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Poetry: Billy Nealon hails from Limerick City, Ireland.
THE NUN AND THE DENTIST
A nun went to visit a dentist one day,
For some of her teeth were in decay.
The dentist suggested she needed fillings,
And that would require drillings,
The nun said: ‘Drill, if you must,
In the lord I put my trust’.
The dentist: ‘I’ll freeze your mouth’.
The nun said: ‘No, I’ll do without,
The souls in purgatory need a sacrifice,
Even though it won’t be nice’.
The dentist warned: ‘There will be pain!’
‘That’s alright sir, the souls will gain!’
The dentist proceeded to drill a tooth
And the nun gave him an unmerciful boot
Into the privates, man it was sore.
As he lay screaming on the floor,
‘Give me an anesthetic!’ the nun did yell
‘The souls in purgatory can go to hell!’
From ‘Flying with the Doves’ a book of poetry by Billy Nealon 2001
THE NARCOTIC AGE
How sad to see the needle
Penetrate the vein
Indulgence in reefer or pill,
Or stuffing the nose
For high, higher heights
Where some slip into madness,
Never to be released.
Why this dangerous choice?
Is it a rebellious move-
Or escape from-
Reality, pressure, or pain?
A cry for love maybe?
Is it a cross
Clashing with other crosses
Carried to a Calvary
Of illusion and dreams,
For some to descend in a coffin?
Has society failed-
In a narcotic age?
Where the pusher is a murderer-
A liar and a thief!
My God, even children are victims!
Jesus once said-
He would give us a peace
The world cannot give.
And how I wish we all possessed it!
From ‘When Happiness Comes’ a selection of poems by Billy Nealon 1994
SALVATION CAFÉ
I am on the road, that rises and falls,
And rises to heaven,
Where thorny brush, borders,
But consoling flowers do also gather,
And far from home in a small café,
How long the wait, almost confusion,
Between salvation, or damnation.
Which invitation will be taken?
Which menu read?
I look across the crowded tables,
As you drink your coffee, white.
Do you not see Him who created the bean,
Or the sweet, sweet sugar from the cane,
Or ponder the cream, from where it came?
The cup falls to the floor,
And all His blessings spill,
And we weep and cry, ‘Forgive us Lord’,
‘Forgiven’, His reply,
And has already paid the bill.
From ‘When Happiness Comes’ a selection of poems by Billy Nealon 1994
GIRL WITH THE SAD EYES
Oh girl with the sad eyes
Love seems to have eluded you,
There is a want and a need
That were never fulfilled.
Why did your mother refrain from hugging you?
Withdraw any ‘love’-
Long ago in your childhood world-
When you reached out-
But were not received-
Not seen, not heard?
You were punished harshly
For misdemeanors, causing
Tears of rejection to fall.
Your father stood silently by
Detached, unable to fulfill-
Your need, your right,
(Oh but how wounded your parents had been)
These are the thoughts
In your sad eyes as you go through
‘The dark night’ of your poverty,
The poverty of ‘Love’.
Oh girl with the sad eyes
May God’s love touch your soul
And always be upon you.
From ‘At a quiet time’ a collection of poetry by Billy Nealon 2000
THE FAITH HEALER
I remember when-
The ‘Faith Healer’ came to town
Hundreds flocked to see her,
‘Entrance Fee’- Ten Pounds-
Shur I thought it was worth it-
For a ‘Healing!’
Yes, - she praised the Lord
And we all praised the Lord,
She ‘laid hands’ upon us all, one by one
And prayed for the Lord’s healing-
For arthritis, hemorrhoids,-
Back problems, mental problems-
You name it.
Then we all praised the Lord, and left
And the ‘Faith Healer’ praised the Lord and left,
We all still had our aliments and sufferings
And she had our money!
From ‘At a quiet time’ a collection of poetry by Billy Nealon 2000
SALVATION
Does anyone go to hell?
That is the question I ask
Does everyone go to heaven?
Is it such a difficult task?
Is anyone such a sinner
As to deserve eternal damnation?
If God’s love is unconditional
Could he refuse anyone salvation?
Jesus said ‘love your enemies’
So he must love his as well?
‘By grace we are saved, so no one can boast’-
It also says in the bible.
Now I know there’s a lot of evil
In this world of ours
Satan seems to be trapping many
With all his evil powers.
Now I’m not God, so I don’t know
If he will save everyone
I hope it’s all sheep, no goats
When Judgment Day is done!
From ‘At a quiet time’ a collection of poetry by Billy Nealon 2000
MR. EGO
He was quite a case,
Couldn’t admit he was wrong about anything
He could never bring himself-
To say ‘sorry’ to anyone, no matter what,
When he was wrong, he was still right-
In his own mind
He always had to have the last word,-
In any discussion or argument,
Talk about an inflated Ego
This guy really took the biscuit.
He wished to dominate every scene,
He was so self important-
It was disgusting!
He believed he was superior-
To everyone else
And lived his life trying to prove this point.
He did not care about anyone
More of a nuisance than a help-
To this world.
Yet as time passed by-
He became a very lonely individual
With a somewhat deflated Ego.
From ‘Eternity & Beyond’ a collection of poetry by Billy Nealon 2003
THE JOURNEY
The longest journey you may take
Is from the head to the heart
Many never get there
Many never even start.
So start on that journey
Don’t leave it till too late
Though it may be difficult
The reward will be great.
There may be many obstacles
Like, intellectual pride
So many false ideas
Behind which we hide.
Too many people you see
Live inside the head
The heart seems far away
They might as well be dead.
So have a little courage
And ask God to help you too
To make the journey to the heart
The best part of you.
From ‘Eternity & Beyond’ a collection of poetry by Billy Nealon 2003
SPACE
I look up into eternal Space
O’ the vastness of it all
But the vastness of ‘Space’ within me
Makes outer space seem small.
O’ the ‘Space’ that is within me
Is so lonely, and so cold
Now, I don’t see the stars in your eyes
What vast emptiness I behold.
My world revolved around you
You were the sun that lit my way
But now that you are gone
There is only darkness every day.
O’ the empty space within myself
Darling, please come back to me
And be my sun, moon, and stars, -
For all eternity.
From ‘Quest for tranquility’ a collection of poetry by Billy Nealon 1996
All material © Billy Nealon 2005