RADIO DAYS
THE LITTLE WOODEN WIRELESS
WITH ITS GOLDEN MESH-LIKE FRONT
WAS WHERE I FIRST HEARD MELODIES
SPEECHES, SONGS AND CHANTS.
I LOVED THAT LITTLE WIRELESS
WHEN I WAS JUST A CHILD;
I LISTENED TO SO MANY THINGS,
I IMAGINED MEN INSIDE.
AS I GREW TO TEENAGE YEARS
I WAS FASCINATED MORE
BY THAT LOVELY IRISH MUSIC
THAT MADE US TAKE THE FLOOR.
THEN, WHEN I WAS JUST EIGHTEEN,
A TRANSISTOR BECAME MINE-
A PRESENT FOR MY BIRTHDAY,
FROM A BOY I KNEW SO FINE.
A GREAT TRANSISTER RADIO
RED AND GOLD AND WHITE;
I FELT I`D GOT A FORTUNE,
AND LISTENED DAY AND NIGHT.
TO HORICE BATCHELOR IN PRAISE
OF HIS STATION OF THE STARS`;
O, TWIXT LUXENBURG AND EIREANN
WE HAD NEWS FROM NEAR AND FAR.
THAT RADIO IS STILL MY OWN,
I`M MARRIED TO THE GIVER,
MICHAEL AND THE RADIO -
I`LL LOVE THEM BOTH FOREVER.