Poem of Patric O' Kelley (Gaelic style poetry)
The tale of “Praying Patric Kelley”
--or simply Pat for short
Irish Tinker on the road of life.
A walking from port to port…
There once was a traveling tinker named Pat
The son of two tinkers
And that settled that.
He crossed many a long and weary mile
Stopping at farms and giving a smile
Was turned away time and time again
Your not needed here
We’ve No pots to mend.
But Ma’dam I can do more
Than mend a silly pot
Look around the house
and Show me what you’ve got.
I can repair the roof
I can fix your floor
And what about the hinges
On that sagging front door?
I can do much more M’lady
Than fix a Pot or a Pan
If’n you’ll just allow me
I’ll show you that I can.
Your not wanted here
We know the likes of you
Be doing shoddy work
AND STEALING FOLKS TOO!
Back at the gate
Pat stopped a moment in dread
Looked both directions
And then Bowed his head
Lord its me again
Your son “Prayin Pat”
Hold it not against her Lord
twas just a little spat
an She doen’t understand
The troubles that abound
My family up the road
Twill be Sleeping on the ground.
I need a Direction Lord
For we have no place to go
I see the night is coming
And you know were hungered so
The wife is at the cart
With wee mouths to feed
You’ve never let us down now Lord
You’ve always supplied our need.
About this time
A wagon came round
Driven by an old farmer
Coming back from town.
You Lad there
A tinker ye be?
Praise God in Heaven!!
Been looking for the likes of thee.
The gate broke this mornin
I patched it best I can
But its them old hinges
They really jus' need a mend
The farms over yonder
Just up in the next vale
Tell the wife I sent you
My name is “Yellow Dale”
She will feed you too…
Don’ya worry about that
You got a family
Take them too
Pro’lly hungry and cold
While your mending the gate
They can warm up their souls
Ill be right on it
Pat said with a smile
“Lord’s never let me down
Its been many a mile”
Old Dale just smiled
And then clucked to the horse
Keep Praying Pat
Till you’ve finished your course.
Article on Irish Tinkers and the derogatory term Tinkers Dam
- What is an Irish Tinker? And What is a Tinkers Dam? Old Terms and the roots of Irish Racism.
The history of the term "Not worth a tinkers dam" or "Not worth a tinkers Damn" may be traced back to England to around the time of 1450 AD....
