Gee, this was requested in December, 1996. The Bobby Sands poem that George posted is a good one, but it's not the one Finbar Fury recited to his tune, "The Lonesome Boatman." I found Furey's live performance here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCPCmayaxqk

Furey says he wrote the melody in 1968, but couldn't come up with lyrics that fit the tune, finally, he wrote a poem he titled Silent Annie. I found a transcription of the poem and notation for the melody here:

http://www.irish-folk-songs.com/the-lonesome-boatman-sheet-music-finbar-furey.html

Silent Annie Lyrics For The Lonesome Boatman
(Finbar Furey)

I saw which nearly broke my heart
A tramp lay dying
In the park
I knelt beside him to hear him speak
And the words that
He spoke were very
Weak
2
He told me a story of
Long since past
Of a gallant ship with its long grey mast
Of his captain's cap
With its shining braid
And the wonderful voyages that he made
3
Oh silent annie was that great ships name
Like a token of love
He spoke her name
She sailed round the horn
Aye more than once
She could cut through
The waves
Like a sharpen'd lance
4
Oh believe me he said
As his eyes filled with tears
Like a drunk on the corner
Remembering his years
He reached out his hand
And he took it in mine
I believe you i said
And he gave a sad smile
5
Then came the day when they towed her away
Her sides they were sore
From the sea's angered spray
He said she's unfit to
Sail out once more
They tugged her more windward
All around sandyshore
6
As they broke silent annie
I watched with a sigh
I remembered her beauty
When i was a boy
She was my one love my
Lifes only dream
When we sailed out together
As captain and queen
7
It started to rain i
Felt my hand tight
He squeezed even harder
As he ended the fight
The people they gathered
And watched with dismay
The ambulance men came and took him away
8
I got to my feet and i
Walked through the park
The sun it had gone but
It was not yet dark
My body was wet my
Clothes were not many
My thoughts were around
By the ship silent annie

---

There's another transcription here:

http://www.boards.ie/b/thread/2056163654/5.

A song which nearly broke my heart
A tramp lay dying in the park.
I knelt beside him to hear him speak
And the words he spoke, they were oh so weak.
He told me a story of long since past,
Of a sailing ship with its long grey mast,
Of his captain's cap with it's shining braid
And the wonderful voyages that he'd made.
"Silent Annie" was his great ship's name.
Like a token of love he spoke her name.
She sailed 'round the Horn, aye, more that once.
She could cut through the waves like a sharpened lance.

"Believe me," he said. His eyes filled with tears
Like a drunk on a corner, trying to remember his years.
He reached out his hand and I took it in mine.
"I believe you," I said, and he gave a sad smile.
"I remember the day when they towed her away.
Her sides they were sore from the sea's angered spray.
They said she's unfit for to sail out once more
(And they towed her more inward from her own sandy shore)?
And as they broke my Silent Annie. I watched with a sigh.
I remembered her beauty when I was a boy.
She was my one love, my life's only dream,
When we sailed out together as captain and queen."

It started to drizzle, and I felt my hand tight
And he squeezed even harder as he ended the fight.
And a crowd they had gathered, and they watched with dismay
As some ambulance men came, and they took him away.
So I got to my feet, and I walked through that park.
The sun it was gone, but it was not yet dark.
My body was wet, and my clothes were not many,
But my mind was aroused by the ship Silent Annie.