Drovers, with their cattle herds,
\nTo market coming, stick in hand,
\nGuiding their charges with swear words
\nWith a sure, and yet gentle hand.
\nThese Longford roads still are winding, some narrower still,
\nThe drovers job is done by big lorries today
\nFrom farm to factory, to market and back,
\nWhere once drover was king, this his highway.<\/p>\n
I, a walker, wanderer, poet
\nAs I call myself, in my own eyes,
\nAs a drover poet wrote of before,
\nA cow to my musing with bellows replies,
\nAs if to ask, what am I thinking, a fool
\nThe world is always changing, it is only a game\u2026
\nBut a poet is a poet, and a cow is a cow,
\nNo matter how jobs change, the world is the same![](\"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Drover-with-Cattle-in-Ireland.jpg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Drovers, with their cattle herds, To market coming, stick in hand, Guiding their charges with swear words With a sure, and yet gentle hand. These Longford roads still are winding, some narrower still, The drovers job is done by big lorries today From farm to factory, to market and back, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23],"tags":[340,341,65,342,42,343],"class_list":["post-220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-north-longford","tag-drover","tag-farming","tag-life-2","tag-lifestyle","tag-longford","tag-progress","column","twocol"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-3y","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2239,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/bitter-sugar\/","url_meta":{"origin":220,"position":0},"title":"Bitter Sugar","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"31st August 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The island of St. Croix has a Granard, Annally, Longford, Corn Hill, Cartys, Cartys Point, and Madame Cartys placenames. All very quant and interesting until we realise these were some of the slave owners... A distant isle, where it rarely rains Families in a Granard that never burned Bar neath\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Moral"","block_context":{"text":"Moral","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/moral\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writerscafe.org\/images\/quote_start.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3522,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/padraic-colum-longford-writer-and-riot-inciter\/","url_meta":{"origin":220,"position":1},"title":"Padraic Colum : Longford Writer and Riot Inciter","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"13th February 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Padraic Colum was one of Longfords most famous modern literary figures. The son of a workhouse master, he grew up in the Longford Workhouse, was the cause of the awakening to the cause of Irish freedom of Constance Gore Booth, and was a noted encourager of James Joyce when he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Masthead of \"The Longford Eye\" who first published this article based on the photo from Lalin Swaris","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Padriac-Colum.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Padriac-Colum.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Padriac-Colum.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Padriac-Colum.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Padriac-Colum.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4000,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/the-famine-cross\/","url_meta":{"origin":220,"position":2},"title":"The Famine Cross","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"28th September 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"At the back of St Josephs Hospital in Longford, there is the local famine graveyard. This poem is dedicated to those interred there during the famine, and until the home closed, those folks were the poorest of the poor. They died while in the workhouse, of which the father of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art Inspired Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Art Inspired Poetry","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/art-inspired-poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Famine Cross in Longford - Photo by Lalin Swaris","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/The-Famine-Cross-in-Longford-Photo-by-Lalin-Swaris-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/The-Famine-Cross-in-Longford-Photo-by-Lalin-Swaris-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/The-Famine-Cross-in-Longford-Photo-by-Lalin-Swaris-1024x683.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3110,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/moo-said-the-cow\/","url_meta":{"origin":220,"position":3},"title":"Moo Said the Cow – the strange tale of a hitching cow, a helpful driver and a baffled traffic Garda","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"4th June 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The cow on the roadside was hitching, The driver that stopped didnt know what to do, He spoke slowly, asked the cow where she was going to, But all the cow said, it was MOO. It was quite a struggle to get her inside, It was quite a squeeze to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Funny Poems"","block_context":{"text":"Funny Poems","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/funny-poems\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Not Even in Longford - Cow in Car","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Not-Even-in-Longford-Cow-in-Car.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Not-Even-in-Longford-Cow-in-Car.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Not-Even-in-Longford-Cow-in-Car.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Not-Even-in-Longford-Cow-in-Car.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4577,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/home-made-explores-concept-of-home-for-longford-writers-group\/","url_meta":{"origin":220,"position":4},"title":"“Home Made” explores concept of home for Longford Writers Group","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"3rd December 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Longford Writers Group - featuring yours truly - launched their anthology of poems and stories in Longford Library, to the musical accompaniment of Bernie on the keyboard, and Valerie on vocals. The anthology explored the concept of home, as it is known to each of us, and a contribution\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Launch of \"Home Made\" - the anthology of Longford Writers Group","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Launch-of-Home-Made-the-anthology-of-Longford-Writers-Group-1024x467.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Launch-of-Home-Made-the-anthology-of-Longford-Writers-Group-1024x467.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Launch-of-Home-Made-the-anthology-of-Longford-Writers-Group-1024x467.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4471,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/pondering-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":220,"position":5},"title":"Pondering Poetry","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"29th March 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Whimsical verse on poetry, and the relationship between poet and reader...","rel":"","context":"In "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"From an exhibition in Longford a few years back","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/From-an-exhibition-in-Longford-a-few-years-back.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/From-an-exhibition-in-Longford-a-few-years-back.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/From-an-exhibition-in-Longford-a-few-years-back.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/From-an-exhibition-in-Longford-a-few-years-back.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/From-an-exhibition-in-Longford-a-few-years-back.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=220"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":221,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220\/revisions\/221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}