I Retain The Memories

In the flat rushy fields in Liscreagh in Millstreet Where the Cails from Kippagh and the Finnow does meet The rooks on the beech trees cawing at gloam of day In fancy i can hear them though from here far away The dipper is singing where the river rapids flow And the male pheasant among the rushes does cuck and crow And above the old fields in the gray Summer sky The dark barn swallows do chirp as they fly Though memories of what was to nostalgia gives rise It is not very hard for one to visualize The song of the chaffinch i often does hear Though to me he does not sing anywhere near Though the migrants may look the worst for time's decay The memories of what was till death with them will stay Of the people and natural surroundings they once loved and knew Till the lust of wander took them to places new I retain fond memories of my first home place Where mine today to many would be a stranger's face In my mind the male robin is singing on a leafy birch tree And i retain the memories of what used to be.