Blog of Oonah V Joslin -- please visit my Parallel Oonahverse at WordPress

where I post stories and poems that have not been seen elsewhere - also recipes and various other stuff. http://oovj.wordpress.com/

and see me At the Cumberland Arms 2011









Thursday 17 March 2016

ST PATRICK'S DAY



How to Become a Saint

Oonah V Joslin



Paddy sat on Slemish 


watching the mist roll down


into the Braid Valley


ever raining on the town.




He didn't like the townsfolk


a thick, unfriendly lot


their charity was just a joke


they could go to hell and rot.




Then a suddenly shaft of light


pierced the bitter air,


Hey Paddy says the angel


that's God's own land down there.




You're sitting up here all alone


when you could be making friends.


Go talk to people in town --


go down and make amends.




So Paddy left the mountain top


and went down to Broughshane


and there they gave him ale and bread


til he was himself again.




The ale was good -- he stayed so long


he started seeing snakes.


I'll just get rid of these for you.


They laughed behind his back.




He'd ha' been better maybe


staying up on that hill.


The drink's addled his brains they said.


Aye thon man's very ill. 




He started seeing leprechauns


towards the end of lent


but because of all these 'visions'


they named him patron saint.




And so it is on Paddy's Day 


the Irish, always sinners,


follow in St Patrick's ways


with Bushmills and with Guinness.