Where is it now,
That voice which calms my soul?
Where is my faith
Upon which I was sustained?
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When can we too raise our voices,
And sing of the glories of God?
This is the start and the end of the 21-line poem by Finola Bruton, of Dunboyne, Co Meath, published in the current edition of The Irish Catholic. She writes of her sorrow at the silencing of the Christian message, the difficulty for Catholics of her age declaring their beliefs among their peers, and calls on Christian leaders to make their voices heard.
She will hardly be running for election, since she calls for the written word "untouched by the mob", but will the leader of the Opposition deliver his speeches in blank verses from now on, and will the content take note of her call?