The things you do And now you say new family New friends are all aroundContinue reading “Home Truths”

Beaten by a blister But not down in defeat Emma’s education Is coming on quite neat   Fairy tale of New York Fairly put to rest Now the work of every day Now the daily test   Learn and keep on learning Set backs set you up What we learn about ourselves Is worth theContinue reading “Field of Play”

The sexual abuse of minors The Magdalene laundries Priests moved from place to place Minor seminaries The clerical world Celibacy The authority of men Women subjugated Babies given away   Now this world collapses Well it needed to Don’t pray for vocations Pray for eyes so new Change is not a thing to mourn GoodbyeContinue reading “On A Hillside”

No we say For fear of punishment No we say For fear of blushing shame No we say For fear of the admission Of the dark deed That says This is no game   Living with myself Is the requirement Every day I wake To greet a dawn Will it be bright With promise ofContinue reading “No”

Mark 3:7-12   Jesus is not a neutral presence He is a positive power Touch the hem of his garment This will be your hour   Crowds converge from everywhere All have heard the news This man is a healer Come take off your shoes   Restorer of your spirit Stand before his face AskContinue reading “Touch”

Cereal soup and soda bread Now my favourite foods And mugs of tea throughout the day Keep me in good moods There was a time when fancy wine And pasta was the style And a pint of beer always good cheer Would pass the time a while   There was a time when happiness WasContinue reading “All the Changes”

They made promises to each other And they kept them Almost strangers wed in Manchester She in Metro Vickers He from desert sands Off next day for Normandy Widow-making lands   Strangers reunited Married life begins Honeymoon in Ireland Dad back down the mines Wasn’t always easy Sickness and in health Four children was theirContinue reading “Promises To Keep”

  A domestic row a role-play was enacted Mediator recruitment was the day A man shouts at a woman In a mediation session all frustrated New recruits ourselves – what did we think?   This is quite violent I said Another disagreed with me I work in prisons he said Violence is what I seeContinue reading “Violent Men”

He walked through fields of death And did not die The battle of the Somme and Passchendaele And home he came But peaceful could not lie And so asylum became his lonely vale   His body saved – his mind had gone away Shattered shaken shredded Taken off its hinge Only painting calmed his feveredContinue reading “Flowers”

The world feels a little empty Now she’s gone Laid to rest in Lowertown cemetery Her smile was like the sun And I listened to her playing Flying fiddle O Her sister Amy squeezebox Lively music O   And just as her life is ended And her body in the grave News of a manContinue reading “Lament”

We fell in love with Emma She smiled she played so well And now out in Australia Only time will tell But happily she plays the game Her smile lights up the sky Her common sense will see her through She’ll play and smile and try   While here in quiet Offaly We gather inContinue reading “Your Smiling Face”

He gave his son five shillings I hate to see you go An old man in the Blasket As his son set for the door   Out and for America The son set off that day Qualified as a doctor Away so far away   An old man now returning To see his home onceContinue reading “Clothing”

The railroad doesn’t run to Bangor Erris I wish it did and even to Blacksod But the bus as second best is fair enough It’s the motor car I can’t be doing with   When I was young I thought it was a wonder And many ‘s the trip I did around the west ButContinue reading “Movement”

I like to keep an eye out for my son Make sure he’s all right Not getting down or glum Not too anxious worried or depressed That life does not cause him mental stress If mental stress can keep away Then we will have the sunny day So I like to keep an eye outContinue reading “Mental Stress”

  A lady out in Louisburg Takes a morning swim And then with other helpers Collects refuse for the bin And Carrowmore is cleansed and clean Not just by every tide But by thoughtful people on the beach Who live by local pride   Environment in England Tells another tale Polluted rivers chemicals Soon we’llContinue reading “Read All About It.”