THE TRAMP

barney4001

Going through my sister Marys items i found these verses,they were penned by a lisburn man Bill Brownlee dated 1957

THE TRAMP

In a lonely part of Ireland,near the town of Mullingar

We were gathered in the evening,in a little village bar

Through the door there came a stranger,just a tramp

he seemed to be

In his face the sign of hunger,almost anyone could see

But he brought a breath of summer,as he slowly wandered in

Dressed in rags that someone gave him,and the boots

now worn so thin

Someones son my mind was thinking,someone fallen

by the way

Or perhaps a long lost father,who had seen a better day

Could i join you for a minute,just before i go my way

In a voice as sweet as music,mindful of a summer day

I have wandered o'er the moorland ,seen the rising of

the sun,And my poor old feet are weary ,lifes hard battle

must be won

To a seat i saw him totter,heard the whisper of a sigh,

Then i saw the old face brighted,with a twink.e in the eye

Lonely there he sat and listened,to the stories that were told

Someones son or father ,who had wandered from the fold

Surely there must be a story,hidden somewhere in the

breast,

Of a tramp who roams the moorland,something different

from the rest

As i made my wayto join him,something told me

he was glad

Folk around me gazed in wonder,some they even

thought me mad

Thank you sir,i heard him saying

Lonliness can bring a chill

Maybe i should tell a story

Though with tears my eyesthey fill

In my youth i was an artist,painted pictures by the score

Then one day i found an angel,married her in Annaghmore

I was happy with my ,sunshine came our way

And eack night we knelt together,just to meditate and pray

But a fhief he came and stole her ,took the flower I

cherished rare,

Isn,t there a god in heaven to protect a life so fair

Did you ever lose a fortune,did you lose your only friend

Did the sunshine never bless you,nor the lonely not bend

Did you ever see the finger,pointed at you all the day

Broken hearts are never mended,in this hard and cruel way

I left home with all its sadness,left the place where i

was born

Made the sky my only blanket,and my friend a

sun decked morn

When they told me she was dying,even after all

the years

Like a baby i was crying,finding solace in my tears

To the place where she is lying,every year i

make my way

And i place a wreath of roses, on that brown and

sacred clay

Roses plucked from out the hedgerows,but she seen

them just the same

And i know she hears me whisper,as i quietly breathe

her name

You may ask why i remember,why she's always in

my dreams

But true love is ne'er forgotten,and a fond smile

always beams

I forgave and granted pardon,even in my prayers i say

That a souls not lost to heaven,just for erring

on the way

Summer brings its gladness,and the birds

sing high above

Just to bring me consolation,an an atmosphere

of love

But a tramp in lonely exilemstill within his native land

Must keep trying,just keep trying,only god san understand

Thank you, sir, for all your goodness,i must now be on

my way

I have many miles to wander,ere i meditate and pray

God alone now brings me comfort,only he can give

me peace

Till this worldshall mark me absent,ans all worry

it shall cease

In a lonely part of Ireland,near the town of Mullingar

We were gathered in the evening ,in a little village bar,

Through the door there passed a stranger,just a tramp

he seemed to be

In his face the sign of heaven ,almost anyone could see

ctrl-alt-delete

I really enjoyed that, Thanks for posting it.

barney4001

Here's another one you may also like,its by P J McMENAMIN
REQUIEM FOR A NAVVIE
I left my home in 63
And sailed across the Irish Sea
A navvy, I was going to be
In dirty London town.

I threw my bundle on my back
And never once did I look back
My mother cried 'God bless you Jack'
And wiped away a tear.

The cattle boat bobbed up and down
And I spent my last half a crown
On a pint of Guinness, dark and brown
Out on the Irish Sea.

In Kilburn, I did lay my head
Just one small room and a dirty bed
`No Lady friends' the landlord said
`And keep the auld room tidy.'

Next morning, at the break of day
A rusty van took me away
From now on I would earn my pay
With Mcalpines Fusiliers.

I stood in mud and swung my pick
I shovelled mortar wet and thick
The foreman said 'Good on you Mick'
A good old Irish navvy.

Up swaying ladders, I did climb
An' sanc, about 'The Rare auld time'
And not a worry in my mind
Sure life was free an' easy.

The hod, cut deep into my bone
And sometimes I did think of home
What made me leave it, for to roam
An' be an Irish Navvy.
I cursed the Ganger every day
On Friday, when I got my pay
The sun would shine an' I'd make hay
Around the pubs in Kilburn.
I'd drink like hell, enjoy the craic
A donkey jacket on my back
An' sometimes I would get a whack
When ructions flared in Kilburn.

I spent the odd night in a cell
I'd kick the door and shout and yell
Ah peelers — may they rot in hell
They have no time for Paddy.

A few times now, I got the sack
But the ganger, always took me back.
Sure I kept them going with the craic
A carefree Irish rover.
Money? Ah I saved damn all
I pissed it all against the wall
Sure I was young, I had a ball
An' life was free an' easy.
The English man, looked down his nose
To see me in my auld torn clothes
To him, I was just one of those
A paddy and a navvy.

They called me Paddy, called me Mick
They called me stupid, called me thick
I slapped cement upon a brick
And sang the 'Irish Rover'.

A donkey jacket on my back
Sure all I wanted was the craic
I sank the Guinness, foamy black
And danced an Irish jig.
I paid the ladies of the night
To love me in the bright moonlight
In Ireland, that would not be right
But sure a man gets lonely.

And I'd always say on Christmas day
This summer, I'll be on my way
To walk in fields of new mown hay
But I never saved a penny.

As soon as I had got a sub
I'd drink it in some dirty pub
A few shillings left, to buy my grub
Then another week of toiling.

I never sailed back 'oer the sea
To my lovely cottage by the lea
Sure, I was young and wild and free
A handsome Irish rover.

I worked with men of many hues
While mud was squelching in my shoes
And spent my weekends on the booze
Mcalpine's men were hardy.

I sang and danced my youth away
I couldn't wait to spend my pay
I never thought I'd rue the day
For life was free an' easy.

But time moved on relentless'ee
Old age was creeping up on me
A shooting pain was in my knee
So I had another drink.

But drink, the cunning, crafty,knave
Was master now, I was the slave
An' damn a penny I could save
All pissed against the wall.

I lost my job, I lost my home
In dirty alleys I did roam
With shaking hands I sipped the foam From stout as black as midnight.

With wino's I did congregate
To drink around the graveyard gate I never pondered on my fate
As I sang 'Peggy Gordon'.

I slept at night down in the park
I coughed and shivered in the dark And dreamt about the singing lark In happy childhood days.

On misty mornings, cold and grey I'd stagger up, get on my way
To spend another drunken day
In dirty London town.

And then one night, in snow and sleet
With The Financial Times wrapped round my feet I passed away, my god to meet
Too drunk to say a prayer.

I rest now in a pauper's grave
Where weeds and nettles gently wave 'Cause not one penny I could save All pissed against the wall.
A navvy, from auld Erin's Isle
A snatch of a song, a cheeky smile I loved the craic, I had no guile When life was free an' easy.
I knew when I first crossed the sea A stranger, I would always be I saw just what you thought of me It was written on your windows.
You looked on me as second class
But while you sat upon your ass
We built this town of brick and glass
A monument to navvies.

You wrote it so the world could see
Just what it was you thought of me
But forever it will always be
A requiem for navvies.

No blacks, no Irish, no dogs
In the city of drizzle and fogs
You said 'Paddy, go back to the bogs'
No black's no Irish, no dogs.

pickarooney

Barney, the Creative Writing forum is geared towards those who want to share their own work, for review, appreciation or whatever reason. In general we don't encourage the posting of work by third parties.

barney4001

Sorry i was'nt aware of that