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BLACKOUT
The blackouts torn Mam in our room
It wasn't me, it was her
we peeked out the window when the siren went
and she fell off the chair
Was anybody killed, Mam, do you know
put on the news at seven
I suppose some more folk that we know
have ended up in Heaven
Ow, don't, Mam, I didn't do nothing
why don't you clout her instead
look, Mam, how's she's laughing
'cos you clipped me round the head
When's Dad coming back, Mam
He said he'd paint our room
you said that he'd be home soon
and now its nearly June
And just why were you crying, Mam
when the postman came
and why did you look sad Mam
when he asked you for your name
What was in the telegram, Mam
was it about our Dad
please don't cry, I'm sorry Mam,
I didn't mean to make you sad
But I don't want to play out, Mam
I want to stay with you
I'll help you with the young 'uns Mam
I don't want to lose you, too
You wont go away and leave us Mam
like Johnny and our Dad
You said that they'd be home soon
you know that lying's bad
Will you mend the blackout Mam
look, its nearly night
that warden will be round soon
shouting "Douse that light"
Give me little Peter Mam
and go and dry your eyes
When Dad sees the size of him now
wont he be surprised
When will the War be over Mam
I'm sick of this bad news
Will we say a prayer for Dad, Mam
and for our Johnny too
Its okay, Mam I'll manage
off you go to the 'phone
I think that I'm the eldest now
our Johnny's not coming home.
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GOODBYE (In loving memory of my Dad, George ‘Jud’ McKone)
You said 'I'll see you later' but now that chance has passed
I miss you still so very much but I know your love will last
I know that you'll watch over me until life's very end
because you were not just my father, you were my very best friend
It seems so late to realise but the lessons you taught me, I learned
And always, when the going got tough, it was to you I turned
I never knew how wise you were until after you were gone
But all the things you showed to me will go on, and on, and on.
'To thine own self be true', You said, 'Always believe that you just can,
It doesn't matter what it is it's all part of the plan.'
'Keep all your hopes within your sight and all your dreams with you
and if you work ,and if you try I promise they'll come true.'
With each day that dawns I'm wiser and things become more plain
and I wonder who taught you the things that you tried hard to explain
Did you realise all of your own dreams or did you put them to one side
to give to me the knowledge that you passed to me with pride
Have I lived up to your hopes for me or did I let you down
Did you force that smile upon your face when you really wanted to frown
Are you a little proud of me, I hope to God it's so
I try to live up to your love in the best way that I know
When I was young, I let you down time and time again
but always you were there for me you never showed your pain
And now that I'm a woman I can see so easily
No matter what I said or did you were always proud of me.
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THE BEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE!
(Advice to a daughter)
Today’s the day when your new life begins
you enter the outside world
Everything that I ever owned
I would give to my little girl
But before you start life at your new school today
there are some things that I feel I should say:
Look over your shoulder, look for danger
Take your friend's hand, don't talk to strangers
Don’t play out in the street, don’t stay out when it’s dark
You may never come home again if you go off to the park
Don’t walk to school alone, stay in with a crowd
If someone strange approaches you, scream and shout out loud
Don’t trust your school mates, don’t turn your back
Or the next thing you know, you’ll be addicted to crack
Don’t sniff any glue, or take any tabs
Don’t stick needles in yourself, don’t smoke fags
Don’t start drinking alcohol, you don’t know where it’ll lead
Don’t take any downers and don’t take any speed
Smack heads need money to indulge their costly habit
Don’t think you won’t resort to crime,
you’ll see what you want and grab it
And if you do become involved with drugs
your life will change forever
You may think that you can handle it
you may think it gives you pleasure
But when your family have disowned you
and so have all your friends
You may think you really want this scene
but it’ll kill you in the end
And when you’ve turned to prostitution
to pay for all your drugs
How are you going to recognise
the punters from the thugs
So as your horizons broaden today
Think of all I’ve had to say
I wish you a good and happy time
But don’t smoke or drink or turn to crime
So, come along, put on your coat
But don’t expect me to say goodbye
With this lump that's in my throat.
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MINE TRUE LOVE
Whither my true love, there I’ll go, though Ma and Pa they worry so
there’s naught to say keep us apart, no warning words can still my heart.
Though I be low born, he be high, without love from him I would die
My swain is loyal, true to me, though other folk swear him they see
along the greenwood, of an eve, but there’s naught to say, make me believe
that my love would unfaithful be, when he has sworn his heart to me.
I know not of music, books or art, but know I the way to true love’s heart
I see the way he looks at me, I know there can no other be
Ma and Pa, they worry so, when through the darkness, late, I go
to be with true love of an eve, my life without him, I would grieve
I slip through trees and bushes now, ‘til I espy him on the brow
of the low hill at woodlands heart, where e’en the trees own branches part.
And in the moonlight him I see, with another on his knee.
My heart would burst from ‘neath my breast, I clutch at trees, I need to rest.
Blackness comes down o’er mine eyes, my mind fills up on all those lies
he spoke so sweet, I thought, so true, but now his sweetness I see through
I see his hand her body caress, I see him lifting of her dress
I hear her laughter, do they laugh at me, as I stand and lean upon the tree.
The blackness lifts and descends to red, I cannot watch their loving bed
I hear a cry, is it from me, I cannot tell, I cannot see.
The red is gone, clear are mine eyes, and at my feet a body lies.
I hear her scream from trees o’er yonder, and I stare down in fearful wonder.
To my knees I drop from whence I stood, slip mine arm through warm, red blood
What have I done to him, my love, I stare down at my blood soaked glove
The stake I wrenched from ‘neath the tree became a weapon, this I see
I gently touch his face, his lips, oh, that I were now a witch
I’d speak a spell to change the time, back to when true love was mine
But I’m not, I can’t, and I must pay, ‘though not by men, but Judgement Day
I lay me down at true loves side, I make the vows I’d make as bride
to stay with him unto life’s end, that our eternal days we’ll spend
happy, bright and full of wonder, no other maid will his heart plunder
I plunge the stick into my breast, I cannot breath, I go to rest
Ma and Pa, they worry so, when through the darkness, late, I go
to be with true love of an eve, my life ends with him, please do not grieve
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