Hard Times ©Tony Fallon 052418

Hard Times ©Tony Fallon 052418

We grew up in hard times and not multiplication
It just was hard times that was our situation
Those were the years shortly after Hitler’s terrible war
And there was poverty in Ireland from shore to shore
With five shillings you were happy never mind a pound
And if you had a hundred you could buy a bit of ground
My father worked for a pound a day and was content
And that was enough money to pay for food rates and rent
That was something weird in the country and the town
We independent Irish still paid a land rent to the Crown
With four kids we survived annually on three hundred pounds
In a bar  in Dublin today that wouldn’t buy too many rounds
Sometimes the weather was just right and the farmer’s wouldn’t pout
Sometimes there was too much rain other times a drought
Good fresh food was plentiful if the weather cooperated
Too much rain and not enough sun farmers were frustrated
Other years you’d be trying to get cattle ready for the mart
You’d have to bring them barrels of water in the ass and cart
You couldn’t buy too much food we still had ration books
Anything that stirred or was green was cooked by Irish cooks
Women working outside the house would be saving hay
Not working for the solicitor in town like they are today
Cycling on the sand roads your bones would be jarred
It would be many more years before the roads were tarred
Some men complained about the price of cigarettes and beer
And all complained about the budget in the springtime of the year
Stories were told round the fire that would fill you with fright
Or we’d listen to Din Joe on the radio by flickering candlelight
We lived so far out   we were not part of the electric scheme
So there was no television  to watch the county football team
Still when the match was on  there would be an arse on every chair
As we listened on the battery radio to the great Michael O Heir
Things have changed a lot since those days and I do not lament
A man who grew up much like I did is now the Irish President.

Jane and I ©2019TonyFallon0225

Jane and I are often called very odd
But we really are like two peas in a pod
The odd thing about us is plain to be seen
I am her king and she is my queen
We buy lottery tickets and we know the gamblers lingo
Wednesday nights you can’t pull us away from Bingo
We love each other and the bright lights
And we go dancing Friday and Saturday nights
We love Karaoke singing country duets
We don’t sing very well but we have no regrets
We rarely go home early life is too exciting
We are not like other couples who are always fighting
Other couples said we love being out with you to two
And we always say we love being with you two too