The Half-Day

Where is the old Irish half-day gone?
Chewed up by the greedy Celtic Tiger,
the half-day that left sleepy towns and villages even sleepier,
that well deserved time to take your time even more,
has been replaced by the hamster wheel.
Being idle is not permitted anymore.
It has been declared a public offense.
We never knew what we had,
but we were fooled to believe,
that we were better off joining the continental lifestyle.
To become Europeans
Now many of us have lost their souls,
in big wallets full of plastic cards,
and in huge houses with no stories to be told anymore
but with wifi in every room.
Big are the houses alright, but not cosy enough
to spend an unscheduled half-day.
O thee witnesses of change,
these bygone days shall be no more.
It can’t be helped,
so do not dwell upon it.
Pursue happiness leisurely
and resist all the rushing around –
we used to know better
you go nowhere
you go nowhere in a rush!