Francis Duggan Poems

Along the war Avenue of Honour a plaque to a dead soldier nailed to every tree
Brave young men who died in battle their reward for their bravery
They died in the war said to end all wars in the killing fields of World war one
But many wars since and far too many bloody battles and peace in the World not yet won.
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It's been a long dry Summer and it's been a dry Fall
And the water reservior almost empty and the old bloke recall
That in seventy years of living he has not known it so dry
And he has seen many a Season since he was a boy.
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We only hear of war and terrorism and crimes against humanity
In the World news headlines every day on radio and t v
Systematic abuse by so called soldiers on their prisoners of such we hear and see
And history repeats itself or so 'twould seem to me.
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There are thousands of homeless children in Beijing in China though that is not suprising to hear
For where there is a huge population there is poverty too 'twould appear
And China to anywhere else is no different the rich getting richer they say
And just beyond the leafy suburb is the suburb of neglect and decay.
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He is just a lazy bugger one who sits on his easy chair
Whilst we have to work for our living and support one like him on welfare
And whilst we are working our butts off he sits at home every day
So the conservative minded people amongst themselves whisper and say.
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Her son Denjoe will be thirty four on the eve of St Patrick's Day
And it makes me feel that I am old his mother Noreen say
But Noreen Murphy got it wrong and with her I don't agree
As in a recently taken photograph she looks quite young to me.
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Of battles won and noble soldiers you hear the old balladeer sing
But war only brings death and suffering and war never solves anything
And the mental scars of war keep festering long after the battle does end
You badly injure or kill someone's loved one that person will not be your friend.
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Young Thomas is eleven and to his mum he often say
I'll climb to the top of Mt Everest you'll be proud of me one day,
You will say that's my son Thomas there is none so great as he
He has made world news headlines and is often seen on the t v.
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I often sat upon the dunce's stool
In the class room in Millstreet Town Primary school
My parents they could not feel proud of me
I was not the type of boy they wished me for to be.
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The Peace Women drum on their peace drums in hope that the war men may hear
The war men who wage war on others the influential bullies who live far from here
The bullies who wage their so called war on terror who themselves are responsible for brutal acts of shame
Yet the bombing and murdering continues despite the blame and counter blame.
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