Father Drinan
Father Drinan took his class to Coney Island Beach,
He thought the sand and ocean could also teach.
They ran to Nathan's hot dogs, then sunk in deck chairs,
Until a hungry seagull took them unawares.
(bridge)
The seagull grabbed a hotdog from poor Joey McBride,
A clever attack, swooping in from the side.
The kids all laughed, Joey let out a wail,
As off into the sky, his hotdog did sail.
(chorus)
Oh, it’s a lesson in the air, a lesson in the sea,
Life’s got twists and turns, live long and you will see.
Look up at the sky, a hot dog flies away
In this sad world, it’s the sneaky bird that wins the day.
Drinan stood up tall, a different lesson to preach,
But then a bird dive-bombed him, screeching with a screech.
He lifted his umbrella, the bird latched on to it tight,
Stupid Willie Conlon grabbed a bat, hit with all of his might.
(bridge)
A whack and a thud, the bird fell to the ground,
The kids all stood still, in silence profound.
Father Drinan rubbed his head, now sporting a big bruise,
He thought of leaving teaching, it seemed he had to lose.
But Joey stood there, wiping away his tears,
With a smile and a sigh, he faced his fears.
“It's just a hotdog,” he said, “there's more to life to seek.”
Drinan smiled and nodded, "Blessed are the meek."
Father Drinan never took his class back to the shore,
But they learned something deeper than they’d ever known before.
Not the lesson he wanted to teach, they learned distrust instead
Never relax, every moment must be full of dread.
And don't whack a seagull, if it sits on someone's head.
Copyright ©
Mark Springer
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