Some People To Me

Some people to me in their honesty say
You have written so much stuff without reward or pay
When I tell them I've got a penning addiction they don't understand
They look at me as if my brains are of sand
Some even say of a penning addiction there is no such a thing
And how come the stuff that you write you do not even sing
But to them I don't even try for to explain
That I only pen for the love of it not for financial gain
If they think I'm an idiot well that suits me fine
What they think of me is their business not mine
I'm only saying what seems a fair thing to say
In saying we look at others in our own sort of way
A penning addiction with a shake of his head
He said of such a thing I've never heard of or read.

To So Many Great Joy

To so many great joy she is known for to bring
The wonder of Nature is an amazing thing
And though about her she has a mysterious way
From her we do learn something new every day.

The only God I know of is a beautiful she
And her beauty it is everywhere around me
I've loved her since I was a school-going boy
The one who has brought me such pleasure and joy.

The artists and writers her do celebrate
And one can only admire the beauty she create
Her creative powers are for all to see
In her grasses and flowers and every bush and tree.

The only God I do know of yet to her I don't pray
And many to her disrespect only pay
We cut down her tall trees for our financial gain
Of things of great beauty only stumps do remain.

People like her Seasons to life come and go but she lives eternally
The Goddess of land and the Goddess of sea
Her songbirds are singing in the morning gray
My Goddess of Nature how are you today.

I'm Living Far South

I'm living far south of my old home today
From here Claraghatlea is many miles away
Where the Cails from Kippagh does babble on down
To join with the Finnow a mile from Millstreet Town
Many old friends in the flesh I will never more see
But a Claraghatlea fellow is all I can be
When the cold winds of December through the fields did blow
And Clara was wearing his white hat of snow
My life changing journey to the south began
But at heart I remain as a Claraghatlea man
Many people I knew I will not see again
But the waterways, the woods and the fields do remain
And in fancy I hear the caw of the gray crow
Where the Cails and Finnow to the Blackwater flow.

'Tis By Chance Alone

'Tis by chance alone that we were even born
And we are destined to die as sure as night loses her dark cloak to the morn
We can only live in the now though we often think of the past
And the clock on our lives it keeps ticking on fast
The present is what matters though some to the past cling
And regretting for what might have been never changes a thing
The clock on our lives it is ticking away
And we can only live in the now and the now is today
The babe born yesterday today is growing old
And who knows what the future for anyone hold
Though by chance alone we have the gift of life
The great struggle for many born of inner strife
Babies are learning from life before they learn how to crawl
And for the majority life isn't easy at all.

You Too

You too can make the World to live in a far better place
And you can be an asset to your clan and your Race
If you live your life in an honourable way
In a better World to live in you can have your say.

In a Human World dominated by people of greed
Of more of environmnentally connscious people we are in need
Where the trees were cut down you won't hear songbirds sing
Human greed for development can give rise to a silent Spring.

As long as to your higher self you try to remain true
And treat all others as you would like them to treat you
And to the Earth Mother who feeds us some due respect pay
At living a good life you are doing okay.

An Olympic Gold Medal you do not have to win
For to make this World a better World for to live in
As long as you respect Nature and believe on a fair go for all
Your achievements in life cannot be seen as small.

We Need More love And Understanding Of Others

We need more love and understanding of others in the World we live in today
Materialism and greed for money is the cause of spiritual decay
The gap between the haves and the have nots keeps widening and too many live in poverty
How can you feel love if you are hungry and homeless love doesn't bloom amongst penury
There are millions of angry people in the bigger World out there
And who can blame them for feeling unloved and of hope living in despair
They become poorer whilst a minority grow wealthier life on them is not very fair
Without food the body does not survive one cannot live entirely on air
The wealthy keep on getting wealthier money makes more money as some do say
The greed of some gives rise to poverty for others it does seem for to be this way
Some waste food the bounty of Nature whilst many don't have food to eat
The great gifts of love and understanding of others are strangers to poverty street
And the wealthy as ever growing wealthier in their case it is much wants more
In a World where millions are growing poorer the people we tend to ignore.

I Know She Will Be There Forever

I know she will be there forever the one older than father time
The one who has inspired the artists and inspired the writers to song, story and rhyme
Old in the age of the dinosaurs and that was a long time ago
How old is she that's a good question that is not for humans to know.

Our life span can be measured in minutes in real time a century not long
We are mere mortals like other life forms and though some may see such thinking as wrong
I am only saying what I believe in we all look at life differently
Only Nature herself is immortal humans are born to mortality.

Mother Nature will live on forever her Seasons to her come and go
We depend on her for our existence the food that we eat she does grow
And yet we do not pay her the respect the respect that from us she is due
If we are not true to our Earth Mother to our own selves we cannot be true.

The Seasons are catching up on me my best days in life are long gone
I soon must return to Nature my biological clock ticking on
But in every part of the World her presence is on every shore
The wonderful Goddess of Nature the one who will live forever more.

Your Great God

You say your God is special and you say your God is great
If so a better World for your God you can help to create
Yet those who are different to you those of a different faith
You find it a great struggle to even tolerate
If your God is a great God him you do not impress
For your poor attitude to those different to you he will only love you less
Any one particular religion a great God does not embrace
Only every single member of the greater Human Race
'Tis not by good example you can profess to lead
You find it hard to tolerate those of a different creed
Your great God doesn't need you though to him you do pray
He wants you for to look at life in quite a different way
The great God you believe in does not see you as great
If those of different beliefs you find hard to tolerate.

Without Our Amazing Earth Mother

To the most highly educated class one can say they do belong
But those who talk of living off of the economy have surely got it wrong
We refer to them as economists yet call them what you may
In saying that we live off of the economy they are wrong in what they say
'Tis true we all are better off in an economy that thrive
But the economy does not grow the food that we need to survive
On this thing known as the economy grass and trees and vegetables do not grow
and on this thing known as the economy water-ways do not flow
The part the economy plays in our survival to say the least seems small
Without our amazing Earth Mother we could not exist at all
'Tis on her very existence the economy is built around
The resources that create material wealth in Nature to be found
Highly educated people but they are wrong when they say
That this thing called the economy a huge part in our existence play.

No Greater Loyalty

This will be our family secret don't tell others how he died
Never mention how my darling son took his own life in suicide
Don't want them saying he opted out of life they would never understand
How our beloved teenager he died at his own hand.

Don't tell anyone we found him hanging from the low branch of a tree
Tell them 'twas of a heart attack that he died suddenly
We do not need their judgements my son must rest in peace
It was of his own choosing that from life he choose release.

Of the darkness that surrounded him we never were to know
The mother she has shed her tears for her son who died six months ago
For to save him from the judgements of the living for her dead son she will lie
She will never admit that he was one who choose his own way to die.

No greater loyalty than the loyalty of a mother when all is said and done
From the judgements of the living she lies to protect her dead son
She takes flowers twice a week to place on the grave where he does lay
And she will grieve for her deceased son till her own dying day.

So Do Unto Others

Do unto others as you would like them do unto you
A very old saying that remains ever true
To hurt somebody's feelings deliberately is not a nice thing
Far better the praises of that person to sing
The gift of the gab is with those born to rule
But some people with their words can be very cruel
And some in their ways can be so very small
If you cannot say good of a person why say anything at all
Words can be so offensive when used in a cruel way
And the mental hurt caused by them can remain with the offended one for many a day
Words can destroy friendships and cause much offence
So to deliberately hurt one's feelings does make little sense
So do unto others as you'd like them do unto you
And always give credit to where credit is due.

I Will Take The Money

In assets quite poor with little cash to my name
I will take the money you can have the fame
Your fame it will not buy you a loaf of bread
No you have the fame I'll have money instead
Your money speaks more of you as it does seem
Than fame or it's sibling known as high esteem
With money as such they cannot hope to compare
This simple truth with you I only do share
Few things money cannot buy that much we do know
And on bushes and trees money it does not grow
In life it is quite important it does seem that way
And it does speak every language as some are known to say
Perhaps I may sound greedy for that me do not blame
When I say I will take the money you can have the fame.

Just An Old Tree

On Nature and life scientists may disagree
But On our attitude to Nature our true selves we should see
Can you not see the beauty and value in a fully grown tree
That has lived in the Parkland for a century
In the cool of the morning in the greeness of Spring
On it's higher branches the blackbird does sing
An arboreal monarch of the higher ground
The oldest and tallest tree for miles around
Yet some people say that it should be cut down
That old trees lose their branches and are a danger to walkers in the park of the town
But in gale force winds people ought to realize
That to stay clear of such trees is quite prudent and wise
And to some sad to say it is just an old tree
The beauty in Nature they just cannot see.

Do Sing Me Something That's Happy

Don't sing me 'Slievenamon' or 'Molly Malone' or 'The Banks Of My Own Lovely Lee'
Or 'The Boys Of Wexford' or 'Galway Bay' or even 'The Rose Of Tralee'
I've often heard those songs sung in my young years and the past I do want to forget
They were and are well loved old ballads though tinged with nostalgia and regret
And I want to get over nostalgia and feeling sad for my lost prime
Trying to relive our better Seasons does seem a waste of precious time
And listening to old songs and ballads keeps dragging me back to the past
But we can only live in the present and the clock on our lives ticking fast
Don't sing me 'The Mountains Of Mourne' or the song known as 'Bold Thady Quill'
Of nostalgic old songs and ballads one might say that I've had my fill
I'm not unlike most other migrants when I've had a couple of beers
I think of the past gone forever and I often feel quite close to tears
But do sing me something that's happy and with you I will sing along
For I too am one who can enjoy the happiness in a joyful song.

The Mentors Of My Boyhood

They only live on now in my memory
The mentors of my boyhood in the flesh that I'll never more see
In cemeteries far north from here far away
In Mother Earth's bosom they forever lay.

For life in the big World me they helped to prepare
Their wisdom and insights with me they did share
Not wealthy and famous but wise, honest and kind
And better than they were would be hard to find.

They led by good example in the lives they did live
And though not financially well off they knew how to give
And good memories of them I will always retain
For as long as the breath of life in me remain.

Such wisdom and insights from them I did gain
And though in the flesh I won't see them again
The good and kind people I was privileged to know
In the place where into a young man I did grow.

What Hope For Humanity

Can one see hope for the future of humanity when the foes of Nature in business and commerce succeed
When our Earth Mother is being raped for her resources by those known for their financial greed
In South America's Amazon Rainforest thousands of acres of trees are cut down every day
The uncalled for destruction of the natural environment for agriculture for to make way
By the destruction for financial gain of our natural environment to our own extinction we will give rise
In our dealings with the Earth Mother who feeds us one must say we are not very wise
Mother Earth would do better without us and life in this World will go on
Long after the very last human from the land of the living has gone
The people who stand up for Nature are the people many demonize
But the Greenies are far better people than many do seem to realize
To me they are the World's real heroes though most with that would disagree
They are fighting for the future of Humankind when they fight for every bush and tree
We pollute the air and the rivers, we pollute the land and the sea
And when the greatest polluters are seen as successful then what hope for humanity?

Why Worry Of Death And Of Dying

Why worry of death and of dying when you will be forever dead
The present is all does matter who knows for us what lay ahead
We will die that we know for certain and we only can live in the now
The father of time is our master and to the father of time we must bow
Success and failure are often used words for building one up or putting one down
But in the end does it much matter if you are the most admired one in your town
The Reaper of lives won't ignore you and to his sharp scythe you must fall
He is the one most feared by the ego but the greatest egalatarian of all
What matter of success and failure when at the end they are the same
Genghis Khan was a World renowned conqueror yet he only lives on now in name
The Reaper took the life's breath from him the life of anyone the Reaper doesn't spare
He who claims the life of the pauper claims the life of the billionaire
Why worry of death and of dying we only can live for today
And though you would like to live forever in that you do not have a say.

The Old Creek

The creek from the high country babbles on down
For to join the big river by the old bush town
On it's long winding journey south-wards to the sea
So old who would even know how old it would be.

It's been flowing long before the birth of the first woman and man
The old creek on it does not have a time span
Through the old brown paddocks 'twill flow forever more
To the river that flows to the great ocean shore.

It has inspired poets to song and to rhyme
And it was very old in the Dinosaur time
The Dinosaurs that to extinction have gone
But the creek to the river keeps babbling on.

Us humans like Nature's Seasons to life come and go
But the creek to the river forever will flow
Through the old brown paddocks every night and day
On to the great ocean from here far away.

Far Worse Off Than Me

Compared to most my worries do seem small
And real hardship in my life I don't have to recall
Nor I can't say I've known much of ache or pain
In fact I don't have any reason to complain
I'm happy to have Nature living near
The songbirds singing in the park I hear
The weather seems perfect in every way
The sun is shining 'tis a lovely day
So many people without food to eat
Without a home on Poverty's Poor Street
Without the gift of luck their lot may well be mine
Compared to them one might say I'm doing fine
In life I've been lucky as lucky as can be
And I can't complain there's far worse off than me.

Parental Love

He would kill and eat their baby birds the songbirds seem to know
So they do their best their very best to frighten off the crow
Their babies from such an awful fate they risk their lives to save
They even mob the bigger bird they are so very brave
In Nature as in the Human World the strongest seem to rule
But in Nature's World to kill to eat should not be seen as cruel
A sense of cruelty as such birds or animals do not feel
A smaller thing is nothing more to them than just a meal
The songbirds are chirping loudly a crow to their nest nearby
They even chirp and peck at him as around him they do fly
But he is unfazed by them where he is perched he stay
And from their territory he refuses for to fly away
For a crow a young nestling is a tasty morsel for to eat
And I like millions of other human beings too enjoy the taste of meat.

Some People To Me

Some people to me in their honesty say
You have written so much stuff without reward or pay
When I tell them I've got a penning addiction they don't understand
They look at me as if my brains are of sand
Some even say of a penning addiction there is no such a thing
And how come the stuff that you write you do not even sing
But to them I don't even try for to explain
That I only pen for the love of it not for financial gain
If they think I'm an idiot well that suits me fine
What they think of me is their business not mine
I'm only saying what seems a fair thing to say
In saying we look at others in our own sort of way
A penning addiction with a shake of his head
He said of such a thing I've never heard of or read.

To So Many Great Joy

To so many great joy she is known for to bring
The wonder of Nature is an amazing thing
And though about her she has a mysterious way
From her we do learn something new every day.

The only God I know of is a beautiful she
And her beauty it is everywhere around me
I've loved her since I was a school-going boy
The one who has brought me such pleasure and joy.

The artists and writers her do celebrate
And one can only admire the beauty she create
Her creative powers are for all to see
In her grasses and flowers and every bush and tree.

The only God I do know of yet to her I don't pray
And many to her disrespect only pay
We cut down her tall trees for our financial gain
Of things of great beauty only stumps do remain.

People like her Seasons to life come and go but she lives eternally
The Goddess of land and the Goddess of sea
Her songbirds are singing in the morning gray
My Goddess of Nature how are you today.

I'm Living Far South

I'm living far south of my old home today
From here Claraghatlea is many miles away
Where the Cails from Kippagh does babble on down
To join with the Finnow a mile from Millstreet Town
Many old friends in the flesh I will never more see
But a Claraghatlea fellow is all I can be
When the cold winds of December through the fields did blow
And Clara was wearing his white hat of snow
My life changing journey to the south began
But at heart I remain as a Claraghatlea man
Many people I knew I will not see again
But the waterways, the woods and the fields do remain
And in fancy I hear the caw of the gray crow
Where the Cails and Finnow to the Blackwater flow.

'Tis By Chance Alone

'Tis by chance alone that we were even born
And we are destined to die as sure as night loses her dark cloak to the morn
We can only live in the now though we often think of the past
And the clock on our lives it keeps ticking on fast
The present is what matters though some to the past cling
And regretting for what might have been never changes a thing
The clock on our lives it is ticking away
And we can only live in the now and the now is today
The babe born yesterday today is growing old
And who knows what the future for anyone hold
Though by chance alone we have the gift of life
The great struggle for many born of inner strife
Babies are learning from life before they learn how to crawl
And for the majority life isn't easy at all.

You Too

You too can make the World to live in a far better place
And you can be an asset to your clan and your Race
If you live your life in an honourable way
In a better World to live in you can have your say.

In a Human World dominated by people of greed
Of more of environmnentally conscious people we are in need
Where the trees were cut down you won't hear songbirds sing
Human greed for development can give rise to a silent Spring.

As long as to your higher self you try to remain true
And treat all others as you would like them to treat you
And to the Earth Mother who feeds us some due respect pay
At living a good life you are doing okay.

An Olympic Gold Medal you do not have to win
For to make this World a better World for to live in
As long as you respect Nature and believe on a fair go for all
Your achievements in life cannot be seen as small.

The Greatness of Muhammad Ali

As a boxing champion Muhammad Ali is surely a great
But 'tis as a marvellous Human Being him we should celebrate
Many of his sayings on life are truly profound
People of such wisdom and insight in numbers don't abound
Far more than a champion in the boxing ring
The praises of such a man we ought to sing
Despite the affliction of Parkinson Syndrome he's still lucid and bright
The man who was born with the gift of insight
In the Human World of the twenty first century his is a known and loved face
The man who transcends Nationality and Race
Unkind things of him you won't hear many say
Perhaps the best loved American in the World of today
The World Heavyweight Boxing Champion for a lengthy time span
But more than that a marvellous Human being and a great man.

True Beauty

Though your physical beauty may take you quite far
That does not tell us of the person you are
True beauty is too deep for eyes for to find
'Tis hidden away in the caves of the mind
Not physically beautiful the woman next door
And well past her best years she is seventy four
But she is a beautiful person to know
One might say of her she has the inner glow
About her she does have a beautiful way
And people like her one doesn't meet every day
Great physical beauty is just that nothing more
I only say here what has been said before
By people far more knowledgeable and wiser than me
Though with them I must say I totally agree.

Where I Was Raised

Where I was raised people never pray for rain
There always is water in the roadside drain
The rivers, streams and rills often bank high do flow
Yet of hunger and want there I never did know
Where I was raised many people are generous and kind
And any faults with them would be hard to find
But the lust of the wander from there lured me away
And I'm living far south of my old home today
In April and May in the prime of the Spring
The nest building songbirds do whistle and sing
And house sparrows line with feathers their straggly nest of hay
And swallows back home to breed for their seven months stay
The old fields are looking lush and green again
And Nature's flowers bloom in the wind and the rain.

Of Your Nationality

Of your Nationality you well may brag
But do you respect other Races as well as their National flag
For that what you believe in says more about you
Than anything else does happens to be true.

Do you think that to others that your's is a superior Race
Another person in another time and in another place
Thought along these lines and he died in shame
For the worst crimes against Humanity he was to blame.

Us humans are mortals and quite equal indeed
And that every human being's blood is red what more proof does one need
That we are born as equals and born to die
The truth in the facts and facts never lie.

There are many like you in every village and town
Who bow to the monarch and put others down
But to the scythe of the Reaper the monarch must fall
For she or he too are mortals after all.

On Her We Depend

Have not even had a lower division win in lotto for some while
The Lady of luck on me she does not smile
In gambling one might say my luck is not in
And without her on your side not much hope of a win
In life we do need Lady Luck as a friend
Even for our survival on her we depend
The luck of the draw as some are known for to say
We do need her often if not every day
A woman can live without a husband and a man can live without a wife
But every one does need Lady Luck in life
Of good luck and no luck stories we do often hear of and read
And good luck on our side for to live we do need
We do need Lady Luck in our lives as a friend
On our very survival on her we depend.

Where To Speak One's Mind

Where to speak one's mind is looked on as a crime
Many good people are serving prison time
Against such oppressive regimes only the bravest speak out
Their courage and morality is never in doubt.

Many such people who speak out against Governments who are lacking in ruth
Are locked up in prison or else have been executed for speaking the truth
The pathway to a fair go for others they try to pave
But their price is huge to pay for being honourable and brave.

It takes a supremely courageous person for to make such a stand
Against the Government of a Country where free speech is banned
They speak out without flinching against those who rule by fear
Stories of their bravery inspiring to read of and hear.

It takes a truly noble person one whose heart rules the head
To speak out against oppression at the gateway of dread
Such an act of extreme bravery is an admirable thing
And the praises of such people we should feel happy to sing.

In More Than Sixty Years Of Living

In more than sixty years of living for wisdom and knowledge don't have much for to show
But the more we learn about life the less we know we do know
About the World we live in though one has to say
That from life we do learn something new every day
Those who think they know it all in this World are not rare
Yet of knowledge and wisdom they never seem to have much with others for to share
Suppose with some people ignorance can be bliss
The point of listening to learn they do seem to miss
Though all of the wisdom and knowledge we acquire we do not retain
From the wise and the knowledgeable insights we do gain
The greatest human achievements compared to Nature's achievements seem small
In eight decades of living we learn little at all
For to talk out of turn not the way of the wise
They learn with their ears and they learn with their eyes.

What Others Think

What others think of the stuff I pen is surely their business not mine
If they do praise or dispraise my writing efforts either way it does suit me fine
As long as they criticize the stuff I write and not try to demonize me
I will not take offence at their comments as long as they speak truthfully
I never criticize others writings for that the critics do get paid
And far too many amateur critics already in the Wordsmith trade
I have my opinions on poetry but my opinions are my own
Even by the style of writing one writes in his or her preference of writing is known
I have been asked for my opinions on their poems by others their efforts I only can praise
The Wordsmith trade need all of it's writers and kind words the sagging hopes can raise
Not everyone can become a poet laureate and not everyone can win a big literary prize
Some people give unsolicited derogatory comments such people are not very wise
We all look at things very differently we see life through different eyes
And if I have hurted anyone's feelings with my comments to that person I apologize.

Ginger

Bonny is the word that does surely apply
To Ginger the baby sister of young Django Ry
For Damian and Vanessa a girl to go with their boy
The birth of a baby is a gift of joy
In high and beautiful Olinda into a woman she will grow
And there of the beauty of Nature she will get to know
In Olinda in the Yarra Ranges a beautiful place
Her first challenges in life young Ginger will face
And new lessons to be learned from life every day
And in life many challenges do come our way
For Damian and Vanessa a baby daughter such great news to hear
A wonderful gift at the end of the year
And for Django a young sister with whom he can play
For the Ladds and the Veals life is looking okay.

Silence Is The Best Option

He is a big fellow who shouts in my ear
But 'tis not him I do fear but the fear
Of injury he might inflict on me too often the brave
Do end up sad to say in a premature grave
At times discretion is the better sign of valour as some Are known to say
And in the face of danger a shut mouth might pay
And discretion in his case does surely apply
But why is he so angry with me I do wonder why?
Perhaps I remind him of someone he know
A person that he looks upon as a foe
A big ugly fellow with a gap in his front teeth
On our journey through life people like him we meet
For some reason he does not like the look of me
Silence is the best option for one such as he.

The Mother Does Grieve

What has happened has happened and what is done is done
But the mother is left for to grieve for her son
He died by police guns on a December day
He did not deserve to die in such a way
Lets face it so little of life he had seen
He was just a boy he was only fifteen
In confrontations with the police things happen suddenly
The one for to judge them it will not be me
That the mother is angry with the police she has a right to be
Her son in the flesh she will never more see
Worse people than he was not even serving jail time
To be angry with the World was his only crime
I will not judge though others on this had their say
But the mother does grieve for her dead boy today.

For Oil Not For Freedom

My heart goes to those who grieve for their war dead in war torn Iraq
Life when it is taken cannot be given back
Those who started this war from Iraq may live far away
But to Karma they do have a huge price to pay
For thousands of deaths in Iraq the pro war media terrorists do blame
But terrorism absent from Iraq before the invaders came
To excuse the war instigators of their crimes this is their way
Though they had started something brutal and ugly that does seem fair to say
Poor Iraqi mothers for their war dead left to grieve
The stories of a pro war media why should they believe
It does not take courage a life for to take
And the legacy of war is death, grief and heart-break
They cannot be brought back to life the Iraqi war dead
For oil not for freedom their blood has been shed.

Dear Gillian

We do miss her kind and her beautiful face
And without her the neighbourhood a sadder place
Gillian was fit and healthy for one of seventy three
But last week of heart failure she died suddenly
Her husband Bill at seventy died four years ago
Ill for three years with cancer his death painful and slow
But Gillian she nursed him right up till his end
She was his good wife and his devoted friend
But with typical bravery she accepted her loss
Though life it had dealt to her a heavy cross
Five times a grand-mother and though her better days gone
She loved and enjoyed life and wanted to live on
A beautiful Person to know and to meet
Dear Gillian the loveliest one on our street.

You Surely Must like The Sound Of Your Own Voice

You surely must like the sound of your own voice
You who tell us that everyone does have a choice
To make their lives better to yourselves you lie
In a World where millions are born of hunger to die
Your thinking born of arrogance for it does seem to me
That only a living Saint would embrace poverty
And in a World where many are hungry and homeless for every millionaire
The living Saints it would seem rarer than rare
In a World where millions of alms are in need
To have freedom of choice you are lucky indeed
When you talk of free choice for everyone you have got it all wrong
To only a minority such a thing belong
And it hardly does apply in any sort of a way
To the people who are dying of hunger every day.

You Can Fight For Your Country

You can fight for your Country it does seem to me
By fighting for the right to life of every tree
And every bush and shrub and every hedgerow
To your Country this much is what you do owe.

You are not fighting for your Country by discharging your gun
In Some distant Land at another woman's son
Of someone you've never met or never will know
How can you make of such a person a foe.

You can help your Country by helping one of help in need
And for your own good karma you plant the good seed
And treat those different to you in a respectful way
And try to perform one good deed every day.

You are your Country's hero when you are Nature's friend
When for her flora that supports her fauna you fight to defend
Though the last post for you it will never be played
And for you there never will be a parade.

The Good Days Ahead

May the lights of prosperity and good luck on your life shine
In the upcoming year of two thousand and nine
And may love for self and others in your heart grow
The good days ahead of you one would hope so
May you have good reason for to celebrate
It is said good things come to all those who do wait
Through tough times to despair you've not given in
You may be quite near to a big lotto win
Two thousand and eight for you not a good year at all
With few good memories of it for you to recall
One can only hope better times for you are near
In your life changes for the better may happen next year
Of the year two thousand and eight the praises you cannot sing
But two thousand and nine better to you may bring.

Allow Him A Fair Go

You have read about him yet him you do not know
So you ought to respect his right to a fair go
Since the judgemental newspaper journalist's article on him you did read
You have come to the conclusion he's a bad one indeed
In the courts he must pay for the wrongs he has done
But remember that he too is some mother's son
And his mother loves him as your mum loves you
And his right to a fair trial is only his due
By condemning accused people to an Earthly Hell
The newspaper publishers their papers do sell
For their monetary gain some they do demonize
And some of the stuff they do print only lies
Forget what the demonizing media of him has to say
Allow him a fair trial for his crimes he must pay.

The Farewell Bell

The peals of the funeral bell echo to the calm sky
For someone today 'tis a final goodbye
And on some future date whenever that be
A similar bell will be ringing for me.

Free of the cares of life and of worry and fear
The farewell bell for him or for her the deceased one doesn't hear
By it's slow drawn out tolls it's not hard for to tell
That for someone the ringer rings the farewell bell.

The same fate for you and for me and for all
To the scythe of the Reaper we eventually must fall
Yet on a sunlit wattle the magpie does sing
And he care not if for one the farewell bell ring.

A beautiful morning the magpie in song
With the farewell bell he is singing along
And white butterflies dancing a beautiful sight
Around the blossoming trees in the warm sunlight.

Back In The Home Fields Again

The swallows Winter far from Hibernia's shore
And far south of the high fields of old Claramore
But they will return to raise their next brood in the Spring
The wonders of Nature an amazing thing
From an overnight frost the fields looking gray
And a cold wind blowing down from the old hill today
Flying in the sunshine from their place of birth the swallows far away
But they will be home for to breed by the May
It has been a long time since I've heard and seen the gray crow
And heard the brown wren singing in the hedgerow
Or the white breasted dipper singing in the rill
That babbles to the river from the field by the hill
But memories of what was with me do remain
And in fancy I'm back in the home fields again.

The Law Of The Land

Forgive me if I do not seem to understand
The workings as such of The law Of The Land
For the haves and the have nots different laws seem to apply
Why this has to be one has to wonder why.

That any citizen is not above the Nation's law
From that your own conclusion you ought to draw
When the working class more tax in relation to income than the wealthy does pay
The law does not seem fair when seen in this way.

'Tis true enough everyone does breathe the same air
But The Law Of The Land does not treat everyone fair
Many on low incomes to the Government too much in taxes do pay
That they are hard done by does seem fair to say.

The Law Of The Land does seem to suit you fine
If in the top restaurants you can afford to wine and dine
But not for those whose weekly income is quite small
And what does this say of a fair go for all?

The Optimist In You

In life for you there never has been a win
But you hang in there you refuse to give in
In you the optimist hope is not dead
And you sense that for you the good times are ahead
One never hear you say that life is unfair
Or of a change in fortune you never despair
That fortune favours the brave often proves to be true
And a change in life's fortunes you are overdue
Life's not been good to you but you don't complain
And your positive attitude you do retain
Words such as the World is against me you never do say
And you feel that the good times for you are not far away
In life for you there never has been a win
But to failure the optimist in you refuses to give in.

I Never Refer To Myself As A Poet

I never refer to myself as a poet
I leave such titles to those more worthy of note
Than one such as me who pens old fashioned rhyme
The type of stuff I write is not of this time
My gift is to love Nature for me a source of joy
And I've loved her since I was a very young boy
The only known immortal she will live forever more
In every Country and on every shore
Her beauty I cannot help but to admire
And of singing her praises I never could tire
About her she has a mysterious way
And from her we do learn something new every day
And whilst the artists and the poets celebrate her in their art and poetry
To admire her creations enough to satisfy me.

On Callanan

One of Ireland's best poets and it seems sad to say
That in Portugal his last remains ever lay
Yet his poems live on and are worthy of note
J J Callanan he was a marvellous poet
In his beautiful poems the poet lives again
The Convict of Clonmel, Gougane Barra and The Outlaw Of Lough Lene
The Author of these poems an extraordinary man
The translator and poet Jeremiah Joseph Callanan
The Callanans of this World to say the least rare
With the best poets of his era he could compare
Gougane Barra a poem that I loved as a boy
A poem for all ages to read and enjoy
In Portugal he will lay forever more
He died far away from his old Homeland shore.

The Very Enlightened

The very enlightened 'twould seem are quite rare
And of our own shortcomings few of us aware
The flaws in others I can readily see
But I dislike in them what I dislike in me
Our negative thinking comes from low self esteem
And those we choose to dislike are our equals 'twould seem
Above what is ordinary few ever can seem to rise
And though everyone grows older few grow to be wise
The very enlightened one does not often meet
Perhaps you won't find one on every street
Even our own self few of us ever get to know
Which prompts me to wonder why this should be so
If you cannot respect yourself to others respect you cannot pay
But we are what we are as some are known to say.

I've Been Too Long Absent

I've been too long absent from the old homeplace
And nowadays mine there would be a stranger's face
Many there I knew deceased and the young getting old
And the changes keep happening there as I have been told.

But the old fields I knew doubtless would look the same
I recall some of them do have a given name
And the dipper does sing in the clear babbling rill
That flows to the river from the fields by the hill.

For sake of adventure and not for renown
I left the old Townland just west of the Town
When the old hill was wearing his white hat of snow
And the cold north winds of December from the mountains did blow.

From the old fields perhaps I've been too long away
And a stranger I'd seem in the homeplace today
The passing of time has left me looking gray
And the clock ticking on as some are known to say.

A Beautiful Place Old Killarney

'Tis surely an Earthly Utopia Killarney by the Pacific sea
In the sunlit park by saltwater the magppie lark calls out pee wee
Between Warrnambool and Port Fairy where Nature's beauty and peace reside
Where the oystercatchers can be heard piping above the din of the incoming tide
Each time I have been in Killarney I have felt sad from there on going away
Such a beautiful place for to live in and visit the sea every day
The clear coastal air unpolluted no factory anywhere near
On the coastal trees by saltwater the magpie's flute pleasant to hear
Long before the first Europeans came here in the shade of the coastal trees
The people of Australia's Dreamtime sung and danced their corroborees
Their spirits live on in Killarney though they have gone the ways of time
From Killarney the gem of Victoria that inspires song, story and rhyme
A beautiful place old Killarney such beautiful places are rare
I have been to some scenic places but with any it can compare.

What's Life About I Often Wonder

What's life about I often wonder since we are mortals born to die
Many claim that the soul lives forever whilst some will tell you that's a lie
And as for the World of the hereafter none of as yet has come back for to tell
Of the paradise referred to as heaven or the World of the damned known as hell
I am not a religious person and to any God I do not pray
Though I do love the Goddess of Nature my last remains in her bosom will lay
What's life about an often asked question a question that's puzzling to me
We are born for the scythe of the Reaper like all life forms of land and of sea
The God I believe in is not male my Goddess a beautiful she
Known to many as Mother Nature such beauty she has for to see
'Tis true death is part of our existence and the thought of death we only fear
Though most people pray to their God for mercy when they sense death to them is near
But what's life about I often wonder our greatest achievements seem small
When to the sharp scythe of Nature's own Reaper as mortals we are destined to fall.

Suppose Football Does Serve A Purpose

Suppose football does serve a purpose some males do need other interests in their lives
Than working or drinking of alcohol or arguing with or making love to their girl friends or wives
On saturday they go to the football to cheer on their team win or lose
'Tis better for them than going to the local and wasting their money on the booze
At least watching football they won't be losing brain cells as they do when they are on the grog
And next day feeling nauseated and hung over and as sick as a very sick dog
Their partners and wives happy to see them going to the football for to support their football club
They feel that for them it is far better than guzzling down grog at the pub
In football there can be disappointments when your team does not win the game
But for every winner there is a loser and to lose should never be a shame
There's more to life than grog and work and women there is that marvellous game known as football
To you and many others 'tis a passion and your team to you is the greatest team of all.

What Matter What Others Think Of You

What matter what others think of you if faults in you they seek to find
What counts is you be a good person that in your heart you are generous and kind
That you never harm anybody and try to live as good as you can
That is as much as anyone would expect of any woman or any man
'Tis true that some will find faults in you of others good things some never say
Suppose they can't help the way they are negative people are always this way
You are not shy in helping others you are caring and kind of heart
And in the passing of judgement on others you are one who never take part
For that is the behaviour of the ordinary others they like to criticize
Above the state of the quite ordinary they do not even try to rise
You seem sensitive of the negative judgements of the judgemental to their negative comments heed do not pay
Tomorrow it will be someone else who will be their topic of the day
You show to some a flowering garden and they only will see decay
Accept them for their ordinary behaviour for they will always be this way.

The Lessons They Thought Me

From my life I was happy for to see them go
The people I wish I never got to know
And though some of our mistakes we repeat again
The lessons they taught me with me will remain
Till the Reaper will come and claim the life from me
On some future date whenever that will be
Our dealings with some we may live to regret
But lessons learned from them we should never forget
People come to our lives for a reason 'tis said
And friendships lost to mistrust are forever dead
And some friendships forged remain till life's end
Your bond of friendship is strong with a trusted friend
But many friendships are not meant for to last
We live in the now and we learn from the past.

They Just Jingle Along

The rhymes that I pen they just jingle along
And when I am rhyming my heart is on song
I write for the love of it not for wealth or fame
In the literary World mine's not a known name
One could say I have written a whole heap of stuff
The sort that the critics refer to as rough
They dismiss as doggerel the stuff that does rhyme
As writing that belong to another time
What others think of me is their business not mine
As the tag of poetaster it does suit me fine
But to those who tell me to give penning away
That's my business not yours to them I do say
And if I said I'll quit writing that would be a lie
As I will be penning stuff till the day that I die.

Denis Cashman

His farm on the hill of Tullig and his family and his wife
Were the things that really mattered most in Denis Cashman's life
Never into self promotion the quiet achiever in his own way
Such a good and honest person one of him could only say
He will be missed by family and friends and all who knew him in Millstreet
Denis Cashman was a good man one unaffected by conceit
To live as a decent human being in itself is a great feat
And the challenges life gave to him he was happy for to meet
Though the breath of life that keeps us living from his body may have gone
In the minds of those who knew him Denis Cashman will live on
He never harmed anyone by good example he did lead
And with feelings of sadness of his passing I did read
One can only hope that from life his was a painless release
Denis Cashman gone from Tullig may his remains rest at peace.

We Know That You Are

We know that you are a multi billionaire
But what we would like to know is would you like to share
Just a fraction of your money with the homeless of Poverty Street
Who never do know of enough for to eat.

You are in a position to help those of help in need
And for your own future karma to plant the good seed
You may say how you spend your money is no business of mine
But if that's how you feel about it that suits me fine.

Your children being educated in a top private school
And in your backyard an Olympic sized swimming pool
You've just bought your wife a new mercedes car
You lifestyle alone shows of how wealthy you are.

Even if you gave a fraction to them of the money on luxuries you spend
To the poor of the city you would be a good friend
And though you may claim you are worthy of the life that you live
You only know of how to receive but not of how to give.

Rarer Than Rare

There are many good people generous caring and kind
But the perfect human being may not be there to find
At least such a person I have yet to meet
Though many good people live on every street
I've sometimes heard one referred to as a living saint
But such a person should be free of any flaw or taint
And does such a person exist I for one cannot say
Though I do meet good people and quite a few every day
The dead saints the religious living do celebrate
And between a saint and a good person the difference is great
A saint is one perfect in every way
And 'tis only to a saint that the living do pray
The good they are many and with others they share
But as for living saints they are rarer than rare.

His Promise To Her She Remembers

His promise to her she remembers with the ache of lost love in her heart
He vowed he would stay faithful to her and from her he never would part
She raises the son he has fathered today is his seventh birthday
The father he doesn't remember from them he now lives far away
Her memories of love far from pleasant and to her not a source of joy
He went off with another woman and left her to raise their baby boy
Some men turn out to be unfaithful they only flatter to deceive
He told her that he loved her truly and of course him she did believe
He is not the first or he won't be the last one to treat a woman in this way
Though most men to their wives are faithful that does seem a fair thing to say
He never paid her any alimony and to help raise his son any money never did give
She has not seen or heard of him since he left her and she does not even know where he live
Today is her son's seventh birthday her brown eyed boy with dark brown hair
But his absent father won't pay him a visit for some life can seem so unfair.

Nostalgia She Does Visit Me

Perhaps I will never again see the cliffs of Hibernia's shore
Or see the old brown face of Clara that overlook green Claramore
Nostalgia sometimes pays me a visit though with me her's is a brief stay
She reminds me of places I once knew north of here and in distance far away.

December in Duhallow and Sliabh Luachra is a cold and wet time of the year
The wind howls in the naked woodland and the song of the birds one doesn't hear
But at night in the pubs in the towns and the villages there is laughter and music and song
And the returned migrants feel happy for to join in the sing along.

Perhaps I will never again see the fields where the old Finnow flow
On it's journey to the Blackwater by many a windswept hedgerow
The past it may be gone forever but memories of the past we retain
And often in our flights of fancy we visit our old friends again.

Perhaps I will never again see the old Town in view of the hill
Or hear in the stillness of evening the babble of the mountain rill
That flows on downhill to the river in a journey that ends at the sea
One only can live in the present but nostalgia she does visit me.

We Cannot Feel

We cannot feel the unhappiness or the pain felt by others with them we can only sympathize
A huge sadness to one not so to another we look at life through different eyes
How can I understand what others are going through their feelings are different to mine
Our ideas of life very different we vary like the taste of wine
If we all thought the same way we'd be boring how very boring we would be
Our different ideas on life makes us interesting at least that's how it does seem to me
We cannot feel exactly how others are feeling human beings are not created that way
With some of the words of some we may be in agreement but not with everything they do say
In our ways we are individuals though with some others on some things we agree
But mostly we are very different and we look at life quite differently
As human beings we are very complex even in the most creative mind
the flaws that define us as human you are almost certain to find
We cannot feel how others are feeling though for them we can feel joy or sympathy
And lucky are they very lucky who have been blessed with the gift of empathy.

Odetta Holmes (1930-2008)

She sang prior to the great speech of Martin Luther King
And for the Inauguration of Baracka Obama she was invited to sing
But Odetta the renowned songstress it does seem sad to say
Will not sing for President Obama she has passed away
From the World of the living the great songstress has gone
But her marvellous voice on c d will live on
The Odettas of this World to say the least rare
With her there are few who could hope to compare
The great gift of song is a wonderful thing
To millions of people happiness it does bring
In decades from now people will rejoice
At the recorded sound of her beautiful voice
Odetta the great singer she has passed away
A tribute to her on the radio today.

For Australia Lets Hear It

Where many Races live in peace with each other is what makes a Country great
Australia as a great Nation we should celebrate
To practice the religion of your choosing or to live as an atheist is an Aussie right
There is far more to Australia than open spaces and sunlight.

Where one is not disadvantaged by Creed, Colour, Gender or Race
And where freedom of expression commands a high place
The land of opportunity and it does seem fair to say
That most Aussies are racially tolerant for that is their way.

As a leading Multicultural Nation in the World of today
Australia to live in is more than okay
Of religious and racial persecution it's people are free
In such a society much wrong one can't see.

The good things about Australia not hard to recall
Most Aussies believe on a fair go for all
One of the most livable Countries in the World of today
For Australia lets hear it a loud hip hooray.

Love Is A great Gift

Love is a great gift that you better believe
And if you cannot give love then love you cannot receive
The one who has love is a person worth knowing
I bet his or her friends in numbers keep on growing
The people who have love are caring and kind
For to spread love not make war they are that way inclined
Of far more people with love in them the World is in need
To peace and to harmony they plant the seed
The singers of love in their songs do sing
The great gift of love is a marvellous thing
So lucky every man, woman girl and boy
Who are blessed with love the fair sibling of joy
A few of their type I feel privileged to know
And in my mind their stature as people does grow.

Nature And Life

Of my worth as a writer I harbour some doubt
But there's always something for to write about
The blue sky is dappled with woolly looking clouds of gray
And the sun it is shining 'tis a beautiful day
The butterflies flitting in the freshening breeze
Around the flower beds and blossoming bushes and trees
Were I a poet of such beauty I would write
That lovers of poetry would read and recite
The presence of Nature is all around me
And everywhere I look her beauty I do see
The swallows above the park chirp as they fly
I do envy them their freedom of the sky
Though my worth as a writer leaves a lot to desire
Nature and life to write of me does inspire.

The Very Wise Woman

The very wise woman she said to her son
If you cannot love yourself you cannot love anyone
With what she said I for one cannot disagree
She does seem a very wise person to me
The truth in her words I have come to realize
For one in her early thirties she does seem so wise
She said to her son your love of self to love of others expand
Of how love works she is one who does understand
Wisdom does not have an age to it as we have been told
A marvellous insight from a young mother to her nine year old
And since self love is a sibling of compassion and ruth
Her words to her son in them have the beauty of truth
If you cannot love yourself you cannot love anyone
The very wise woman she said to her son.

It Is Thanks To Money

It is thanks to money that he has a beautiful young wife
And it is thanks to money that he lives the good life
And though he earned his fortune in the honest way
Money speaks every language as some like to say.

It is thanks to money that others him do admire
And of singing his praises some cannot seem to tire
Were he a retired working class fellow few of him would know
You win more admirers as your bank account grow.

In his early seventies his young wife his wife number three
With him she will never know of poverty
A dark haired beauty of twenty five the same age as his oldest grand-son
Money does speak every language when all is said and done.

Together they walk hand in hand down the street
His gray hair dyed dark brown so full of self conceit
He is a self made multi millionaire for to give him his due
But that money speaks every language happens to be true.

What We Give We Receive

We only see in others what we want to see
And what I dislike in others I dislike in me
Such pearls of wisdom from the past we recall
But judge yourself as you would judge others if you judge at all
If you only look for flaws in others then flaws you will find
And in so doing to your own faults you do become blind
The one you disrespect to you respect won't pay
What we give we receive life is always this way
Big Brother's disciples as we know are not rare
But they don't have wisdom with others to share
Suppose they can't help it their lack of insight
They feel that to judge is their natural right
We never stop learning the wise one did say
And in life there are lessons for us every day.

This Evening The Farmer Is happy

The corellas on the tall gums are calling as darkness is cloaking the sky
The evening is calm though 'tis raining and we need rain the ground is so dry
This evening the farmer is happy his water tanks filling in the rain
Nice to hear the spluttering of rain water down the guttering to the storm water drain
Yes the farmer with the rain is happy with the warmer days of Summer ahead
The long spells of droughts and of bushfires of such things he does live in dread
In these times of climate change and global warming we do get some weather extremes
For our polluting of our natural environment our price to pay it will be huge it seems
With farm dams and smaller waterways drying out less water birds for to be seen
The countryside dry and brown looking as brown as it ever has been
The rain has never been more welcome the happy farmer has cause to smile
In the Winter and Spring little rainfall we have not seen heavy rain for some-while
The sound of the rain on the galvanize roofs is a pleasant sound for to hear
And the farmer he is looking happier at the end for him of a hard year.

Greedy Wealthy Whingers

Some bank directors they are so greedy some stories from them one does read of or hear
If their annual gigantic profit margins are down just a bit from last year
Directors who are paid millions in annual salaries how greedy some people can be
In a World where millions are hungry and live in extreme poverty
Much wants more is a saying I remember those words of one wise seem so true
Some people not happy with millions they feel that much more is their due
So many must try to sleep hungry their only roof the open sky
Whilst some of the super rich of their lot complaining to understand them I don't try
Their millions have not made them happy to be happy is not their way
But that the gap between the haves and the have nots keeps widening does seem such a sad thing to say
And as for bankers who talk with a poor mouth I cannot feel any pity at all
Wealthy in money and assets but in other ways so very small
They wine and dine with their wealthy mates in the most expensive restaurants and of a small drop in profit margins complain
They are just greedy wealthy whingers and as they are they will remain.

I Pity You

For you life is an uphill battle
Success from you seems far away
Out of work in a job depressed job market
To welfare from minimum pay.

Another man acts as dad to your children
A primary going school girl and boy
When you feel you are a bit of a loser
Not much in life for to enjoy.

For one in his early thirties
In your brown hair there is much gray
You will look an old man in your forties
If you go on aging this way.

To your wife for the upkeep of your children
With half of your small income you have to part
With jobs scarce and in financial trouble
I pity you heavy of heart.

I Think Of The People

I think of the people I'll never more meet
They lay in their graves in the Parish of Millstreet
People from Cullen and Ballydaly, Millstreet and Millstreet Town
They were good and kind souls and never lived for renown.

The mentors of my young years at peace ever lay
And the changes are many where I once lived today
Yet the babble remains in the clear mountain rill
That flows to the river down the field by the hill.

I think of the people I knew years ago
Though that them I'll never more meet is for me sad to know
They were the quiet achievers who remained as unsung
As well as my role models when I was young.

They may be dead but not in my memory
In my flights of fancy them I often do see
Though from life's cares and worries they have found a release
And where they are now there is silence and peace.

The Changes Are Happening In Cullen

Nowadays I would be a stranger in Cullen not many there now I would know
For the last time I was in the Village I must go back twenty six years ago
The babies back then now young adults the Seasons seemed to go so fast
And all that remains are the memories the fading memories of the past.

The last time that I was in Cullen the dark gray clouds drizzled down rain
The Araglen river was bank high and a brown flood in the roadside drain
But in the old pubs in the Village there was laughter and dancing and song
No better place than in old Cullen for the porter,dancing, music and sing along.

I hear 'tis a changed place now Cullen few things and places stay the same
I once felt so at home in that part of Duhallow and many there I knew by name
But there I may now feel a stranger even in my father's Townland of Lisnaboy
Yet I can visualize familiar faces such good memories are mine to enjoy.

Of Cullen in distant Duhallow my love for the old place I retain
I walk in the fields of Lisnaboy and I visit the Village again
In fancy I hear the birds whistling and singing in the hedgerows in the Spring of the year
Though the changes are happening in Cullen as I am aware of and hear.

A Nice Day In Early December

A beautiful evening of warm sunshine and breeze
With a forecast high of twenty three degrees
On the gum trees the young long billed corellas to their parents for food do call
They may be dependent on parenting perhaps till the early Fall.

A beautiful day in the early Summer a beautiful time of the year
The weather warm in the southern Country when the festive Season is near
The warm air full of the buzzing of bush flies and of nectar gathering bees
And multi coloured butterflies flitting around the flowering bushes and trees.

Such beauty that inspires the artist and of which the poet does love to write
For Nature and for poetry lovers a beautiful poem for to read and recite
The Goddess of Nature is blooming she does look so lovely today
The bright smiling face of the Summer is with us for her three months stay.

A nice day in early December not a gray cloud in the blue sky
The dark swallows high above the paddock can be heard chirping as they fly
'Tis nice to be out in such weather to walk in the warm sunlight
And how can one not but be happy on a warm day breezy and bright.

Their Minds For Words

Their minds for words do have a huge appetite
The writers as we know are born to write
And though some may be seen as unworthy of note
There will always be the novelist the playwright and poet
When people write of writers block and of writers drought
I do tend to wonder what they are on about
For the poet and the playwright and novelist to write is a natural thing
As natural as 'tis for the bird for to whistle in Spring
In life there is so much to write of 'twould seem
And to be published a boost to the author's self esteem
Writers like all others the thought of failure do fear
And 'tis only of published writers we mostly do hear
Though all of it's wordsmiths the wordsmith trade does need
You too keep on writing as you too may succeed.

In Nature The Struggle Is For to Survive

In Nature the struggle is for to survive
Where only the fittest and strongest does thrive
The predatory animals and birds are dependent on meat
They die of starvation if they can't kill to eat
The predators are born with the hunter's skill
And for love of survival they only do kill
And one must spare a thought for the great white Arctic Bear
Due to climate change they are becoming quite rare
We may be aware that the worm, slug and insect is food for the crow
But of Nature's ways little we can claim to know
Many species of wildlife are now rare in their range
But despite global warming and despite climate change
The Goddess of Nature will reign forever more
In every Country and on every shore.

What Is Obviously True

What has happened has happened it is in the past
And why hold a grudge for a friendship that did not last
The hatred you harbour not good for you anyway
Let bygones be bygones as some are known to say
You will not find happiness where hatred does live
And blessed are they with the power to forgive
Health problems for yourself why help to create
You can give yourself cancer by bottling up hate
Some people carry their grudges with them to the grave
Those they harboured grudges for they never forgave
They died with their grudge as a bad memory
A waste of human energy that does seem to me
If you hold a grudge the one who suffers is you
I'm only saying here what is obviously true.

You Beat Your Wife

You beat your wife but you say you love the flag of your Homeland
Your ways don't expect me for to understand
To beat your wife you believe is only her due
And to the flag of your Country you remain ever true
Don't care if you are from here or from a Nation afar
Your Nationality doesn't tell me of the person you are
Power over women with you may be a cultural thing
But the praises of people such as you I for one cannot sing
Despite your show of false patriotism to me it does seem
That you must be one suffering of low self esteem
Any self respecting man his wife or his children never does beat
And others with respect he always does treat
And as for loving the flag of your Country with me that's okay
But as for beating your wife shame on you I must say.

Not One Person Here Now

Fond memories of the old town in me remain
'Tis nice to be back in the old mall again
I last was in this place two decades ago
I'm a stranger here now not one person I know
They either have died or in life have moved on
And of the past only the memories from me have not gone
Not one face I know in the old mall today
Time brings about change as some are known to say
Not even one face that I knew from the past
Then few things as such ever do seem to last
But the mall itself to me does not seem strange
In the buildings and shops I can see little change
From the last time I was here two decades ago
Though not one person here now that I can claim to know.

The Pipe Layer From Panmure

A decent enough person that's for sure
The kind hard working fellow from Panmure
An honest man he works hard for his pay
For the pipe layer never an easy day.

Devoted to his children and his wife
The Panmure pipe layer a role model in his life
A few beers on saturday evening the most he drinks is three
And the rest of the week for him is alcohol free.

In his mid to late twenties young and fit and strong
With his wife and twin five year old daughters he lives in Geelong
From Panmure a two hours drive at least by car
In this day and age such a journey is not far

It is only by good example he does lead
And of more of his kind society is in need
In Panmure he was born and raised and went to school
A little place not far from the City of Warrnambool.

'Tis Said Of Politicians

'Tis said of politicians that they find it hard to tell the truth
And that they lack in compassion and in empathy and ruth
To cling to power if they can that is their life's desire
And many other professionals seem easier than them to admire
No doubt there are honest politicians but such are becoming rare
But that they do not last that long in politics one can only feel aware
They cannot live with the ambiguity and deceit they must live with every day
So they feel 'tis the right thing for them to give politics away
Most politicians answer an honest question with a question of their own
For their ambiguity and cunning many of them are well known
In the dirty game of politics only the most hardened do seem to thrive
Where the honest and the honourable have to struggle to survive
'Tis said of politicians their own self gain they pursue
And about the majority of them this does obviously seem true.

On The Flag Of The Southern Cross

On the flagpost in the freshening winds the flag of the Southern Cross
That brave workers once fought under does flap and wave and toss
In Ballarat in Australia where history was made
For their rights brave men died fighting at the Eureka Stockade
The Southern Cross above where they fought in the southern winds did blow
There history was created one hundred and fifty four years ago
The happening at Ballarat became known of Worldwide
Some of the miners who fought the Government troops were badly injured and some even died
For workers rights in Ballarat the price in human blood was paid
For the rights of a fair go it did not seem a fair trade
Each time I see the flag of the Southern Cross Ballarat comes to mind
The miners there who fought for workers rights were of the bravest kind
That great flag has a history for historians to recall
It surely stands for workers rights and a fair go for all.

An Old Tightwad

The passing of the Seasons has left her looking gray
She is one who has known a far better day
She owns her own house and she drives her own car
But for one tighter with money than she is one might have to go far
Her favourite phrase ' money is my true friend'
And she misses every dollar that she has to spend
With teenage great grandchildren her husband dead for ten years
But 'twas not for him that she shed any tears
But at the cost of his burial she did feel heartache
Though for him she did not even have a wake
'Tis said in assets and money she's a multi millionaire
But with her descendants any she does not share
Though in death she cannot take her wealth with her she does not have a will
The one who wept at the cost of her husband's funeral bill.

If Pride In Your Victory

You gave it your best but you did not win
But to try and to fail should never be a sin
And though it's not a good feeling to know of defeat
Do keep it in mind that the best can be beat.

The winner can have the big smile on his or her face
But it takes a brave person for to lose with grace
And congratulate the winner and with a smile say well done
You were better than me and you deservedly won.

'Tis easy to be a winner and smile in victory
But it takes a special person to lose with dignity
And not to become the bad sport of the day
By trying to take from the winner in any sort of a way.

The winners are honoured in song, story and rhyme
And their names do live on through the decades of time
But if pride in your victory gives way to self conceit
Then here's to the one dignified in defeat.

A Migrant From Cork City

Nostalgia it is such an amazing thing
He still talks of the hurler the great Christy Ring
His sporting hero as a primary schoolboy
Reminiscing of his young years is a thing he enjoy.

The migrant from Cork City he lives far away
From where he first looked on the bright lamp of day
The passing of the Seasons has left him looking gray
Time ticks on and on as some are known to say.

Forty years out of Cork but the distinctive accent he retain
Some things from the past till death with us remain
The ageing grandfather has turned sixty three
He may die far away from the banks of the Lee.

The love of the Hometown in him remains strong
Where the Lee to the ocean ever babbles along
But he is ageing far south of Hibernia's green shore
Nine thousand miles at a guess or maybe more.

The migrant from Cork City at the local pub
Talks of Christy Ring and the Glen Rovers Club
As from where his accent comes from you should not get wrong
From Cork City in Munster it surely does belong.

As Lucky As Lucky Can Be

By circumstance of birth I am lucky I am lucky as lucky can be
I could have been born to poor parents and I could have been a refugee
To the lady of luck I feel grateful she always has been kind to me
I've never known homelessness and hunger and I've never known poverty
I've never been sick or been injured and though ageing my bones free of pain
By life I have not been hard done by of such you won't hear me complain
I have every reason to feel happy in a World where suffering is rife
In many ways I feel so lucky I have never known of the hard life
I live in a wonderful Country in a beautiful town by the sea
In the lush green park by the ocean I hear the song of the pee wee
White butterflies flit in the sunshine and birds whistle on bush and tree
And the flowers of Nature are blooming and beauty is all around me
Moneywise I am not very wealthy but lady luck to me is kind
And with the life that I am living a fault as such I cannot find.

A Young Woman Of Honour

By choice she is a vegetarian she does not eat fish or eat meat
Yet she looks quite happy and healthy though vegetables she only does eat
A beautiful and brave young woman for good causes she is prepared to fight
She believes that every air breathing life form to die of old age has the right
In every anti war parade she is marching and on human rights she does speak out
A moral and intelligent young woman she knows what she is on about
A dark haired brown eyed beauty in her mid twenties yet down to earth and free of conceit
An intelligent person to talk to and as nice as one could wish to meet
No doubt a young woman of honour, compassionate, honest and kind
I look upon her as a hero she is not scared to speak her mind
She is anti war and anti racism and opposed to all forms of cruelty
If everyone were only like her what a wonderful World it would be
She speaks out for what she believes in and good causes she only embrace
A credit to the town she lives in and a credit to the human race.

The Young Fellow Said To Me

The young fellow said to me mister you must be a very old man
What hair you've got left on your head gray as silver of time you have lived quite a span
You'll soon have a date with the Reaper the farewell bell soon for you will ring
Too young to understand or to know that age is a relative thing.

A young boy of ten or eleven one of forty in his eyes seems old
To him one like me much older than that must seem quite ancient to behold
Too young to be sensitive to others feelings and too young to know much about ruth
Yet young people can be so honest they do speak what they see as truth.

To him I looked as old as Methuselah and though in years I am well past my prime
He does not know that the longest human life is not long in the face of time
In life he has so much to learn and of life we all have much to know
Each day that we live we grow older but few of us wiser do grow.

The boy said to me you do look old the years have left you looking gray
Like most young people he was forthright and honest he meant every word he did say
I said to him age can be relative though he did not see it that way
He is a young man of the future and I have known a better day.

Far More To Life

There's more to life than making money or working or sports or football
Though those things are seen as important to most people but not to all
There's joy in the beauty of Nature the beauty we don't pay to see
So much to learn about her at least that's how it does seem to me.

There's more to life than being seen as successful since success is seen as a relative thing
The king he was born as a mortal but the people sing 'God save the king'
But too few sing the praises of Nature the only immortal of which we do know
Less respect than to the monarch or president most people to her tend to show.

More to life than being wealthy and famous life's far bigger than wealth and fame
The billionaire must die like the pauper the Reaper treats them as the same
Into life by the creations of Nature new life forms are born night and day
In the paddock blow fly maggots the dead sheep carcass eating there is life midst the stench of decay.

Far more to life than being a company director though the impressionable you may impress
And though money can buy you many things it cannot buy you eternal life or true happiness
And if not of a terminal illness of old age you surely will die
The facts tell us that we are mortals and facts as we know never lie.

I Don't Want To Hear Of

I don't want to hear of your mates at the pub
Or of the latest success of your football club
Or of how many pots of beer you drunk last night
Can't say that your stories fill me with delight.

I don't want to hear of your marvellous love life
Of how many young women want to become your wife
You fancy yourself as a stud of renown
By women the most sought after man in his prime in the town.

You say I am jealous this well may be so
In my better years many decades ago
Can't recall one woman who see me as great
Such things in my life I don't have to celebrate.

Yet that aside your stories do bore me to tears
As I've listened to your sort for too many years
In self praise true worthiness I cannot see
Though others may see it quite different to me.

I don't want to hear of how marvellous you are
Or of your great job or of your new car
What you do in your life it does suit me fine
Though what goes with you is no business of mine.

Tanya

A beautiful young woman of Australia's first Race
With a wonderful smile and a happy brown face
With raven dark hair and lovely brown eyes
So down to earth, talented, clever and wise
A credit to her people, her family and clan
Of her type of person I am a big fan
She is one I know but don't see every day
And about her she does have an endearing way
So easy going, down to earth and free of conceit
And lovely to talk to and lovely to meet
A person like her one doesn't meet every day
And one negative thing of her I cannot say
As lovely a person as I've ever known
Young Tanya she is in a class of her own.

In The Human World

As long as they speak the truth of me that's fine
For what others say of me is their business not mine
We are judged by our success or lack of the same
In the Human World obsessed with money and fame
Big Brother's self appointed judges have never been rare
Of their harsher judgements the poor they don't spare
But if some are judgemental then that is their way
On everyone and everything they do have their say
In the Human World where there's never a fair go for all
We've been learning from life since before we learned how to crawl
The best of good people remain as unsung
And the future as always belongs to the young
But as long as the more judgemental speak the truth of me that is okay
Since on everyone and everything they will have their say.

In Life

In life there is so much to learn of and write
And stories and poems for to read and recite
And from living we learn something new every day
Acquiring of knowledge can become part of our lives one might say.

In life we are judged for what success we achieve
And those who tell you differently them do not believe
But if you think life owes you something yourself you deceive
Though the more you put into it the more from it you receive.

In life there is many an up and a down
And there are rich and poor people in every town
And in life there is good luck and bad circumstance
And death is inevitable and birth is by chance.

In life for most there are good days and bad days as well
And millions of people live in Earthly hell
And with that everyone has life choices I cannot agree
For 'tis not by choice millions live in poverty.

My Marvellous Earth Mother

The joy that I do find in Nature in words I could never express
I thank you my marvellous Earth Mother for giving me such happiness
I loved you when I was a young boy and I even love you more today
For the pleasure you have given to me you I cannot hope to repay
Your songbirds in your woodlands are singing it is such a beautiful day
In the green park your wild flowers are blooming and Summer just four days away
The artists try to capture your beauty on canvas the poets your praises do sing
They do try their best for to thank you for the pleasure to them you do bring
You've grown the great tree of the forest self sown from a tiny dark seed
Without you we would die as a species you supply us with our every need
Us people not unlike your Seasons we come to life and from life we go
To you we do owe our existence though little of your ways we know
I have loved her since I was a young boy and I will love her until my last day
And like every other mere mortal my remains in her bosom will lay.

One Well Worth Knowing

If the spirit of the fair go for all you do embrace
And if for kindness, love and compassion in your heart there is a place
You are surely one worth knowing good in you not hard to find
And you are doing your own bit one can say for the betterment of Humankind.

If you refuse to be judgemental and never put others down
Then you surely are an asset to your part of the town
People like you are under-rated more of your type we do need
For the karma that will be your's you have planted the good seed.

You are one who helps out others people poor and frail and old
But stories of your good and caring nature you do not wish to be told
Financially not well off but in spirit you are great
To the town you are an asset and a credit to the State.

You help the poor and needy out of kindness not for pay
And you remain the unsung hero but you do like it that way
You are a credit to your neighbourhood one like you not on every street
And you are one well worth knowing and one who is nice to meet

Bill And Rover

The old black labrador Rover his muzzle it is gray
And looking at him one would know he has known a better day
His master Bill too looking gray the years on him do show
I often see them in the park they both are walking slow
Old Rover not the dog he was when he was in his prime
His end for him not far away he's running out of time
His sense of scent remains quite keen though his sight is beginning to fail
Yet he remains a friendly dog even at strangers he wags his tail
His master Bill says Rover is thirteen for a dog in years that's getting on
His prime lost in the passing time his better days are long gone
All forms of life as we know well are only born to die
That is a simple fact of life and facts do never lie
Down the gravel path of the Townpark the old dog and the old man
Walk slowly in the evening sun time has stripped them of elan.

Some People With Their Words

Some people with their words can be cruel they find joy in putting others down
I'm sure you know a few such people for such sort live in every town
Suppose they cannot help the way they are they must suffer of low self esteem
In putting down of others about themselves they feel better at least that is how it does seem
Some people with their words can be insulting and they can cause a lot of offense
They seem to feel joy in being callous and they are lacking in common sense
They do sadly lack in compassion before they think once they speak twice
It truly can be said about them that they do not know how to be nice
In their ways they can be quite ruthless but that they use words that hurt is their choice
And for hurting the feelings of others to karma to pay there's some price
Some people can be so offensive with their words they are very crude
They find pleasure in hurting others and they surely know how to be rude
But liike 'tis said it takes all kind to make the World and those words in them do ring of truth
But lucky are those with compassion to be blessed with the kindness of ruth.

On The Birth Of Ella Harmony

Ella Harmony is a bonny baby girl a daughter for Lisa and Shane
In her coming into their lives has made them so happy a blessing of joy they did gain
One for them can only feel happy in their blond little girl of the Spring
When the sun on old Croydon is shining and the nesting birds whistle and sing
Were I a poet for baby Ella a poem I'd feel happy to write
Fine words at the birth of a baby worthy for to read or recite
I do like her name Ella Harmony to it there is such a sweet ring
Such happiness to Lisa and Shane her coming to their lives does bring
Ella Harmony she too is lucky she has chosen for her parents role models supreme
For luck as such cannot be one way it has to be both ways it does seem
Ella Harmony will grow up in Croydon in a beautiful and livable place
Born into a fast changing World the challenges of life she must face
But surrounded by marvellous role models the future for her looking great
The arrival of a new family member a thing of joy to celebrate.

A Wise One Told Me About The Ego

A wise one told me about the ego he told me one without ego death does not fear
What he said one might say has me thinking and though my thougts on the matter not clear
For his words in fact do seem quite truthful such insightful knowledge seems rare
He does seem to know about ego and of it's workings he does seem aware
So wise for one in life's early forties of ego I feel he is right
He spoke with the wisdom of an old sage he is blessed with the gift of insight
He said 'tis the ego that fears death though with him I did disagree
I realize now that he is right one far more enlightened than me
Some of the side effects of a big ego are pride arrogance and self conceit
The known flaws of the egotistical and such a criteria I feel I do meet
The ego as well as being in love with self loves recognition and the ego loves money and fame
The ego the source of narcissism does cringe at the feelings of shame
And the ego it can be quite fearful and it does fear death most of all
And the wise words of that very wise fellow for as long as I live I'll recall.

I'd Like To Live To Be An Old Person

I'd like to live to be an old person but not to one hundred and three
In a nursing home frail and bedridden with nurses caring for me
To die healthy and active in your nineties would be quite a good way to go
In your sleep without pain or an ailment who wants to die in agony and slow?
I know I have lived most of my life the facts tell me so facts don't lie
Us humans like all other life forms are born to live and to die
We worry about little troubles 'tis said cancer can be caused by stress
Some rich people killed by their money they never know of happiness
They worry about their business transactions of money in deals they have lost
Their worries become too big for them and to their health comes at a cost
I don't ask for millions in money that might cause me great inner strife
I just want to live to be old, happy and healthy is that asking too much of life?
To die in my sleep in my nineties without knowing of suffering or pain
And the gift of memory I was born with I hope to the end to retain.

On Long Billed Corellas

With their long hooked beaks they dig for tubers in the ground
And though their range is small in large flocks they abound
Their feathers are white one might say white as snow
Though little about them I can claim to know
Long billed corellas for them is an often used name
Aviary owners say they are not hard birds to tame
Not pleasant to listen to but beautiful to behold
And like all cockatoos they are known to live old
Their two white eggs by many not privileged to see
Are hatched to life by the male and the female in a cavity high on an old tree
Slightly red around the bill and the neck but overall white
And quite lovely to look at flying in the sunlight
One cannot mistake them they squawk as they fly
To roost on the tall trees in the darkening sky.

In The Worst Sort Of People

Though some do not seem to know how to be kind
In the worst sort of people some good you will find
On the journey through life many from grace do fall
But the potential for evil it is in us all
From good mentors we learn about compassion and kindness of heart
And young people with bad role models in life have a bad start
Some talk of life choices such words easy to say
Though circumstance of such often get in the way
If the people you look up to are locked up in jail
Then in life you may well be one destined to fail
To live a better life others you may not inspire
If failure is the lot of those that you admire
There's potential in all of us for to be bad
And for the child with bad role models one must feel sad.

One Addicted To Penning Stuff

I feel I'm not a poet or never pretended to be
And with self promotion as such I can't say that I agree
Though for many it does seem to work in the World of Today
For them self promotion it does seem to pay.

As we age some things from our young years with us does remain
The accent I was born into I still do retain
In my years living far from the Homeland it has not faded away
Perhaps till I die with me it will stay.

A little self confidence is good for self esteem
But too much of anything is not good it does seem
And too much self confidence to cockiness and arrogance lead
And an over inflated ego is some thing one does not need.

For anything I am not worthy of note
And 'tis not out of a false sense of modesty I say I am not a poet
I am just a bloke who pens reams of doggerel
One addicted to penning stuff he cannot sell.

One Must Thank Mother Nature

With a forecast high of twenty one degrees
A beautiful evening of sunshine and breeze
On the trees and bushes birds whistle and sing
With only five days left of the calendar Spring
The pee wees are calling in the park by the bay
One must thank Mother Nature for such a beautiful day
On the beach the young silver gulls to their parents for morsels to eat cry
And the pied oystercatchers they pipe as they fly
Above the calm waves that lap on to the shore
The wonders of Nature are forever more
The unmistakeable caws of the dark pale eyed crow
Yet so little about Nature I can claim to know
Fascinated by the beauty in her I do see
A beauty that is everywhere around me.

God In Her Eyes

In her early thirties so gentle and wise
The beautiful woman with God in her eyes
I feel that I did speak to a living saint
A person on canvas an artist would love for to paint
Her type of person one does not often meet
So down to earth, humble and free of conceit
One who does seem quite unaffected by guile
She expresses great warmth in her beautiful smile
A State nurse without children she lives a single life
But for some lucky man she would make a good wife
She has gone from our neighbourhood her I may never meet again
But fond memories of her with me bound to remain
Until the Reaper will claim the breath of life from me
The great God of kindness in her eyes I did see.

On Seeing Pied Oystercatchers

Black and white birds of orange bills and orange feet of human kind quite shy
And quite beautiful to look at they walk more than they fly
Known as pied Oystercatchers from oyster shells they take the meat
And sand flies and sea lice they find amongst the sea weed they also like to eat
Birds one does not see often at least not every day
Their flute like notes quite beautiful and distinctive one might say
Amongst other sea side waders easy to recognize
To distinguish them from other sea birds does not take discerning eyes
Alone or in pairs or small flocks not gregarious in any way
I've never seen them far from the ocean shore by saltwater they like to stay
Inconspicuous by their shyness birds of the ocean shore
As they fly you hear them whistle above where the surf waves roar
I've yet to see them in large numbers though they are not considered to be rare
And of the threat from humans and their dogs they seem all too aware

Dear Beautiful Lady

The years may have left your hair looking quite gray
But beautiful lady how are you today
In your kind gray eyes a kind God I can see
The beauty you possess seems obvious to me
So full of compassion and so kind of heart
In the judgements of others you never take part
Of the feelings of others you do seem aware
Dear beautiful lady your kind does seem rare
Of many more like you we are badly in need
And just knowing you it does seem a pleasure indeed
In the field of good example you do lead the way
And of others unkind things you never do say
Dear beautiful lady I see you as great
And people like you we ought to celebrate.

If You Think I Am A Loser

If you think I am a loser well that does suit me fine
Since what you think about me is your business not mine
I only live good as I can wish none an Earthly Hell
I do not have a gift as such I just pen doggerel.

Nature's eternal beauty is a beauty I enjoy
And I have loved her dearly ever since I was a boy
I never have stopped loving her I love her as much today
As when I lived by distant hills from here long miles away.

Since the Reaper treats the millionaire and the pauper as the same
There's more to life far more to life than chasing wealth and fame
We should learn from Mother Nature attention she does not crave
Yet she will grow her wildflowers on the callous killer's grave.

We should learn from Mother Nature between life forms she does not differentiate
Her Reaper comes and take all lives that she help to create
The lives of the president and monarch and of the billionaire
She leaves to her Reaper and them he does not spare.

Since what we see in others we only want to see
If you think I am a loser well that's okay with me
If you only look for flaws in others then flaws you are bound to find
And to your own shortcomings you surely will be blind.

The Washington Palm

For a species of palm 'tis a very tall tree
On looking at it that's how it does seem to me
So skinny and tall with about twenty fronds at the top
When it's time comes to fall to the ground quite a drop.

Compared to the other stockier palm trees it seems very tall
The first Washington Palm I have ever seen I'll recall
Today in a park in a town by the sea
For as long as I have the gift of memory.

A long way from the desert mountain valleys of Mexico it's Land of ancestry
A very rare one in this Southern Country
To grow fast and very tall is it's claim to fame
Washingtonia Robusta is it's Latin name.

A little about them in books I have read
Many of them fall victims of lightning strikes 'tis said
The longest lived palm tree a century span
And the tallest perhaps the Washington Palm alias the Mexican Fan.