How
to Become a Saint
Oonah
V Joslin
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.
