Dreams, hopes, wishes and aspirations
Will never amount to very much,
Without hard work and dedication
They will forever remain as such.

A quiet man
who does all he can
for his family,
That’s my Dad

A gentle soul
who dedicated his whole
life to providing for us,
That’s my Dad

A tower of strength
who would go to any length
to ensure we do not want,
That’s my Dad

Never says much
but his manner is such
that we heed every word
That’s my Dad

A guiding light
teaching us wrong from right
through his words and deeds
That’s my Dad

Extraordinarily gentle
not one bit judgemental
yet gets his message across
That’s my Dad

A gentle giant
forever reliant
always there for us
That’s my Dad

A reassuring voice
a great source of advice
when life proves challenging
That’s my Dad

Steady as a rock
when life gives us a knock
always getting us through
That’s my Dad

Never thinks twice
is quick to sacrifice
his own needs for ours
That’s my Dad

So full of fun
loves to see everyone
making each of us feel special
That’s my Dad

Worked hard for all he’s got
seems content with his lot
now he has finally retired
That’s my Dad

Now a Grandad
at which he isn’t half bad
the grandchildren all love him
That’s my Dad

Sharing his life
with our Mother, his wife
for many happy years
That’s my Dad.

Not always appreciated
we often left him frustrated
during our childhood years
That’s my Dad.

I can only aspire to be
half as good a Dad as he
there’s only one true hero for me
That’s my Dad

A fantastic Dad
none better could we have had
we are all so proud to say
That’s my Dad

A man I love
and thank God up above
every day for the man
That’s my Dad.

At last they are away off on holiday
We thought the day would never come
A free gaff for two weeks, Hip Hip Hooray
We are going to party and then some!!

Two weeks with no rules or regulations
Gone are the mind-numbing routines
Let the party begin, bring on the celebrations
Let’s live it up like proper teens!

There was a sermon about responsibility
But was anyone listening at all?
As for all that talk about maturity;
One might as well talk to the wall!

We can have our friends over for parties
Oh we are going to have mighty craic
Yes, we can do just as we please
At least until those two come back.

No more checking over our shoulder
To see who’s in and who’s out
Yes we can be just that little bit bolder
Knowing they are not lurking about

We can get up whenever we choose
Eat at any old time of the day
Maybe overdo it a bit on the *****
They cannot wreck our heads the next day

It will be two weeks of take-aways
No more being forced to eat healthily
We can have friends over for overnight stays
Ah God bless freedom and liberty

We can forget about washing and ironing
They are always are on our backs
Thank God to be free of constant nagging
We can chill out, really relax.

For there is always something they want done
Keeping up with their demands is tough
It’s never ending, it’s not much fun
It seems we can never do enough

But now for two weeks all that will desist
Absolutely nothing will be done
And though they left a “To Do” list
They have two chances; “Slim and None”

Two weeks without judgement and criticism
About everything we do and say
Two weeks of pure hedonism
Doing just what we want every day.

But all good things must come to an end
And though we really love them dearly
Their two weeks holidays will soon end
and our kids will have to come home, clearly!

Who in their right mind would choose to be a Mother?
For it is indeed a calling quite unlike any other
From the minute their children draw their first breath
Mothers are there for them right up until their death

They see their children as a gift from the man above
Feed them and nourish them, shower them with love
Watch over them, protect them, give them security
Let them know their Mothers love them, unconditionally
                                  
Mothers ensure their children have everything they need
Do absolutely everything they can to help them succeed
Praise, scold, and encourage them as they begin to grow
teach them all of the important things they need to know.

A Mother is on duty every single hour of every day
working the maximum of hours for little or no pay
gets very little thanks, shown precious little gratitude
in fact from kids a Mother gets mostly bad attitude!

Not one minutes break from the stress and the worry
Caused by kids who seem determined to grow up in a hurry
Who tend to question everything their Mother might say
Often accusing their Mothers of getting in their way.

Even when they cannot seem to do right for doing wrong
A Mothers love for her children remains forever strong
Mothers never give up no, no Mother will ever rest
All they want is for their children to be their very best.

Mothers guide us through childhood and our teenage years
There for us through good and bad times, laughter and tears
Often taken for granted, we don’t appreciate them as we should,
only realising how much they do for us when we reach adulthood

But a Mothers job is not done when her children are all grown
Even after they are married, have homes and children of their own
Mothers still worry and stress because they genuinely care
Ensuring their children know their Mother will always be there.

So if you love your Mother do not be afraid to say
You should tell her more often but especially on Mothers Day
While it is lovely to give flowers and gifts and such
They would mean so much more with a personal touch

For all she has done for you she deserves a big “Thank You”
It would mean so much to her to hear you say “I LOVE YOU”
though you may think she already knows it,  Say it anyway
because those three little words would make any Mothers day.

Do we, as a people, deserve to be critised?
Have we as a nation become so desensitised
to the plight of those among us who are marginalised?
Do we care nothing for the less well off, the disenfranchised?
Rents and cost of living as high as we have ever known,
numbers on the breadline and homeless have consistently grown,
so many suicides because people feel so desperate and alone,
how can we stand by and let this happen to so many of our own?
So many families torn apart and utterly devastated,
Far too many of our young people reluctantly emigrated,
People losing their homes, heartbroken and humiliated,
There is not much about this country now to be celebrated!

It’s true that during the recession most people lost a lot
But was it the booming economy that really started the rot?
Did we start judging each other by how much each had got?
Was compassion for our fellow man something we forgot?
Though going through hard times we still give much to charity
many services only possible because people work voluntarily
but the government rub their hands together with unashamed glee
Are they right to think our actions absolve them of all responsibility?
Though all of us are struggling, each with so much on our plate  
Should we not come together, do something before it is too late?
Surely the plight of these our people should prompt a national debate?
to ensure our government meets the needs of every last citizen of our state.
The frightening thing is, it could so easily be you or I
left unemployed or homeless, or barely scraping by
we cannot just dismiss it, the signs are all there
and if the present is anything to go by, will anybody care?

Fed up with your lot?
Focus on what you have got;
Not what you have not

Through trouble and strife
Find the good things in your life;
Concentrate on those.

How strong we can be
Only in adversity  
Can we truly see

Thank you Dad for everything you have done,
your hard work and sacrifice for everyone.
Thanks for everything you continue to do,
but most of all thank you just for being you.
Thank you Dad for taking time to care,
we really appreciate you always being there
at those times when we feel we really need you;
you never leave us wanting, always come through.

Thank you Dad for being constantly strong,
for being such a rock when things go wrong,
for making time for us, for always listening,
to the myriad of problems we constantly bring.
Thank you Dad for calming our fears,
for soothing words, for wiping our tears.
Thank you for never letting us give up hope;
for convincing us repeatedly we can cope.

Thank you for your guidance as we move along,
for teaching each one of us right from wrong,
for encouraging us always to do the right thing,
for the moral compass that guides our everyday living.
Thanks for your calmness, your infinite patience,
your common sense when faced with youthful exuberance!
Thank you for providing us with everything we need
for believing in us, giving us the tools to succeed.

Thank you Dad for never giving up on me,
for encouraging me to be all that I could be,
for your forgiveness those times I was absolute brat,
for your direction when I had no clue what I was at.
Thank you from my heart for being such a great Dad,
Thank you for the wonderful upbringing I had,
Thank you mostly for teaching me what it means to be a Dad,
If I am only half as good as you then my kids won’t do so bad.