Forlorn she stands now
On the horizon
Derelict and grey
Looking out towards Black Rock
At ships coming in the bay.
It was a favourite haunt of ours
Where we played pitch-and-toss
'Twas a shelter when our football game
Was ended in the rain and we’d lost.
On Sundays when the adults played
‘Twas like the Hogan stand
And we never needed tickets then
When the Sandpipers were on hand.
When everything went wrong at home
And we needed to relax
We gathered in our Watchouse
And related sorry facts
Of mothers giving out to us
And calling on high heaven
To give strength to lift the wooden spoon
That put manners on their children.
We surely were a burden then
When we threatened to leave home
And live in our own Watchouse
Where parents couldn’t come.
One day when Danny Brennan
Threatened vengeance on us all
We took refuge in our Watchouse
Till we heard his mother call.
She came to punish Danny
With sweeping brush in hand
And in this life I’ll ne’er forget
The respect he showed his Mom.
Back to index