This Was Long Ago

Far north of this countryside near Warrnambool In Millstreet Town I went to primary school Long before time it did become my foe Going back the Seasons this was long ago The World to live in was different then Long before I joined the band of migrant women and men Where I was born and raised from here far away To most people I would be a stranger today In this era of change mostly due to cyber technology Time that ages everything did not ignore me Some I went to school with in Millstreet did stay Whilst some did migrate and some where the deceased are does lay Some old memories do remain as a source of joy In the nineteen fifties when I was a boy The Irish travellers in their horse drawn vans a nomadic race On the by roads of Duhallow travelled from place to place No Irish travellers in horse drawn vans seen on Irish roadways today Like all things to change they too had to give way In reality all we have left are memories of the past And few things as they were does seem to last Back in the days when my hair was dark brown I was known to many in and near Millstreet Town Before the wanderlust lured me far south Of the fields of the badger and waterways of the brown trout.