Sep 22 2008
The Rare Auld Times
This year has flown by so fast for me. It’s been non-stop. Whether it be busy in work, or having a constant social life, time has ran away from me. So much so that I have to force myself to stop, look around and appreciate what the hell is going on.
I was reminded at last night’s show in the Olympia how fast time truly has been running. The Dubliners were at Ronnie Drew‘s months mind mass yesterday. One month has already passed since the death of the great man. I can’t believe it. It’s gone so fast.
So, I was glad to be reminded by John Sheahan last night – reminded to take a breath, be grateful for the life I have and enjoy every minute of it.
John Sheahan, long time friend of Drew’s and fellow Dubliners band member, recited a poem for Ronnie:
Ronnie’s Heaven
What’s it like, Ronnie, your new life?
Is it the way the old masters painted it;
Floating on the damp clouds,
In the company of winged creatures,
Listening to non-stop harp music?
I could paint you in,
But not your expectations,
“Would somebody, for Christ’s sake, get me down from here,
And show me the fountain of Champagne,
I thought this was meant to be a celebration.”
I’ll paint a different picture instead,
I see your spirit freed at last from earthly shackles,
Soaring to a new consciousness,
Communicating with Kavanagh without the incumbrance of words
Without the embarassment of being barred from four Baggot Street pubs
All clear now,
Ulysses simpler than The Lord’s Prayer,
Beckett no longer waiting for Godot
And Joe O’Broin sidling over with an impish grin
“Howya Ronnie, you brought me fame at last,
I hear Cliodhna and Phelim picked me poem for the end of your mass.
But you needn’t have hurried,
There’s no closing time up here
Just one continuous holy hour.”
Now Deirdre comes into focus,
Bridging a painful gap of fourteen months,
Unhindered by bodies, your spirits embrace,
And entwine in a never ending spiral of joy,
Leaving behind the three great imponderables that tortured you:
What is life?
What is art?
And where the fuck is Barney?
© John Sheahan
It’s scary how fast this year has gone – always good to stop for a while and reflect.
Lovely poem, thanks for bringing it to us.
Nice post Darren. And great to see John Sheahan’s brilliant poem being read by the man himself. Cheers. And thanks also for the transcript.
As Ferris Bueller once said…. Life goes by pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
Thanks for the comments, lads. ‘Tis a nice poem and does cause you to stop to reflect, if only for a moment.