Francis Duggan Poems

He is from the place of yellow tail black cockatoo
The bird often referred to as the weerloo
The high wood of the gum and the wattle and monterey pine
Where boobook by day does hide from the sunshine
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The fields of Macroom where Sullane waters flow
Home to rook and badger and silver back crow
Far north of this Country even as the bird fly
In distance it would seem thousands of miles of sky
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There is more to life than me, myself and i
Though to say they are not important would be telling a lie
Since most people place themselves first it does seem
A strong sense of self is good for self esteem
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In fancy i can hear the silver tongued rill
Babbling through Claramore down the fields by the hill
Far north of here even as the bird does fly
In distance perhaps ten thousand miles of sky
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That i have never stopped learning from life that much i do know
And though in material possessions i don't have much to show
Compared to many my needs seem quite small
And my lack of success never phase me at all
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I feel that i am very lucky in some of the people everyday i do meet
Some of the people i meet in the parkland and some of the people i meet on the street
To me many of them are strangers who happen to be passing my way
With a smile and a cheerful how are you they help to bring joy to my day
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He is quite a talented fellow the emerging young artist Joe
But from his art he will never become wealthy and famous since he is his own greatest foe
He happens to be his own worst critic one might say he drags himself down
On this age of big egos and self promotion hardly the recipe for renown
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The most of us have our spells of inner strife
And the most of us know of the battles of life
And in life we have our ups and downs every day
And for most of us it always will be this way
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The Irish economy to great heights did soar
But the once great Celtic Tiger he has lost his roar
And for work many young people leaving Erin's shore
And times again tough there as in days of yore
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For years i have been doing it is what i love best
Though from it my right hand could do with a rest
Addicted to rhyming since seventy three
The love of rhyme has made a rhymer of me
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