Francis Duggan Poems

Known by the nickname of Joe Without Teeth
A friendly old bloke that I often does meet
A down to earth fellow unshackled by guile
He greets everyone with a broad toothless smile
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Back home again in Duhallow in the countryside near Millstreet Town
On an early Spring Morning in mid March the wind driven rain drifting down
On the old fields sodden from heavy rain the waterways in brown flood waters bank high does flow
And on the high trees the loud cawing of rooks known to some as the bare faced crow
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In wars over decades all around the World millions of soldiers and civilians have died
But that from wars any lessons not learned is a fact that cannot be denied
One war seems to lead to another and in every war many a war crime
It seems there will not be peace in the World at least not in my lifetime
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For many years I have been a rhyming buff
And I have written reams and reams of rhyming stuff
And yet as a rhymer not one to the fore
I just write for enjoyment and little else more
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If I should die tomorrow and you know or know of me
Do not shed a single teardrop for what a waste this would be
For tears are of no use to the dead who are beyond joy and woe
And cause sadness in the living mind only happens to be so
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My opinions on most politicians should it matter anyway
Since so few ever pay heed to what of them I say
To me most of them are quite egotistical and readily willing to deceive
And their words are quite ambiguous and they are hard to believe
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Let us hear it for the workers of every creed, race and age
It truly can be said of them that they earn their every wage
The shop assistants, nurses, the teachers and office workers too
How can society thank them for the good job that they do
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Young John is a nice man in him nothing vain
One who works hard for a living he never complain
To his wife and their three years old daughter and their five years old boy
He is truly devoted they are his pride and joy
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From where I was born and raised in Duhallow I live far away
And I have not been back there for many a day
It has been more than three decades since I saw an Irish sunset
And many I used to know for many years I have not met
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To die or kill for your Country is seen by many as the honourable thing
And the praises of war heroes the patriots does sing
And what is looked on as murder in most every other way
For to kill people in war by the majority is seen as okay
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