WJ Cooper Series

WJ Cooper Series

No.2 Offaly Sonnet

The twittering dunnock of Boora Bog
Heralds the day as joys recommence
Offaly’s heroes sail through the fog
Lord let me see this ten thousand years hence
Oh beautiful Birr and heathered Slieve Blooms
And Geashill’s soft fields where skippeth the hare
Grand Canal daffodils join in great plume
Clonmacnoise watching this Gaelic affair
Yet when a great hunger fell on this land
As Faithful kin passed to heaven above
Kinnitty sighed as they left on command
And waters of silver sprayed them with love
Halcyon days at bold Edenderry
Banagher sweet by Shannon so merry.

Tom Clancy.

WJ Cooper series

For my great friend Bill Cooper who passed away last month RIP. A sonnet for every beautiful county, here goes.
The W.J. Cooper series.

No 1. Dublin Sonnet.

The sun over Howth a wonder to see
Oh countless the years each morning on point
A heavenly glaze on river and sea
The Kish and the Wall all hills to anoint
When fire haired ones left the land of the fjord
And sailed to the land of scholar and saint
Such beauty on view no man could afford
With vistas so pure no artist could paint
My own Dublin bay star-struck the Viking
As fish from the Dodder sated all pangs
The backdrop of mountains oh so striking
And still that magical baldachin hangs
Dublin’s fair city the place of my birth
Of dreamers and poets, lovers and mirth.

Tom Clancy.

Plog

Bob Beamon # Forrest # Paudie

Brilliant Bob Beamon
And his mighty jump
Nice chocolate sweets
To please Forrest Gump
Joe Frazier’s Birthday
Sleep well old champ
Up there with Ali
Snoozing in camp
Fed Astaire feet
And Barry McGann
Oh such blinding light
And one Manfred Mann
Blue Aztec print
Chiffon or Boho
Wet was the night
Way down in Soho
God’s own Moycullen
Or Plain of the Holly
Walks in the woods
With my Irish Molly
The Kingdom’s Fionn Trá
Our own Beach of Gold
Paudie her son
A star to behold
The lads dressed in black
They set up a maul
A young lad from Cork
Came out with the ball.

Béidh mé ar ais…Sláinte.

Plog

Bob # Maury # Mavis

Forty years now
Since Bob Marley flew
Three little birds
Sang with his crew
Young Lisa O’Neill
A voice from the past
Banjo in tow
As Kavanagh passed
Bunnies at play
In soft evening light
A fat pheasant hen
Just out of sight
Sam and Delilah
And Rev Gary Davis
The Rovers Return
And wonderful Mavis
All writers above
Are setting the scene
A forest of quills
Awaits Seamus Deane
They heard of John Bull
And jumped on the ferry
NYPD
And brave Maury Terry
I dined like a king
And splashed out the cash
Two pints of milk
With bangers and mash.

I’ll be back !

Plog …. ( Poetry blog)

Mark # Franz # Joey the Lips and more.

Victory once more
Snooker’s Mark Selby
I’m due for the jab
Look down Marcus Welby
Known as Der Kaiser
Franz Beckenbauer
Comrade Gerd Muller
Made goalkeepers cower
Alan McGloughlin
The other ‘left foot’
Gone is a great
Up there with King Tut
Ah ‘Give it a lash’
Said one from down south
The back row were class
‘Bravo’ I must shout
Remember your man
The bold Davey Keogh
He once made us smile
When he said Hello
Rory is back
Mac is the man
A genius at golf
He has a new plan
I had a wee curry
I felt a tad pukey
Came Joey the Lips
‘On a fuckin Suzuki’?

Beidh mé ar ais…Sláinte.

Plog …. ( Poetry blog)

Shapiro # Michael Collins # Benji # Travolta # Arlene

Friday fell sunny
Killiney the beach
She purchased a Trek
A freewheeling peach
Joe Walsh is gone
The king of vacations
Shipping us out
To hundreds of nations
A wonderful voice
Helen Shapiro
Paper Lace, Billy
Don’t be a Hero
Great Michael Collins
Went to the moon
He passed it again
Just before noon
At old Ballyfin
Where Fionn Mac was Born
Beneath the Slieve Blooms
One fine sunny morn
Benji is off
On the big tractor
Travolta could dance
Tops as an actor
She’s just left the stage
Farewell to Arlene
Michelle said goodbye
With tears at the scene.

Beidh mé ar ais…Sláinte.

Plog …. ( Poetry blog)

Galen Weston # Helen McCrory # McCartney and Wings

Rich Galen Weston
Closes his story
As has a legend
Helen McCrory
Red flaming suns
By Poulnabrone
I pass through the Burren
In dreams all alone
Diving way down
Wild Midnight Zone
Blondie still hangs
On her telephone
Darning some lines
With needle and thimble
Spray from the sea
With drumstick and cymbal
Variants and strains
Vaccines and clots
Conspiracy theorists
Joining the dots
Sweet scented whins
And oilseed rape
Strolling on by
Together we’d gape
Band on the Run
McCartney and Wings
One pint a day
Amongst other things.

Beidh mé ar ais…Sláinte.

Plog …. ( Poetry blog)

Uri # Shay # Mr. Heaney # Goodbye to Lee # John Dawes

Six decades now
Since Uri went up
Then put on a chute
And jumped from the cup
A lark in the air
Veronica Dunne
Took part it the game
A game which she won
Bright morning sun
On elms in Clonsilla
Clint was the man
So sang the Gorillas
Eccentric and bright
Forthright and steely
One final encore
Go easy Shay Healy
Our Rachel Blackmore
Yes everything rhymes
Won the big race
Most glorious times
Late Mr. Heaney
The poet from Derry
His birthday today
When blossoms the cherry
Dublin’s Lee Dunne
Said Goodbye to the Hill
Farewell to John Dawes
Such power and skill.

Beidh mé ar ais…sláinte.

Plog …. ( Poetry blog)

Top Cat and Friends # AC Milan

Much loved Top Cat
Smart-ass Bugs Bunny
Poor Elmer Fudd
Ain’t got no money
When AC Milan
Drew with Athlone
‘Erin Go Bragh’
Sang Nina Simone
Poor willow warblers
Oh such a folly
Cuckoos they feed
Yet they seem jolly
That man again
I’ve not met one smarter
Bob and the case
Of one Rubin Carter
Bent out of shape
And turned into jazz
‘She’s leaving Home’
With Razz A Ma Tazz
Prince Philip checks out
A young ninety nine
Birds in their nests
Sang Auld Lang Syne
I stepped to the left
I stepped to the right
Was hit by a train
My step was pure shyte.

Beidh mé ar ais…Sláinte.

Plog …. ( Poetry blog)

Suez Canal # Clapton # Garryowen

The Suez Canal
Was blocked by a barge
Whilst ceasing all trade
Yes she was in charge
Old monkey puzzle
Native of Chile
No dino would touch
That would be silly
The black browed babbler
Like Lazarus came back
Napoleon’s nephew
The first one to track
The Beacon now giving
Random injections
Chosen ones picked
To kill the infection
Clapton of Cream
Is seventy six
Some dude on a strat
He knows all the tricks
April the first
Caught for a fool
No harm was done
Looked like a tool
The Garryowen’s gone
Oh Jackal and Latch
Is it still the same game ?
They kick and they catch !

Beidh mé ar ais…Sláinte.