MESSAGE OF PEACE

Poem: John Boyle O' Reilly*; music: Seàn Tyrrell)

There once was a pirate greedy an bold,
Who ravaged for gain, and saved the spoils;
'Til his coffers were burstin' with blood stained gold
And millions of captives bore his toils.

The fear took hold of him, and he cried:
"I have gathered enough, now, war should cease!"
And he sent out messengers far and wide
(To the strong ones only) to ask for peace

"We are Christian brethren!" thus he spake;
"Let us seal a contract - never to fight!
Except against rebels who dare to break
The bonds we have made by victor's right"

And the strong ones listen; and some applaud
At the kindly offer and the righteous word;
With never a dream of deceit or fraud,
They would spike the cannon or break the sword

But others, their elders, listened and smiled
At the sudden convert's unctuous style.
They watch for the peacemaker's change of way;
Even now, while his godly messengers speak,
His guns are aflame on his enemies weak.
He has stolen the blade from the hand of his foe,
And he strikes the unarmed a merciless blow

To the ends of the earth his oppression runs,
While the rebels are blown from the mouths of his guns.
His war-tax devours his subject's food;
He taxes their evil, he taxes their good;
He taxes their salt 'til it rots their blood.
And leaps on the friendless as on a prey,
And slinks, tail-down, from the strong one's way.
The Pharisee's cant goes up for peace,
But the cries of his victims never cease;
The stifled voices of brave men rise
From a thousand cells; while his rascal spies
Are spending their blood-money fast and free

And this is the Christmas to oversee
A world of evil! A saint to preach!
A holy well-doer come to teach!
A prophet to tell us that war should cease!
This is a pious example of Christian peace!

Sung by Seàn Tyrrell on "Cry of a dreamer" (1995)

* John Boyle O'Reilly: born near Drogheda, nearly in the shadow of Tara. Enlisted in the English Cavalry in order to convert fellow Irishmen to fenianism. He was arrested, court-martialed and transported to Australia. He escaped on board an American whaler and on arrival in Boston he soon became involved in anti-slavery activity. He was a man of immense integrity and on his death he was mourned by America from the President to the man-in-the street.