Many-hued pubs bid me welcome
As would friends on the street
And so does Cromwell Bridge
Where long ago we first met.
I see the fields where we played
And plucked up the kerry violets.
I gaze out over the dark bay
Reflecting our lives as glass.
Memories live but a season
And like a photograph
And erelong, I will be as one
Fading - crumbling fast.
When you are old and banjaxed
Will you still remember
And find there my countenance
Among the leas of Kenmare?
IRELAND’S RAIN
You don’t have to see it raining in Ireland to know that it is so
The Bay at Kenmare is always mist-covered and smelling of moisture -
As the clouds come sweeping in from the Atlantic you see the mist go
For a moment while the rain drops gather speed down into the water
The Irish use a strange word for rainy weather : it is is “soft”.
But an Irish day when the weather is ”hard” is hardly ever going to appear,
So for my money the word should be “wet” or “drab” - and used oft :
Then everyone would be clear as to why the sky is not clear.
Those photos you see in postcards where Ireland’s lush green fields fold
Into the arms of mellow sunbeams and are warmed gently by the smiles
Of an Irish sun must have been taken by cameramen who waited untold
Months so they could catch the rare beam through the misty miles.
When you visit the Emerald Isle take a variety of clothing to wear.
For summer, a light rain coat, small umbrella, and perhaps a plastic hood.
For winter, a heavy raincoat - or two, and rubber boots - a pair.
In autumn and spring these same items will ensure your holiday is good.