He leaves his bike beside the hedge and steps up to the door
A barking dog will greet him there, he knows which house it’s at
His bag is full of cheer and shock, they don’t want any more
There’s birthday cards and letters and brown ones on the mat
Poetry
Our Town
Once like a diamond on the coast
That people flocked to see,
Smart shops and buildings she could boast,
She showed them off with glee
But things were left to slip and slide,
They didn’t feel the breeze,
How could they not have seen the tide
Would bring her to her knees?
We love this town, we need it back,
We yearn for things to change,
We need the beauty, not the tack,
To make her shine again
We have to fight before she’s lost,
We have to make them see
She’ll loose her spirit – at what cost
To her, to you and me?
She’s like a princess in a dream,
Her skirt beneath the shore,
She cannot wait for miracles
Or she will be no more
Josephine Nolan
To My Children
You are my greatest love
My life would have no meaning without you
In the quiet of the night,
In the warmth of the sun,
When falling rain nourishes the earth
Or the moon and stars light up the darkness
I will always be with you
My greatest love
A Mandarin Orange
You peel its soft skin away.
You try to peel it in one go, without a break.
Its sweet soft centre is delicious.
It’s like getting to know someone,
Or, allowing someone to know you.
You gain their trust, and slowly,
You get to know the secrets of their life.
josephine nolan 