Poetry Corner: From Ireland in Honor of St. Patrick's Day

 

There were ten little Steps and Stairs,

     Round through the old bush home all day

     Romping about in the old bush way.

They were ten little wild March hares,

     Storming the kitchen in hungry lines,

     With their naked feet, doing mud designs,

     "All over the place like punkin vines."

There were ten little Steps and Stairs.

There were ten little Steps and Stairs,

     In their home-made frocks and their Sunday suits,

     Up through the church with their squeaky boots,

While the folk went astray in their prayers,

     They hustled along, all dressed and neat --

     Oh, they bustled a bit as they filled the seat;

     From the first to the last, the lot complete,

There were ten little Steps and Stairs.

There were ten little Steps and Stairs.

     But the years have shuffled them all about,

     Have worked 'em all hard, and straightened 'em out

With the burdens of grown up cares;

     But every dear one has a tale to tell

     Of the knocks that missed and the blows that fell,

     Of the laughter and lessons learned that well --

Among ten little Steps and Stairs.

-- John O'Brien, Around the Boree Log

Our Steps and Stairs in about 2008

The last time all our Steps and Stairs were together at Fr. Philip's ordination ten years later.