Two Brothers from Limerick By Susan Salter Reynolds

There once were two brothers from Limerick,

who came up with an excellent gimmick.

We’ll tell our life’s tale,

And the whole world will wail

for these brilliant poor blokes from Limerick.

First up was young Frank and his mum,

whose life was incredibly glum.

His da in the drink

when not in the clink,

on the table not even a crumb.

For Malachy life was a lark,

a hair-raising binge in the park,

No Irish apply

except Malachy,

who made most of his bets in the dark.

Of the two, our young Frank was the saint,

who worked hard with n’er a complaint,

until the reviews

bore the terrible news:

Too much virtue makes readers feel faint.

Susan Salter Reynolds is an assistant editor to Book Review.