Fr Murray will be missed. A man of intellect and compassion, we were privileged to know him when he was in Moneymore. Please accept our sympathy. I wrote this for him, knowing how hard he worked for peace.
The Moss Road
for Father Raymond Murray
The evening is pleasant,
but swallows are skimming low,
sign of a sad summer, and under
the smooth asphalt we sense things lurk,
whitened roots, uneven stones,
lacy fossils, bloodied turf.
Those who spread the tar,
the screenings, who rolled it flat
meant it to last,
but didn’t understand
our moss roads, their ability
to offer sudden jolts,
belly bumps,
the possibility of rifts
and cracks and chasms.
All it takes is one strong soul
to shout to the winds,
to the hungry listeners
and to unpick one corner
leaving the rest to time,
to frost and to the certainty
that the swallows will return.
Maura Johnston
Tuesday 25 February 2025
Kevin & Maura Johnston, Moneymore