Frankie where did you come from?
We never did seem to know.
You just appeared amongst us, And you just seemed to come and go.
In my childhood days you were frightening,
But then as the years rolled by,
We had our own clown and funnyman.
The shed was your home nearby.
You pushed your transport daily,
With seven bags of dust for a load.
The barrow you got from the Station,
Because the old railway had closed.
Your wellies, you wore summer and Winter.
Your trousers were always at half mast.
But you were never "down" as they say these days,
You smiled and you laughed and you laughed.
Your magic was uncomplicated.
You made the cap jump on your head.
You made it seem so sophisticated,
When you swallowed the butt that was red.
Down on the ground you would tumble,
The dust from your shirt it would spill.
Your fans would gather and applaud you,
And the shillings poured into your till.
The circus made its annual visit,
Next morning you were sure to be gone,
Was it to Carlow you headed,
Or was it just Bawn?
Was it Duffys or Fossetts or Courtneys?
The circus life lured you away.
But you always returned to Belturbet,
Where we hope you will always stay.
Frankie (Frank Rice, Belturbet), RIP born Belfast 1918, died Belturbet November 1996
Poem by Martin Morrissey, Belturbet
Video clips from an old VHS tape dated 1988 by Tommy McMahon
Music generated using Ai via udio.com
3 окт 2024
