Silence When They Meet Poem by Francis Duggan

Every Sunday she is in church praying and singing hymns to God
And in her prayers she asks her God to remember the hungry and the downtrod
And to take care of our soldiers who fight in an awful war
Against those awful people in a Land from here so far.

Her next door neighbour is an atheist him she chooses to ignore
Though he used to say hello to her as he passed by her door
But he eventualy ceased to greet her since she never did reply
Now when they meet there's only silence he grew tired of saying hi.

He doesn't have a God to pray to but he's not short of a mate
And he has helped so many people Mrs J and Mrs H say he is great
Neighbouring widows in their eighties frail though lovable old dears
He mows their grass and tends their gardens for the price of a few beers.

A down to earth nice person free of piety and conceit
But his next door neighbour does not like him there is silence when they meet
Because he is an atheist and he does not have a God
For to pray to for our soldiers and the hungry and downtrod