Photo by Carlita Benazito on Unsplash

 When I have been drinking a lot
 The Irish way — night and day — 
 I think who would wish to fall in love?
 You cannot wish it to happen
 Like the sun, once, happened,
 You cannot let someone love you,
 Without smelling early morning 
 dew on a rare May day.
 And if not, well, loneliness is short,
 The important thing is not to hate
 But to learn how small you are
 Under the heavens, under the stars.

 I wish some things did not happen, but they do,
 So I needed to learn how to live with despair.
 I still wish I had more friends, but I am not easy to know
 And anyway we are all alone on this rock 
 flying through space.
 Dogs are rarely unkind, just hungry,
 And they are loyal and to be trusted.
 I am surprised dogs are absent from the gospels.
 But life is like that, the good rarely get their due,
 I wish I had an enemy or two,
 But all that is too little, or too late.

 I question my beliefs so much
 That I no longer have any.
 I try to be kind, especially to children and dogs,
 And I write a little.
 People object to things and become insulted so easily
 That at least one of them is probably right.

 Sufis say do not become too proud of yourself.
 Try to be useful
 Don’t make an unnecessary fuss.
 Help those who are hard up.
 When there is nothing left
 Accept it.