{"id":3479,"date":"2017-01-11T07:43:19","date_gmt":"2017-01-11T07:43:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=3479"},"modified":"2017-01-11T07:43:19","modified_gmt":"2017-01-11T07:43:19","slug":"i-have-seen-both-sides-of-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/i-have-seen-both-sides-of-life\/","title":{"rendered":"I Have Seen Both Sides of Life"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"As<\/a>
As a child in Banagher – I never did make it in the soccer world!!!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another of my reflective poems, as I look back on life, more serious than “Once Upon a Time in Ballinasloe<\/a>“<\/u>: more along the lines of “Portrait of the Poet as a Not So Young Man<\/a>“<\/u>… these poems get easier to write as we get older!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I have seen both sides of life
\nI saw youth in now distant days
\nNow into mid life I settle
\nMy hair a thousand whites and greys.<\/p>\n

I saw in youth good health
\nOthers ailing I could not understand
\nUnsure were they feigning or was it real
\nStill, bemused, Id lend a hand.<\/p>\n

Now I am the one who gets up stiff
\nCrippled every so often with back pains
\nOld age, early arrived and long to stay
\nWhere only the memories of litheness remains.<\/p>\n

I write tonight melancholic verse
\nIn these verses of retrospection
\nThoughts that cross the mind like never before
\nLife’s meaning and such reflection.<\/p>\n

It begins now they say is true
\nFor you take life as fate does give
\nMake the most of it, appreciate it
\nSo you truly start to live.<\/p>\n

I have seen both sides of life
\nIs there a third left to come?
\nI lay down my pen and set to sleep
\nDust of my lap each crumb.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Another of my reflective poems, as I look back on life, more serious than “Once Upon a Time in Ballinasloe“: more along the lines of “Portrait of the Poet as a Not So Young Man“… these poems get easier to write as we get older! I have seen both sides …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_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":[7],"tags":[10,3439,3437,3436,3438],"class_list":["post-3479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-life","tag-aging","tag-life-begins-at-forty","tag-life-reflection","tag-melancholy-verse","tag-memoir","column","twocol"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-U7","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4833,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/two-magpies-on-stephens-green\/","url_meta":{"origin":3479,"position":0},"title":"Two Magpies on Stephens Green","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"23rd September 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Two magpies seen on Stephens Green One seen before the other I thinking it sorrow meant I looked quickly for another And finding it, camera I tool A picture for to take A scene pretty it seemed to me And to take for beauties sake. But, no, before I took\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Dander in Dublin"","block_context":{"text":"Dander in Dublin","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/dander-in-dublin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":495,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/clock-ticks-on-the-wall\/","url_meta":{"origin":3479,"position":1},"title":"Clock Ticks on the Wall","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"12th April 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lCzyxCdj98s Not here, an empty barstool Glass slowly emptied before being replaced Clock ticks on the wall Swear words from the stood up, the disgraced Others come in, laughing couples, eyes shining Glass rattled, a nod, a new pint poured Clock ticks on the wall Anger rises, she once loved,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Heartbreak Poems"","block_context":{"text":"Heartbreak Poems","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/love-poems\/heartbreak-poems\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/lCzyxCdj98s\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2057,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/looking-out-at-the-skelligs\/","url_meta":{"origin":3479,"position":2},"title":"Looking Out at the Skelligs","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"13th July 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"From clifftop in morning mist A view I would have missed If weather was finer, or I had slept This murky view from my eyes would be kept Hidden in the swirling mists of grey I saw the scene seen by the monks the day They decided there cells their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travel Poems"","block_context":{"text":"Travel Poems","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/travel-poems\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Skelligs seen through the morning mist...","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Skelligs.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Skelligs.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Skelligs.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Skelligs.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Skelligs.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2444,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/dawn-breaks-as-yeats-goes-to-sleep\/","url_meta":{"origin":3479,"position":3},"title":"Dawn Breaks as Yeats Goes to Sleep","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"18th December 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Yeats died before the outbreak of war, and his Nobel prizes and international fame was most seen through the Versailles era, with the illusion of peace unbroken while he was alive. Night and darkness is normally seen as negative, but the fire and light of war is shown here as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Death"","block_context":{"text":"Death","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/death\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Walter de la Mare and Bertha Georgie Hyde-Lees Yeats with William Butler Yeats and an unknown woman in summer 1930 in photo by Lady Ottoline Morrell","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Walter-de-la-Mare-and-Bertha-Georgie-Hyde-Lees-Yeats-with-William-Butler-Yeats-and-an-unknown-woman-in-summer-1930-in-photo-by-Lady-Ottoline-Morrell.jpg.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Walter-de-la-Mare-and-Bertha-Georgie-Hyde-Lees-Yeats-with-William-Butler-Yeats-and-an-unknown-woman-in-summer-1930-in-photo-by-Lady-Ottoline-Morrell.jpg.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Walter-de-la-Mare-and-Bertha-Georgie-Hyde-Lees-Yeats-with-William-Butler-Yeats-and-an-unknown-woman-in-summer-1930-in-photo-by-Lady-Ottoline-Morrell.jpg.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Walter-de-la-Mare-and-Bertha-Georgie-Hyde-Lees-Yeats-with-William-Butler-Yeats-and-an-unknown-woman-in-summer-1930-in-photo-by-Lady-Ottoline-Morrell.jpg.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4030,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/when-its-bad-manners-to-say-thanks\/","url_meta":{"origin":3479,"position":4},"title":"When Its Bad Manners to Say Thanks","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"5th October 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The story of a ghost miller on Lough Gownas Inch Island From the Irish Folklore Collection On the waters of Gowna there rests Inch isle On monastic fame, and the ringing bell The shores of which array Derrycassin, Culray Mullahoran, Dring and more places as well. The tale is told\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Folklore and Legend"","block_context":{"text":"Folklore and Legend","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/folklore-and-legend\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"There was a mill on Inch Island on Lough Gowna, worked by a phantom miller... one of the many supernatural phenomena on the lake, along with the monster, and the merrow","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lough-Gowna-which-has-a-version-of-the-Loch-Ness-Monster-and-a-mermaid-according-to-local-folklore.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lough-Gowna-which-has-a-version-of-the-Loch-Ness-Monster-and-a-mermaid-according-to-local-folklore.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lough-Gowna-which-has-a-version-of-the-Loch-Ness-Monster-and-a-mermaid-according-to-local-folklore.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lough-Gowna-which-has-a-version-of-the-Loch-Ness-Monster-and-a-mermaid-according-to-local-folklore.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lough-Gowna-which-has-a-version-of-the-Loch-Ness-Monster-and-a-mermaid-according-to-local-folklore.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/old-soviet-trains-in-macedonia\/","url_meta":{"origin":3479,"position":5},"title":"Old Soviet Trains in Macedonia","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"9th August 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Before only seen on the television While watching James Bond on TV Now the English speaking stranger Is no secret agent, far less glamorous, it is me\u2026 In this land that is modernising fast Little of the soviet time remains\u2026 But a remnant still working of the former days Are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Balkan Odyssey"","block_context":{"text":"Balkan Odyssey","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/travel-poems\/balkan-odyssey\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3479","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=3479"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3479\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3482,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3479\/revisions\/3482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}