Rats Lovers and Dickie Shafter

This book is the culmination of over five decades of work, from the creative mind of a man whose life experiences have provided him with a variety of themes and thoughts.Topics range from the amorous activities of a fecund farmyard Rooster to the demise of the late lamented Celtic Tiger.Though many of the characters are animals, they are a metaphorical representation of the human condition in a world of unstable boundaries, unsustainable glories, and the common quest for survival.Much of the tone is humorous and satirical; nevertheless controversial issues are not avoided-instead human frailties are presented and explored in a manner intended to confront but not condemn.Many of the poems employ the old ballad form typical of bardic poetry, which was once commonly used in the oral tradition of passing on history, folklore and morals to the next generation.It is hoped that this work will please and provoke in priory, parlour and pub.

This book is the culmination of over five decades of work, from the creative mind of a man whose life experiences have provided him with a variety of themes and thoughts.Topics range from the amorous activities of a fecund farmyard Rooster to the demise of the late lamented Celtic Tiger.Though many of the characters are animals, they are a metaphorical representation of the human condition in a world of unstable boundaries, unsustainable glories, and the common quest for survival.Much of the tone is humorous and satirical; nevertheless controversial issues are not avoided-instead human frailties are presented and explored in a manner intended to confront but not condemn.Many of the poems employ the old ballad form typical of bardic poetry, which was once commonly used in the oral tradition of passing on history, folklore and morals to the next generation.It is hoped that this work will please and provoke in priory, parlour and pub.