Let Death Not Sneak In Our Door
In the days gone by during the War
On the family farm in old Lislea
My mother but a child she was
The family set down to pray
As families did in those times
To give thanks for the little that they had
Though times were tough to have little was enough
To have enough they were truly glad.
The prayers they had were simple
Some had wording in prayerbook set
More were by tradition lost
Some somewhere know them yet.
They prayer she spoke of I remember
That death do not sneak by surprise in the door
She thought herself a quick death would be merciful
But that was not the thinking before.
Their fathers case, the prayer was not answered:
Though it was had they understood the signs
A heart waking gives plenty warning
That these are precious times.
In others, and hers, they had their time
As all did to understand:
That the leaving hour was near at hand
By nature and Gods command.
A simple faith of a simple folk
Who eked a living there
In the unforgiving fields of North Longford
Each evening submitted together to prayer.
Its a humbleness lost in our day
It matters not the clergy’s hypocrisy and sin
The church it is the ordinary folk
Our faith is in our hearts, within.