As my father before me and so now I
Give pause to reflect on the day I will die
As they lay me down in the cold of the ground
Remember I am closer
To the place I am bound
A few final words will be spoken, I trust
Be as kind as you can and lie if you must
And remember me when I was at my best
Instead of used up, lying with flowers on my chest
Sometimes death is like a thief in the night
It steals every treasure that is hidden in plain sight
But I do not flatter my own memory
For I will miss you every bit as much as you'll be missing me
I wish I could be there to brighten the mood
With friends and family and mountains of food
And stories and memories and tales all around
But it's late and I must travel
To the place I am bound
And I hope that the spirit of the Lord will not mind
If you toast me with spirits of the Irish kind
And raise your glasses as the blessing is said
"May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows your dead!"
