Cathedral shadow, from
moonlight’s gleam, casts
a shape on world serene.
This ghost of Swift
through gardens green
walks the park at midnight.
My spirit moves, on paths
now bare.
With dormant life and inner stare
at world now changed
but yet the same,
with troubles still,
of war and pain
As in my time, long
now gone.
The poor still weak,
the rich still strong.
What might it take,
myself I ask
for men to know,
that life will pass.
Not like a flower to
bloom and please,
and then to die, with
Sweet unease.
But man perverse, will
not adjust,
to God’s request
or Nature’s thrust.
He will persist, with
lack of thought,
to exploit still
the lives he’s bought.
His wealth exceeds
his earthly want,
he yet submits
to earthly greed.
Life has not changed,
this ghost concedes.
Man’s still the same
with wants and needs.
Maybe with time, and God’s will,
He may improve, and may still win.
But for now to rest,
in silent tomb,
in Patrick’s church,
near Dublin’s Coombe.
Perhaps to walk some night again,
And ponder on the fates of men.
Thanks for sharing this. It’s a lovely poem – simply written, but full of pathos and insight.
I think with a poem like this, it could go either way; it could be tawdry and sentimental old tosh or it could be something containing echoes of Old Dublin – ghostly voices we’ve all heard – though usually in our school text-books. In this piece, you can hear the voice of an old man who has seen it all and done most of it and is a bit tired, but holds out some hope while he’s at it. More of this type of thing! 🙂
Thank you for your nice comments about my poem. I should state that it was written some years ago when I was somewhat younger and the thoughts expressed were what I imagined were those felt by Jonathan Swift the author of many books including Gulliver’s Travels and was then Dean of St.Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. He was also a great supporter of the poor at that time with his involvement in the provision of hospitals in those dark times for many of the citizens.
Yours in appreciation,
Liam Fitzpatrick.
Wow! That was beautiful! I could almost hear it orated, cold and echoey, with distant footsteps in the Dublin night.
Fantastic read!
What a beautiful and wistful poem. More please. Take a bow author.
Fabulous.
Love it, thanks for sharing.
Wonderful, thank you Liam Fitzpatrick!
I will add this poem to the long list of reasons why I love the Irish. It’s a country where stories and poems seem to be the natural by-product of life, rather than a place where stories and poems come to life in the dimmer corners and are nurtured by just a few.
Excellent poem Uncle Liam, I was able to read it with your voice in mind. I find it to be a very evocative piece that brought out a process of free flowing associations, around the author, the Dublin he lived in and the contrasting we live in today.
Wow, that’s lovely, well done…
Lovely poem it has given me a lot to think about and it is still true today , unfortunately !