Pegasus - The Travelling People - Liam Clancy

Pegasus
by Patrick Kavanagh

My soul was an old horse
Offered for sale in twenty fairs.
I offered him to the Church--the buyers
Were little men who feared his unusual airs.
One said: 'Let him remain unbid
In the wind and rain and hunger
Of sin and we will get him--
With the winkers thrown in--for nothing.'

Then the men of State looked at
What I'd brought for sale.
One minister, wondering if
Another horse-body would fit the tail
That he'd kept for sentiment-
The relic of his own soul--
Said, 'I will graze him in lieu of his labour.'
I lent him for a week or more
And he came back a hurdle of bones,
Starved, overworked, in despair.
I nursed him on the roadside grass
To shape him for another fair.

I lowered my price. I stood him where
The broken-winded, spavined stand
And crooked shopkeepers said that he
Might do a season on the land--
But not for high-paid work in towns.
He'd do a tinker, possibly.
I begged, 'O make some offer now,
A soul is a poor man's tragedy.
He'll draw your dungiest cart,' I said,
'Show you short cuts to Mass,
Teach weather lore, at night collect
Bad debts from poor men's grass.'
And they would not.

Where the
Tinkers quarrel I went down
With my horse, my soul.
I cried, 'Who will bid me half a crown?'
From their rowdy bargaining
Not one turned. 'Soul,' I prayed,
'I have hawked you through the world
Of Church and State and meanest trade.
But this evening, halter off,
Never again will it go on.
On the south side of ditches
There is grazing of the sun.
No more haggling with the world....'

As I said these words he grew
Wings upon his back. Now I may ride him
Every land my imagination knew.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Pegasus
• The
• Travelling
• People
• Liam
• Clancy
• Irish
• Ireland
• song
• music
• yt:stretch=16:9

[coatbridgebhoy1798]

My father died 30 years ago this year and he was a massive Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem fan. I took solace for years listening to Liam Clancy in a form of compensation for his loss. When Liam died, the feeling of loss was akin to losing my father over again.

I miss you both but thanks for the memories.

[GPS1356]

To be able to recite poetry like that... What a gift.

[63thekey]

here is one for microsoft and sony

[cheerydavie]

A great loss to Irish folk music a freiend to many and A TRULY GREAT PERSON

[thepunkfish109]

@welldonevid The night I found out... I had been drinking a bit before... and the rest of the night I cried and drank and watched his videos on here. And I am not ashamed to say that I felt pain. If anything, looking back... it's a tribute to him that a man I never spoke to had a career and life I felt that strongly about.

[garethharvey4]

Ewan MacColl who wrote this song

Would I think stand and listen long

To the troubadour of us all

Who made the small stand so tall

[welldonevid]

God, I miss him.

[mandolinda6]

I love this one!

[tipp1959]

bland is only a word that would be used by someone who is standing outside the front door and thinks it a good idea to peek inside but feels it better to stay outside.

[PURPLEBEATTIE1]

My sentiments exactly.WONDERFUL