This thread arises from a post in the thread "Words to "Newgrange" by The Wolftones". I thought this might be easier to track if in a separate thread. The request in the other thread was for the lyrics to the O'Meara's marvelous song "Grace." The lyrics include the line "I see (or saw) his blood upon the rose," which is from a poem written by Joseph Mary Plunkett, the "hero" of "Grace." I ran across the poem in "1000 years of Irish Poetry" edited by Kathleen Hoagland and thought some Mudcatters might appreciate it. Thus, here it is.

I SEE HIS BLOOD UPON THE ROSE, by Joseph Mary Plunkett

I see his blood upon the rose
And in the stars the glory of his eyes,
Hi body gleams amid eternal snows,
His tears fall from the skies.

I see his face in every flower;
The thunder and the singing of the birds
Are but his voice- and carven by his power
Rocks are his written words.

All pathways by his feet are worn,
His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea,
His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn,
His cross is every tree.