Sitting Shoreside by Nabelwy Lake

Lough Nabelwy looking towards the Leitrim bank from the Longford Bank
Lough Nabelwy looking towards the Leitrim bank from the Longford Bank

Looking back through photos, a shot of Lough Nabelwy reminded me of one of my favourite walks in North Longford, and of other travels. No matter how exotic where we travel to, there truly is nowhere like home, especially in these concerning times.

Shoreside by a Longford lake,
Towards Leitrim I look there sitting…
Summers day of heat, stormy clouds beneath,
Rain threatening never fell, bar spitting.

Sitting, I pondered on the name,
From the language of times gone by…
When folk liked who knew of little bar America
Never got to travel like I.

Who have been to Faro and Vrsac,
Skopje to the menhirs of Carnac…
Yet as interesting to me who all this did see
As much was Aughnaliffes dolmen, when I came back…

I’ve walked across the River Sava
I’ve eaten the Danubes fresh caught fish…
Yet tonight in lockdown in Galway
To be lakeside in Longford, is what I wish.

Travel broadens the mind, they say, its true:
Its good far countries among far cultures to be.
As lovely and interesting as other lands are
Its the beauty in your own home you see.

When you return, to be among your own,
There to sit and chat content,
Swapping tales with other folk who far have been,
Of the places that you went.

The shell damaged buildings of Belgrade,
Vrsac fort upon the hill,
Neath where I met the family from Athlone
Who knew my friend, that fort stands still

Where the people for a summers stroll
To its heights families walk
The Church of St Theodore build to give thanks
For fruitful winefields, to folk I talk.

When swapping tales of other lands
But this land Id not foresake
Lovely and all happiest Ive been
Sitting shoreside by Nabelwy Lake.

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