The runner-in
The first time I caught the number 3
I had been invited to Ringsend for tea
Wet Nelly was served and I ate with glee
Jam jars for everyone but a mug for me

I’ll never be called ‘one of our own’
I came from a different part of town
Crumlin I was glad was ‘very far away’
And we never ate cabbage with pissy ray

I fondly remember a night out at the Ritz
A pint in McDermott’s and Ferrari’s for chips
A ‘wear’ on the stairs of the flats was a treat
And an offer of more the next time we meet

Some Saturday nights I’d miss the last number 3
And too tired to walk I’d stay at the local B&B
Sleep on the buses if you know what I mean
Then rashers and eggs in the Bottle House canteen

Over 30 years I’m here and still a runner-in
Even though some Raytowners are my next-of-kin
And always the Ringsend gulls will sit and judge
Those of us who came from over the Brudge.

By Eddie Duff

You were right
So you did it again
You cut through my heart
Left a big open wound
And now we’re apart

No place left to meet
No calls on my phone
Emptiness crushed deep inside
Just me all alone

Oh the times that we laughed
Oh the times that we cried
Oh the good times we shared
And the things we did confide

The feelings we rescued
That we thought were long gone
The feelings we reignited
We kept them held on

And this time you were right
Though now I shed a tear
And I long for your touch
And I wish you were here

And upon my wall
Lies your face and your smile
And I want you to be here
Just for one more while

But you did the right thing
You walked from the pain
And you chose not to hurt me
Again and again

They said we couldn’t do it
But yes they were wrong
And our love will continue
In the words of this song

By Audrey Healy

Life’s tough, you’re tougher
City without blinding lights
No surprise nor illusional satisfaction;
Cobble paved street lies in quiet,
I open my eyes hoping to picture your reflection,
Only find that thousand miles away buries
that sensation.

Where are you from, where are you going for?
Lunatic yellow buses passing in my life everyday;
Never been interested to take an aimless tour,
Stoned as ever not knowing there’s a price to pay,
Sink my head into a pool of clay.

No bridge of Terabithia could lead me to you
right now,
When the last city street goes off;
I know you’ve already started your day, but how?
Imagination troubles my sanity, no need to prove,
That, never could you nor will you know how
you’ve been so cruel.

By Zhen Dong

A desert dream
Through the humid desert night
our camel train was long
Then, dawn did break, and I could hear
a distant happy song.

The Vision waited, in my tent
An angel to my eyes
Oh what pleasure, I recall
Beneath those starlit skies.

But, like vintage wine
This tale I tell, had never really been
The wine was spilt, I came awake
For this was but a dream.

Yet, must my dreams so cruelly end
This much I’m sure is true
I’ll ride the wind, embrace the dawn
Until I’m there with you.

For someone calls, within my mind
My heart is full of glee
I’ll take the magic carpet ride
To fact or fantasy.

By Geoffrey P B Lyon

Love dreams
My thoughts and dreams are of you to-day
And in my dreams a special way
Right from the start you had to be
God’s blessing in this life for me
And with that touch so kind and true
Reveals the love I have for you
Each day our love together seems
To say I love you in my dreams.

By David J. B. Lyon

One day
One day I’ll fix that leaky tap
And unblock that nasty drain
I’ll scrub the house from top to bottom
Removing every stain.

One day I’ll clean the windows
And mop the kitchen floor
Bath & shower will be spotless
With elbow grease galore.

One day I’ll hang that picture
And scrub the filthy grill
All grime will be banished
From hall door to window sill.

One day I’ll tidy out the shed
And repair the garden wall
The grass will get a short back and sides
You won’t know the place at all.

One day I’ll paint that ceiling
And straighten the crooked shelf
I’ll wash up after dinner
Drying all the delft.

One day I’ll clear the gutter
And mend the spade and rake.
One tedious task after another
I will happily undertake.

By Brian Kelly

In memory of Christie Hennessy
I only met you but the once
But it was enough to make me realise
That you were someone special
By the light shining in your eyes

Your soft voice gently lilting o’er the crowd
Singing over the chords of your guitar
That mesmersised the people
From here to further afar

Your gentle soothing lyrics
In each and every song
Captivated every listener
Long after you had gone

Your jokes, your stories, your anecdotes,
Would be nothing without your smile
Infectious, mischievous, enthralling
It invited us inside

To see beyond the music
To the man lingering within
the husband and the father
And the people closet to him

Music was your first love
But our love was simply you
And no one will forget the songs you brought
And the things you used to do

Today they will still talk about you
A gentle soul with a beautiful smile
Who faced his toughest battle
With resilience, hope and style

So music man wherever you are now,
be in it a place of peace and joy
be happy, be at peace,
be at one Messenger Boy

Rest assured you’ll always be a legend here at home
Remembered with affection by those near and far
And that to so many of your fans
At last You Are a Star.

By Audrey Healy

As always, we welcome contributions to
The Poetry Place, which can be sent to the
‘NewsFour’ offices at 15 Fitzwilliam Street,
Ringsend, Dublin 4.