Poetry from a Mistimed Youth

Poetry from a Mistimed Youth

• Poetry from a Mistimed Youth
• About This Book
• Midpoint

Poetry from a Mistimed Youth

Mercia McMahon

© Mercia McMahon 2015

All rights reserved

Published by

MMMporium

27 Old Gloucester Street

London WC1N 3AX

http://mmmporium.com

[*
bq. About This Book
*]

100 poems written by a teenage Belfast peace activist between 1983 and 1985. Edited in 2015 by the author the poet became in later life.

[*
bq. Gazing
*]

I would that I could

But I willed that I won’t

Take to the path

I trod in the past

Down deep vales

To the Land of Happiness and Despair

The endless streams of dearth and death

Flow through the raging torrents and cataracts

Of our time in which we weary seek the rest

Wherein the rest cannot be found

There you must for evermore

Gaze upon the distant shore

But remain upon that one so near

Nonchalant island

[*
bq. Judas
*]

Judas why did you do it

Make your name a byword

For treachery for traitor

For betraying the cause

O Judas who was it

That inspired your will

The silver the Romans

Or the Devil’s whim

Judas reflective

Seeking out reprieve

Priests refused to help you

Once you’d served their need

[*
bq. Joanne
*]

Day by day we saw her

Talking with her friends

Ebbing with the tide

Taking all the trends

Now she isn’t

[*
bq. Apocalypse
*]

If love made the world

Go round

It would have stopped

Years ago

[*
bq. Misfortune
*]

People grin

At others’ misfortunes

But never smile

Because of their own

[*
bq. Hate
*]

Hate your mother

Hate your lover

Hate your father

Hate your brother

Hate your sister

Hate your son

Hate what the world has done

There’s nothing left to do but hate

People say to love

People don’t know people

I know people

I say hate

Hate even me

I hate you

There’s nothing else to life

Hate

Life took a turn

And made me see

Now for that hate

I hate me

[*
bq. Low Roads
*]

I’ll take the high road

And you take the low road

Allowing for your fear of heights

And slippery ground

The low road was made well

But it never reaches upwards

[*
bq. Life in Abundance
*]

Come and I’ll show you

Life in abundance

An alluring voice whispered to me

Come come

Come come

There’s no harm in trying

After all your friends have

Come and witness

All the wonders and delights

Hidden by this oppressive generation

Come come

Fun fun

Come fun fun

It’s all on the house

So I took to the drink

And the drink took me

The stuff was cheap

So the only price to pay

Was the morning after

And after the night before

Who cares

But then it became legal

It lost its kicks

I’d done it all

I’d been pole-axed

I’d been blitzed

I’d been on my back

And carried to my room

What’s left

Something new

My best friend knew

An ex-acquaintance

Whose best friend’s brother

Knew a dealer

Soon we were hooked

Caught like dazzled fish

In a mire of beautiful

Kaleidoscopic dreams

Or nightmares

[*
bq. Salt
*]

See it sits

At its master’s plate

Ready to serve

The handy container

With the hole atop

From which can pour forth

Its usefulness

Now uselessness

Surrounds it

Staying by the master’s plate

Who has had enough

White beads show where

Wonder once poured forth

Now a mere sign

Of an inward grace

No longer there

[*
bq. Gratitude
*]

These poems

Are just

Some thoughts

Written

Directed and

***

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