Category Archives: Uncategorized

What do I remember? Whitewashed walls Earthen floor settle bed Turf fire in the hearth gently burning Half door in the doorway Window small Couple in their seventies Elderly Came home from England Outbreak of the war Chair and table Crockery and delph A room above Sunshine in the door Outside the River Moy ImpressiveContinue reading “Cottage Near Straide”

My Nan stretched out her arms To receive her shroud The dress that she would wear About to die She knew where she was going Knew that it was time Be dressed for action The Lord says Nan was And she was mine   Let your lamps be lit The Lord reminds us Be readyContinue reading “Arms Out”

1920s country school Out in the wilds of nowhere Mrs Lynn I remember the name My mother fondly recalled her The poorest place upon God’s earth Yet full of eager learning Lamb’s Tales of Shakespeare she read there Her heart so fondly yearning Dawn on the Hills of Ireland too A poem for recitation AndContinue reading “Brian”

Picking pumpkins Arnprior farm Straw bales piled up high Children jump into Michael’s arms Really they can fly   Climb again and jump again Wee birds in the air Trusting they’ll be caught again Michael is always there   So much fun that Saturday Making memories Remember jumping off the straw Like birdies wee birdiesContinue reading “Jump”

Libertarian individualism Is an illness of the age Promoting self quite selfishly Driving some to rage And unaccountability Say whatever you like And think to call that freedom Uncaring verbal strike   The fabric of society Requires connecting ties The link of arms The kindly speech The honesty of eyes Do not insult or ridiculeContinue reading “Look Into My Eyes”

All this time A harvest of my life Rich experience of years All now mine To do with as I wish Store unused? That would be a crime   The farmer in the story Built a barn To hoard unto himself He did but harm Grain is meant for making bread And bread is meantContinue reading “Harvest Time”

He’ll be buried in Faulmore Out beside the sea Looking out at Achill At Inishkea Watching as the sun sinks Each evening in the west The ever rolling waves Whispering where he rests   Obituaries in Ireland I read them every day Strange occupation You might say I do not know the people It’s theContinue reading “Mind How You Go”

My father held me to his cheek I the babe in arms A smile so bright across his face After all of life’s alarms   And when he died he spoke my name When other words were gone To comfort me in my distress A father loves his son   Belonging is our birthright OurContinue reading “In My Father’s Arms”

It might be rather lovely On the other side The thoughts of Billy Connolly Stateside Retired in the Florida Keys With Mr Parkinson’s disease A memoir written looking back Through all that long Glaswegian track He opines the view The future might be kind   I, too, take this view That heaven awaits beyond theContinue reading “Walk On”

  I used to sit in confessionals For a living It was my job to hear and absolve sin At the beginning it was tedious and tiresome Lists recited another out then in   But gradually I got better at the game And people too felt more inclined to talk And that was when confessionContinue reading “What Is Whispered In The Dark”

Men will have you put to death And think they do a noble work for God The work of twisted minds and troubled souls   A seed of hatred in the heart Fed and watered from the start Grows to greatness then explodes outside   Anger at injustice seen Justifies aggression’s dream Gives permission goContinue reading “A Public Murder”

Ignore the first commandment And you’re lost You shall love the Lord your God With all your heart With all your soul With all your mind And all your strength besides Ignore this call And you’ll be woe betide   This is the call to goodness All your life In every dot and detail EvenContinue reading “For Goodness’ Sake”

Yesterday grim grey Today bright sun Cloudless sky A day for having fun How atmosphere conditions all of time And can dictate the pace the feel the chime   It turned its face towards the evening sun Its back the servant quarters to the road A hill blocked all horizon to one side Off theContinue reading “Sunshine In Salopia”

Hitler was beaten by his father Compensating mother was too soft Neither helps a child to grow up healthy He lives with fear has no esteem Then nothing stops the rot   Sutcliffe was beaten by his father A drunken alcoholic it is said Retreated into self became a loner Then blew a fuse HitContinue reading “Fathers”

My son is very kind to his dad And comical when arguments we had ‘I’m right, you’re wrong, accept it,’ so he said And that put the matter straight to bed   The Pharisees and lawyers long ago Held power and sway never to let go And Jesus thrashed them soundly for their stance TheyContinue reading “Lawyers, Scribes And Pharisees”