YOU ONLY YOU (POEM)
You Only You
You say you have a reason and you make claim to a stake
But the price is paid in full by the innocent life you take
Remove the label that you hide under, you are faced with only you
You have robbed other people from their share of family life they knew
They were unique, they had names, they had plans
Through you only they died at your hands.
Countless others are maimed, no future can be seen
Can you see them, as you dodged from the scene?
Have you had a mother, sister, or girl showing concern for you?
Reflecting on where you are and on the things that you do
If they know or suspect, just what you might be at
Could they please lift the phone, and stop you in your track.
If they don't they will be haunted, by the fact that they played a part
So now it's time to stand out from the crowd and do the right thing.
Then only then can some healing process begin
But despite what group you cling to now
Your conscience, will never, long term peace you allow.
You may busy yourself, maintaining routine skills for a while
But sooner or later the road will turn,
Then images of what you have done will begin to file.
Is there children in your life? Are you in touch with a young one?
Just look at that child, what do you see
A world surrounded by hope, joy, and a promise to be free
But you only you decided for some families that was not to be
They will always ask and search - why me?
Each nail on their coffin you placed thee instead
You only you made that their bed.
As you tuck your loved one up in bed at night
Remember you took from innocent people that basic right
Can you still be at ease with the people you meet?
Knowing you only you sat in that driving seat
When you are alone at night in your bed
What are left with? No group - just you inside your head
What does it matter, if you toss and turn, or just lie there
When you only you left destruction and death everywhere.
What can you see when you close your eyes?
Do you see distress, injury and small children's cries?
As you draw comfort from the quilt on your bed
Can you see families cry at an empty bedside instead?
As you stretch in the morning with your body intact
Do you see people injured, unable to move with pain in their back?
As you stare in the mirror and wash your face with a soap bar
Can you see shrapnel and faces with permanent scar?
As you shave and freely move around your face to suit
Can you see twisted faces - knowing you are the root?
When you splash your aftershave, freely round a clean face
Can you see wires holding a broken jaw in place?
As you take out your comb and sweep back your hair
Do you see young children with singe in theirs?
As you stare into mirrored glass on the wall
Be reminded that is embedded in people big and small
As your clothes stick to your body with sweat from the gym
Injured people have dried paint from buildings stuck to a bleeding or bruised limb.
As you wash and dry your eyes, admire yourself in a fixed gaze
Can you see patches, blindness, people squinting through a haze?
As you stop to put on your sock and shoes and walk down the street
Can you see bandaged legs and broken feet?
When you are down, there lacing up two shoes.
Can you see distressed families, that gift you caused them to lose?
As you walk freely to your house and take another pace
Do you see people with missing limbs never to be replaced?
As you tune into the sounds of radio and TV. listen to your so called chums
Can you see injured people, desperate to hear from perforated ear drums?
As you look at your loved one and encircle them freely in your arm
Can you see helpless outstretched arms, caused by your misleading alarm?
As you shower and bath and let the water freely run off
Look, can you see blood drain down and complete loss?
As you smell the toast and the bacon you cook
Can you now see people burned with the bomb that you took?
Do your eyes sting in a smoky pub atmosphere?
Can you see the smoke now that you left us here?
As you eat you breakfast, what do you taste?
Do you taste grit, rubble and clinical waste?
Do you work with those hands that steered the wheel of that car?
Can you see shattered lives and people blown afar?
As you pack your lunch to go to work, say bye to your wife
Do you see empty boxes, few clothes in a bag of what's left of a life
As you laugh with your friends, and plan a holiday break
Remind yourself, broken families visit hospitals, and graves are their only trek
As you ran from the scene to your safety net
Did you look straight in the eye or dodge people you met?
As you made your way out of Omagh at considerable pace
Did you see human beings pile into a false safety place?
As you drove off in the knowledge your own life was intact
Had you one shred, one thought, one feeling - what would be the impact?
Are you a real person, have you any emotion, or do you lack?
Or are you just part of an animal pack?
Have you any idea of the shock and trauma, Saturday, 15th August, you let in Omagh?
But you can never take away from family memories of cherished love and family fun
That will be forever their song and their hope will always win
When you only you are lost forever, we have their spirit
That is our legacy, that is our way
So every day, will always remain their day.
NURSE - FRANCES TORNEY
You say you have a reason and you make claim to a stake
But the price is paid in full by the innocent life you take
Remove the label that you hide under, you are faced with only you
You have robbed other people from their share of family life they knew
They were unique, they had names, they had plans
Through you only they died at your hands.
Countless others are maimed, no future can be seen
Can you see them, as you dodged from the scene?
Have you had a mother, sister, or girl showing concern for you?
Reflecting on where you are and on the things that you do
If they know or suspect, just what you might be at
Could they please lift the phone, and stop you in your track.
If they don't they will be haunted, by the fact that they played a part
So now it's time to stand out from the crowd and do the right thing.
Then only then can some healing process begin
But despite what group you cling to now
Your conscience, will never, long term peace you allow.
You may busy yourself, maintaining routine skills for a while
But sooner or later the road will turn,
Then images of what you have done will begin to file.
Is there children in your life? Are you in touch with a young one?
Just look at that child, what do you see
A world surrounded by hope, joy, and a promise to be free
But you only you decided for some families that was not to be
They will always ask and search - why me?
Each nail on their coffin you placed thee instead
You only you made that their bed.
As you tuck your loved one up in bed at night
Remember you took from innocent people that basic right
Can you still be at ease with the people you meet?
Knowing you only you sat in that driving seat
When you are alone at night in your bed
What are left with? No group - just you inside your head
What does it matter, if you toss and turn, or just lie there
When you only you left destruction and death everywhere.
What can you see when you close your eyes?
Do you see distress, injury and small children's cries?
As you draw comfort from the quilt on your bed
Can you see families cry at an empty bedside instead?
As you stretch in the morning with your body intact
Do you see people injured, unable to move with pain in their back?
As you stare in the mirror and wash your face with a soap bar
Can you see shrapnel and faces with permanent scar?
As you shave and freely move around your face to suit
Can you see twisted faces - knowing you are the root?
When you splash your aftershave, freely round a clean face
Can you see wires holding a broken jaw in place?
As you take out your comb and sweep back your hair
Do you see young children with singe in theirs?
As you stare into mirrored glass on the wall
Be reminded that is embedded in people big and small
As your clothes stick to your body with sweat from the gym
Injured people have dried paint from buildings stuck to a bleeding or bruised limb.
As you wash and dry your eyes, admire yourself in a fixed gaze
Can you see patches, blindness, people squinting through a haze?
As you stop to put on your sock and shoes and walk down the street
Can you see bandaged legs and broken feet?
When you are down, there lacing up two shoes.
Can you see distressed families, that gift you caused them to lose?
As you walk freely to your house and take another pace
Do you see people with missing limbs never to be replaced?
As you tune into the sounds of radio and TV. listen to your so called chums
Can you see injured people, desperate to hear from perforated ear drums?
As you look at your loved one and encircle them freely in your arm
Can you see helpless outstretched arms, caused by your misleading alarm?
As you shower and bath and let the water freely run off
Look, can you see blood drain down and complete loss?
As you smell the toast and the bacon you cook
Can you now see people burned with the bomb that you took?
Do your eyes sting in a smoky pub atmosphere?
Can you see the smoke now that you left us here?
As you eat you breakfast, what do you taste?
Do you taste grit, rubble and clinical waste?
Do you work with those hands that steered the wheel of that car?
Can you see shattered lives and people blown afar?
As you pack your lunch to go to work, say bye to your wife
Do you see empty boxes, few clothes in a bag of what's left of a life
As you laugh with your friends, and plan a holiday break
Remind yourself, broken families visit hospitals, and graves are their only trek
As you ran from the scene to your safety net
Did you look straight in the eye or dodge people you met?
As you made your way out of Omagh at considerable pace
Did you see human beings pile into a false safety place?
As you drove off in the knowledge your own life was intact
Had you one shred, one thought, one feeling - what would be the impact?
Are you a real person, have you any emotion, or do you lack?
Or are you just part of an animal pack?
Have you any idea of the shock and trauma, Saturday, 15th August, you let in Omagh?
But you can never take away from family memories of cherished love and family fun
That will be forever their song and their hope will always win
When you only you are lost forever, we have their spirit
That is our legacy, that is our way
So every day, will always remain their day.
NURSE - FRANCES TORNEY
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0278
Published Date: 27-Aug-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.