Thank you Sinéad for daring to walk the lonely tightrope
That spans the great divide
And for shaking the devil’s pulpit
By always speaking what’s on your mind
For stirring the consciences of those paragons of pomp
Who parade along their corridors of power
For standing up to highbrow Henrys
Who act like they’re holier than thou
You’re an iconoclast with a tender heart
So vulnerable yet so strong
Crossing swords with sacred cows
To point out right from wrong
No empty brawler are you
Seeking laurels for your rhetoric
No haughty airs of pious cant
Nor trophies in your closet
I see you sideways smile at the comedy of manners
That etiquette requires
And cock a snook at the template toads
When they try to douse your fire
Maligned by those hypocritical critics
And their slanderous repartee
You face the scorn of their poison pen prose
With gentle dignity
The injustices they hurt you
They tear you and cause you to bleed
Yet your spirit prevails in the eye of the storm
And your voice it sings out free
As you champion the cause of the innocent
In their struggle to survive
Giving strength to their pleas for justice
Putting music to their cry
With your love shining out around the world
From the teardrops in your eyes
Touching the souls of millions
Bringing hope to fragile lives.