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_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","column","twocol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-1jS","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4572,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/no-library-like-the-spoken-word\/","url_meta":{"origin":5076,"position":0},"title":"No Library Like the Spoken Word","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"10th December 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Books and knowledge gathered together But arrived Invaders and a tyrants yoke All then to then was ever known It all went up in smoke. Theories, expressions of a time Offended a powerful few They too offered Sparks of knowledge to the air As pyres are known to do\u2026 Collections\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":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Old-Couple-by-Fireside-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Old-Couple-by-Fireside-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Old-Couple-by-Fireside-1024x576.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1411,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/let-blaze-the-flames-of-uisneach\/","url_meta":{"origin":5076,"position":1},"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":3895,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/statues-fall\/","url_meta":{"origin":5076,"position":2},"title":"Statues Fall","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"17th August 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Freedoms cries brought the statues down The Reich lay in ruins as a new regime Promised freedom of a version of the west or east Better than what before had been. Yet some still were kept behind bars Whose lifestyle the world still disapproved The uniforms changed but little else\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "America"","block_context":{"text":"America","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/america\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Smashing the Nazi Eagle statue in Mauthausen Concentration Camp in Austria","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Smashing-the-Nazi-Eagle-statue-in-Mauthausen-Concentration-Camp-in-Austria.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Smashing-the-Nazi-Eagle-statue-in-Mauthausen-Concentration-Camp-in-Austria.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Smashing-the-Nazi-Eagle-statue-in-Mauthausen-Concentration-Camp-in-Austria.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, 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"Life"","block_context":{"text":"Life","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Old-Man-Dies.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5021,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/afghanistan-burning\/","url_meta":{"origin":5076,"position":4},"title":"Afghanistan Burning","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"17th August 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Afghanistan burning, though most is not,Having surrendered without a shot,Their President is their \"Sheamus a Chac\"Who fled and flew without looking back,The west wrings its hands, what can they do,As they did to the Kurds when they were no more use too,The flames and the smoke and the dust will\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Afghanistan"","block_context":{"text":"Afghanistan","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/war-on-terror\/afghanistan\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"People fleeing Afghanistan","src":"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/E89ObxYVoA4LcAl?format=jpg&name=large","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/E89ObxYVoA4LcAl?format=jpg&name=large 1x, https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/E89ObxYVoA4LcAl?format=jpg&name=large 1.5x, https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/E89ObxYVoA4LcAl?format=jpg&name=large 2x, https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/E89ObxYVoA4LcAl?format=jpg&name=large 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 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