Every so often a book I see
\nThat once I had upon my shelf
\nOpposite the fireplace that would never draw
\nSmoking out the room and myself<\/p>\n
Who, standing swearing in the January cold
\nBefore the event that brought the roof down,
\nAnd people to their feet at the sight of smoke
\nAnd flashing blue lights from Arvagh town<\/p>\n
And further, I heard, to dampen the flames,
\nCaused by the shelves of books ablaze
\nAnd all else that fuelled the flames that lit the sky
\nThat I see somewhere these days.<\/p>\n
“I must buy that again” I to myself vow
\nSometimes I do and add to more
\nThat are on my shelves elsewhere only to find
\nI brought another copy where<\/p>\n
I had forgotten: most are replaced
\nBut not the windows on that little cottage there
\nOr doors – even the new roof is wrong
\nthe harder you try – fate doesnt care.<\/p>\n
But shelves again I bring in
\nAnd upon them my new books put to stand
\nAn older and less hopeful man
\nPlace them one by one by one by hand.<\/p>\n
Wonder how the fire was lit
\nPonder by who and why
\nI hope to see the new chimney draw better then
\nInto the freezing night sky.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Every so often a book I see That once I had upon my shelf Opposite the fireplace that would never draw Smoking out the room and myself Who, standing swearing in the January cold Before the event that brought the roof down, And people to their feet at the sight …<\/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":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":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","column","twocol"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-1jS","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1411,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/let-blaze-the-flames-of-uisneach\/","url_meta":{"origin":5076,"position":0},"title":"Let Blaze the Flames of Uisneach","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"30th April 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Flames bright burned seven years On the top of Uisneach Hill Bealtaine declared for the world The call it echo's here still Though flames burned to embers Ash now its fuel that flamed strong Wisps of is smoke like spirits Linger here, where they belong. Miracle of fire celebrated Of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Irish Heritage"","block_context":{"text":"Irish Heritage","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/ireland\/irish-heritage\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1318,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/santys-christmas-party\/","url_meta":{"origin":5076,"position":1},"title":"Santy’s Christmas Party","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"5th December 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"They had finished all the presents, cleared off all the shelves Wrapped up all the chocolates, Santa and the Elves Someone brought out the bubbly, Mrs Claus opened the wine: It was the North Poles Christmas Party - all were set for a good time! Mrs Clause got merry, Santa\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Funny Poems (18+!!!)"","block_context":{"text":"Funny Poems (18+!!!)","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/funny-poems-18\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Santy's Christmas Party","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Santys-Christmas-Party-300x245.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1801,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/i-had-no-time-old-clocks-to-see\/","url_meta":{"origin":5076,"position":2},"title":"I Had No Time Old Clocks to See","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"25th May 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=t9PHoad-2Qk While walking in Prague way back in 2009 or so, I saw an old clock shop that I wanted to visit but was in a hurry to somewhere else before it closed. Should I be in Prague again, I do intend to visit it. The latest of my reposted\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Poems from Prague"","block_context":{"text":"Poems from Prague","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/travel-poems\/poems-from-prague\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/t9PHoad-2Qk\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":731,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/tomcats-chasing-pussies\/","url_meta":{"origin":5076,"position":3},"title":"Tomcats Chasing Pussies","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"23rd September 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Tomcats are chasing pussys and they howling at the sky But the pussy cats having none of it, his loving she'll deny They'll howl and screech half the night, keeping me awake Before getting down to business, howling for howling's sake... Did they never hear of romance, some flowers, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Funny Poems"","block_context":{"text":"Funny Poems","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/funny-poems\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cat on the Roof","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Cat-on-the-Roof.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Cat-on-the-Roof.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Cat-on-the-Roof.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4040,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/flickering-candles-foretell-death\/","url_meta":{"origin":5076,"position":4},"title":"Flickering Candles Foretell Death","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"6th October 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"A tradition of foretelling a death from North Longford... From the Irish Folklore Commission In days gone by a tradition old Of which the Church condemns though what they are told By clergy the folk pay little heed For superstition and tradition they had a need And so together on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Death"","block_context":{"text":"Death","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/death\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dozen candles set un a dungpile - the first that went out said its owner would die within a year according to old Longford tradition","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Dozen-candles-set-un-a-dungpile-the-first-that-went-out-said-its-owner-would-die-within-a-year-according-to-old-Longford-tradition.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Dozen-candles-set-un-a-dungpile-the-first-that-went-out-said-its-owner-would-die-within-a-year-according-to-old-Longford-tradition.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Dozen-candles-set-un-a-dungpile-the-first-that-went-out-said-its-owner-would-die-within-a-year-according-to-old-Longford-tradition.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Dozen-candles-set-un-a-dungpile-the-first-that-went-out-said-its-owner-would-die-within-a-year-according-to-old-Longford-tradition.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Dozen-candles-set-un-a-dungpile-the-first-that-went-out-said-its-owner-would-die-within-a-year-according-to-old-Longford-tradition.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2391,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/this-could-be-1939-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":5076,"position":5},"title":"This Could Be 1939 Again","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"23rd October 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\"This Could Be 1939 Again\" Czech Roma refugee, a friend of mine, who will remain nameless, circa 1998 The flames of fate had barely cooled When the flames of hate were fanned We though, we hoped, these days were gone We saw, we see, cannot understand Not since the rosary\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Current Affairs in Ireland"","block_context":{"text":"Current Affairs in Ireland","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/ireland\/current-affairs-in-ireland\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The residents, who did not want to identify themselves, told RT\u00c9 News that while they had sympathy with those affected by the tragedy at Glenamuck there was ","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.rasset.ie\/000b3d54-614.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.rasset.ie\/000b3d54-614.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.rasset.ie\/000b3d54-614.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5076","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=5076"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5076\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5077,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5076\/revisions\/5077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}