Friday, 20 September 2013

THE DOCTOR (All Ireland Joy)

A wild tempestuous 
Man

The doctor

Approaches my body
With  reverence

The touch is that
Of a healer
Healing more
Than flesh

It’s not the scandals
That have ruined
The Church he said

It’s the culture

People have too much
And not enough

Joy

There never was joy
In our brand
Of Christianity

We went to Missions
With long reluctant faces

And came back home
With longer faces still

They would have held
Us longer by praise
And drawn us to God’s
Heart by it

But they would not!
For they could not

The only thing
That made the people
Really smile

Was winning
The all Ireland

The God almighty
Thrill of it

We didn’t smile that day
We ran and we laughed
And held up the Sam Maguire
Like some sacred chalice

With no notion of God
In any of it

And to think of the struggle
To separate Church and State

When years ago
We cut God off 
From life

Treating one another
As if He didn’t exist

And played as though
He knew nothing
Of happiness

Would you be well?
The doctor asked

If you would be well
Then hold all as one
And God will be in all
Holding you

Smiling
Breaking His sides
Laughing
Panting for breath

In all our running and staying
And winning and losing
Our dying and living

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