Francis Duggan Poems

Young Elijah Madden from Kaniva in Victoria on the road to Bordertown
At the Australian busking championships in Mortlake took his first step towards renown
By winning the Australian busking championship he was the judge's choice
A future top class entertainer with a lovely singing voice.
...

Far too many fault finders live in every town
Their one joy in life is putting others down
In their negative remarks satisfaction they find
They hardly would how how it feels to be kind
...

'Tis hard to make a friend on your life's journey far harder than 'tis to make a foe
And despite my three score years of living of life i have so much to know
To business people money mostly matter and money does come before all
And disputes that have led to serious crimes over money quite common stories to recall.
...

With her man she shared the ups and downs of life
And she raised seven children the traveller's wife
By seven Summers she had outlived her man
Though her end was now near she lay dying in her van.
...

Some live to be centenarians and others do die in their prime
And some even die as young children they are not afforded much time
For to live and enjoy their gift of life people they do die old and young
But in death all good people ought not to be forgotten and their praises ought to be sung.
...

The young women of my prime years are ageing on the Internet pictures of some of them i do see
On Millstreet Town's World renowned web site that brings back old memories to me
Breda Tarrant, Catherine Moore and Eileen Murphy may be many years past their prime
But they have been wearing their years well and have not been bowing to old father time
...

No matter what your gender race or colour be it black, white or brown
Feel proud of where you came from like I'm of Millstreet Town
Old Millstreet in Duhallow from here so far away
The savages love their native place some have been known to say
...

If i say i pen doggerel that's not false humility
But it is much more than a hobby 'tis a way of life with me
The rhymes just like a river are babbling in my head
I only pen to paper what my thoughts to me have said.
...

When John Cronin was a young man he played Gaelic Football
He was a Millstreet goalkeeper as i can well recall
But more than a good Gaelic Footballer he was known to be kind
And to say the least his equal would be quite hard to find.
...

We should not bow to threats of violence we should not succumb to our fear
We ought to stand up to the bullies and in so doing to them make it clear
That we will not yield to threats of violence against us to them we should never yield ground
In the heart of every known bully there is a small coward to be found,
...