Francis Duggan Poems

The so called elite of this small town may feel like upper class
But for the very ordinary in a bigger town they would pass
They have their social gatherings where one must be invited to attend
If one sees you as an enemy to none you are a friend
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For years in Northampton mental asylum he battled his ghosts of despair
His Nation's finest poet of Nature the marvellous wordsmith John Clare
So many of his poems are relevant today
The one who loved Nature with words had a way.
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Their tiny wings so weak and useless condemn them to life on the ground
The National birds of Australia in large flocks are not to be found
Yet not seen as an endangered species emus are not seen everywhere
And in parts of their range which seems a worry the big birds are becoming rare
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I do not care what those who know of me about me have to say
Or if they see me as a stranger to success
Since I do not harm anybody and do things my own way
And all I ask of life is happiness.
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Is it a male or a female in the unmarked grave
One who died in shame or one who died brave
Or one who did not have a family or friend
Lets hope he or she did not have a bad end?
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In Killorglin Town at old Puck Fair she sat on her pinto pony
With wavy brown shoulder length hair i recall her name was Joaney
A member of the travelling clan she looked so fit and active
In her early twenties at the most so young and so attractive.
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You have your own worries and I have got mine
That will take more to solve than a good glass of wine
I am not a pschyiatrist for help you go elsewhere
So many in trouble in the big World out there
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The flute like notes of the grey shrike thrush so pleasant to hear
He must know the first day of Spring it is near
For the last week of Winter this is a nice day
The Goddess of Spring less than a week away
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It first dawned on me at least five decades ago
That so little of Nature I do seem to know
New lessons from Nature I learn every day
Yet from me she does hide her secrets away
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There is an old time saying that his dog is a man's best friend
That too should apply to women for why should we pretend
That a woman does not love her dog as much as any man
Women have loved their canines since human and canine friendships first began.
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