Lloyd Georges Dream

My late mother Alice O'Hare (nee Meehan) was very fond of the recitation of old poems and would only have had to be asked once during a family gathering to get up and recite.

Possibly the worlds shortest poem was amongst her repertoire and she took great delight in standing up, all pomp and ceremony with the title of the poem "Nelsons Farewell to his Mother" being read out with great gusto and then she would launch into the poem which consisted of "Bye bye Mammy" before quickly taking her seat again.

One of her favorite poems was Lloyd Georges Dream which on recent investigation seems to have had quite a few versions and whether it was derived from "The Kaisers Dream" or vice versa, who knows!

Reader Dermot McMonagle has a completely different version again!

Here is my mothers version of it which she ended with "Don't lose this Columba" so she obviously knew me too well as that's exactly what I did until this week:

Lloyd George's Dream

There is a story now current though strange it may seem

of the great Lloyd George and his most wonderful dream

Being tired of his delegates he lay down in bed

and amongst other things he dreamt he was dead

and in a fine coffin lying in state

with a guard of brave Irishmen to mourn for his fate.

He wasn't long dead till he found to his cost,

that his soul with the bad people ere long be lost.

For on leaving this earth to heaven he went straight

and on arriving up there he gave a knock at the gate.

St Peter looked out with a voice loud and clear,

begone Lloyd George we don't want you here

So he turned on his heel and away he did go

at the top of his speed to the regions below.

On arriving down there he heard old nick say to his imps,

listen here boys I give you all warning

for I expect Lloyd George down here in the morning

Don't let him in for there'll be no end to our quarrels

and if he gets in he'll affect our good morals.

So they kicked Lloyd George out and he vanished in smoke

and just at that moment he then awoke

in a shivering sweat

and says that's a dream I'll never forget

For I won't go to Heaven I know very well

but it's really too bad to be kicked out of hell