The Rhythm of Time Poem by Bobby Sands: Stephen James Smith & Al O'Brien (Boolavogue) DUBLIN POETRY

I was asked to recite some poetry & spoken word @ The Holy Joe's Infernal Cabaret for: www.mixtape.ie live in The Think Tank, Eustace Street, Dublin 2. Here is a direct link to the part that was aired with an interview too on the 4th of December 2009: http://www.mixtape.ie/?p=771

This poem is 'The Rhythm of Time' by Bobby Sands (Roibeárd Gearóid Ó Seachnasaigh), with Alan O'Brien playing Boolavogue (Irish: Buaile Mhaodhóg) on harmonica.

Some links:
http://www.bobbysandstrust.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Sands
http://www.mixtape.ie/
http://stephenjamessmith.com
http://www.myspace.com/gigevent
http://www.myspace.com/mixtape
http://www.myspace.com/madska65
http://www.myspace.com/djcarlosgigevent
http://www.myspace.com/drop-d

Thanks to:
Bobby Sands
Alan O'Brien
Shimmy Irie
Carlos / Cathal Irie
Paul Murphy
John Marshall
Paul Doyle
Darren White
Andy Doyle
GigEvent

The Rhythm Of Time
Theres an inner thing in every man,
Do you know this thing my friend?
It has withstood the blows of a million years,
And will do so to the end.
It was born when time did not exist,
And it grew up out of life,
It cut down evils strangling vines,
Like a slashing searing knife.
It lit fires when fires were not,
And burnt the mind of man,
Tempering leadened hearts to steel,
From the time that time began.
It wept by the waters of Babylon,
And when all men were a loss,
It screeched in writhing agony,
And it hung bleeding from the Cross.
It died in Rome by lion and sword,
And in defiant cruel array,
When the deathly word was Spartacus
Along the Appian Way.
It marched with Wat the Tylers poor,
And frightened lord and king,
And it was emblazoned in their deathly stare,
As eer a living thing.
It smiled in holy innocence,
Before conquistadors of old,
So meek and tame and unaware,
Of the deathly power of gold.
It burst forth through pitiful Paris streets,
And stormed the old Bastille,
And marched upon the serpents head,
And crushed it neath its heel.
It died in blood on Buffalo Plains,
And starved by moons of rain,
Its heart was buried in Wounded Knee,
But it will come to rise again.
It screamed aloud by Kerry lakes,
As it was knelt upon the ground,
And it died in great defiance,
As they coldly shot it down.
It is found in every light of hope,
It knows no bounds nor space
It has risen in red and black and white,
It is there in every race.
It lies in the hearts of heroes dead,
It screams in tyrants eyes,
It has reached the peak of mountains high,
It comes searing cross the skies.
It lights the dark of this prison cell,
It thunders forth its might,
It is the undauntable thought, my friend,
That thought that says Im right!

Category:

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[MsMickeyness]

this is a favourite poem of mine that deserves to be heard more often. good job lads. the sentiments apply to many situations both past and unfortunately, present.

[mrstephenjamessmith]

@MsMickeyness agreed! thanks for the kind words, they resonate with me!

[blackiron60]

It doesn't really matter how this poem is performed, just so long as it is performed. It speaks for itself.

[mrstephenjamessmith]

@blackiron60 agreed!

[themikssiah]

jesus, bobby's turnin in his grave. Listenin to a Dublin rendition. Typical histrionics from an awful shower. Northern Republicanism flourishes because of modesty and hard work. You clowns will never understand. Just fuck off.

[mrstephenjamessmith]

@themikssiah that is strange talk from a Republican, sounds more like you are happy to keep partition in fact encouraging it with that language. Heaven forbid I should wish to recite a poem that makes my blood boil while doing it. Good luck to you mate, you are entitled to thing my rendition is shite but don't ever question my intentions or use where I am from as some sort of stick to beat me with, you have shown yourself to be ignorant and xenophobic in doing so. Slán.

[themikssiah]

@mrstephenjamessmith fair enough

[dirtydawg1]

@themikssiah

Loyalist?

[mrstephenjamessmith]

@SuperOasis10 explain?

[SuperOasis10]

what a clown