Category Archives: Uncategorized

Jim Broadbent’s voice cries out In that Margaret Thatcher film As Maggie watches old newsreels Of holidays with the children ‘You can rewind it But you can’t change it,’ cries Jim As Maggie’s viewing longingly hopes To compensate for her lack of motherly ways   And I smile as I remember All my Hawkstone daysContinue reading “Old Newsreels”

  A blinding light of yellow sun Sinking in the sky Achill hillsides darkening Achill waters by   So many evenings of my life I watched that sunset fall A sunny day was ending A blazing fireball   This stunning sky was saying I have not gone away A peaceful night will come now AndContinue reading “Light in the West”

Sitting with my father in the pub Was like sitting with a teacher in the Temple I listened to his every word The words I heard were gold I valued them and stored them In a pulpit they were retold   My father wasn’t garrulous But easy company He loved to tell a story AllContinue reading “A Just Man”

If I were still a preacher This is what I’d say I am proud of who I come from Proud that I can say Lancashire and Mayo I count among my kin My mother and my father The family I’m in   But many do not have this luck Their origins are sad Perhaps theyContinue reading “Genealogy”

Early morning mist Warm air meeting cold Moisture turns to droplets So I have been told Science explains phenomena Helps us understand But poetry gives us the soul Of a winter wonderland   Misty morning blanket Shrouds the world in sleep Houses hunkered down When I take a peep Clear blue sky appearing As theContinue reading “Nature’s Remedy”

In the bleak mid winter A school dinner moan Dry bread on a platter Slice of turkey throne Pig in blanket lonely Stuffing little square Dry mince pie for afters Oh that we were there!   Brian Fahy 16 December 2021   + A school in Sussex, suffering food supply chain issues and staff shortages,Continue reading “Festive Feast”

Women killed upon our streets Children killed at home Missing ones become murdered ones And folk are left alone And darkness covers all the earth And rumours now of war Pandemic robs us of our mirth And Christmas comes – what for?   We have no news to lighten us We put our bins awayContinue reading “Heaven’s Door”

I’m not a great one for the Rosary That repetitious prayer Those hail and holy Marys Filling all the air But talking to Christ’s mother Is a powerful thing to do And one Hail Mary said today Can do wonders now for you   I remember a congregation Full church on their knees Answering theContinue reading “Rosary Beads”

I stood on Leppings Lane In the summer of ‘62 And cheered on Bolton Wanderers As the best team as you do They weren’t of course Not by a mile The exuberance of youth Partisan and prejudice A long way from the truth   And people cheer on Churchill And memories of the war ButContinue reading “Munich Revisited”

John the Baptist sent messengers to know Are you the one that we’re waiting for? But anyone can say yes Could be anyone’s guess Jesus’ answer let them know for sure   Look around you at the things I do Let your own eyes testify to you The blind the deaf are healed The goodContinue reading “Life’s Question”

Christmas time approaches Another child has died Cruelly used by adults And no one to confide   The marks upon her body Reported at the time Not acted on to save her We have another crime   The slaughter of the innocents In Matthew’s gospel tale Shows how the powers of evil Make love ofContinue reading “Christmas Star”

  I was going to have mince and tatties For my tea But I couldn’t find a carrot Singly So change of plan in Waitrose I’m versatile you know Spaghetti Bolognese Will now be on the go   And a bottle of Chianti Shaky cheese as well For old times sake I’ll talk Italian AContinue reading “Ciao”

Children take their teddies up to bed Someone by their side the night ahead And going to school quickly they make friends Fall out of course but quickly make amends   Tom Hanks in that film fell out the sky And lived for years alone just sea and sky Except that football with its paintedContinue reading “Not Alone”

The old man climbed Croagh Patrick I was there I saw his steady pace his easy air His walking stick The hat upon his head A fair ould climb He’ll sleep tonight in bed   A young lad ran ahead With lightning speed To old advice he didn’t pay no heed The freshness of theContinue reading “God’s Mountain”

The clock says it is morning time But the sky says it’s still night These winter days are heavy now And sparing with the light And each day now arriving Like the turning of a page And old friends I have loved a while Quietly leave the stage   I wake up in the darknessContinue reading “Hope Lights The Way”