When Last I Heard The Dipper Sing Poem by Francis Duggan

When last I heard the dipper sing the stream in flood flowed brown
And birds piped in the leafy groves towards west of Millstreet Town
And hawthorns looked resplendent in their white flowers of the May
And sun that hid all morning peeped through the clouds of gray.

On branch that almost touched the stream the bird with breast of snow
Piped in the early afternoon his voice scratchy and low
He sing before and after rain when dipper's voice you hear
You know the weather's going to change that rain is very near.

When last I heard the dipper sing oh I remember still
The timid sun peeped shyly through the gray clouds o'er the hill
And leafy woods and grassy meads by rain made richer green
And wildflowers in their billions bloomed along the old bohreen

The little stream from Claramore in flood bank high did flow
When last I heard the dipper sing almost sixteen years ago
And birds pipe in the leafy groves and meads made lush by rain
And dark brown bird with breast of snow sing in the stream again.