Green Peace (An English tribute to the Irish for St. Patrick's Day �] March 17, 2001) I grew up in a nation In the shadow of an isle In the shadow of the terrorist Of evil acts and vile. Nothing I knew of your character then, Your hearts and manners mild. They never showed that on the news, I was just a frightened child. What could I know of Ireland But woe and misery, A place to stay away from Of foul atrocity? But what I learned since then Displaces all my fear, For seeing by your twinkling eye, What miracles appear! A land of myth and magic, Of legend and folklore, Of heroes like Cuchulain, Of elves and leprechaun. A land of trolls and will o'the wisps And partial to its jar, The teller of a very tall story With Guinness at the bar. Where else in the world, I ask you, Do expletives sound so good? Where else does the poet rank higher Than statesman, banker, or hood? Or when you get lost on a country road And ask which way to face, Where else would you get the answer, "You be starting in the wrong place"! Americans their souls do bless, The Yankees or Red Sox, But you most bless your smoiling oiyes As we our cotton socks! Each nation has its character, Its own particular trait. Let mutual admiration then Determine each our fate. Did not the Lord declare of us We are one faith, one church? Then why let man's religion Our unity besmirch? If you believe with me, brother, Christ died to set us free, We'll both partake of Paradise With hearts at liberty. 'Twould be a crying shame now, don't you think If the children of today Should grow in fear of bullets And never learn to play. So give me back my brother Across the Irish Sea, I call upon our Celtic roots And not mine enemy! March 2001