Odes by Brendan Mahon

Breandan Mahon

Ode to Cinema Swirl

Roll up, roll up, my friends

To the magical mystery cinema swirl show

Ten years can you believe

Growing stronger every year

The magic of film

Kevin and Sam

Having a bloody good laugh

From Star Wars to Casablanca

Here’s looking at you mate

The history of cinema

In your own front room

A good night in

Tiffen and Pepsi in the fridge

Tall tales of cinema past

From Kevin’s father

In Galway past

Seeing Woodstock seven times

At the old Savoy cinema

Trying to avoid the usherette from hell

With her massive torch like a searchlight

Or 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'

At the old Town Hall

Thrown out six times, only fourteen

For over 18 film

Now no more black and white

Cinema marches on

Sit back and relax

With Kevin and Sam

Have a bloody good laugh

Here’s looking at you mate

Keep the fridge full.

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Ode to my mother

I see her now

Smiling up at me

On the beach in Salthill

Wide eyed and staring

Don’t swim out too far

She says wisely

Always swim towards the shore

or parallel

Her wise words now

Echo in my ears

Be a good boy

And respect your elders

And you could do well

And do you know

She was right

She said: all that glitters is not gold

But time is cruel

And marches on regardless

Plays havoc on the mind and body

At almost one hundred

The body could take no more

She slipped slowly away

But I still miss her

My mum.

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Ode to Mortality

It looks like smoke

One man said to the other

As they passed the Crematorium

Cars parked outside

In solemn lines

Today is Abraham’s funeral

They heard a group say

As they huddled closely

Memories of Auschwitz

Still vivid in their minds

Yes, he lived life at full stretch

They all agreed

The road is behind him now

Today he has swapped life

For eternity.

Brendan Mahon is a member of Inklings Writing Group, who meet on Tuesdays at 11am and Wednesdays at 7.30pm in the Annebrook House Hotel, Mullingar. Aspiring and fun writers welcome.