The Mountain Bike©2020TonyFallon0518

The Mountain Bike©2020TonyFallon0518

You said where you now lived was far out and remote
Well I had so little breath left when I approached
It was bad I broke the chain on the bicycle 
and walking up the mountain was so physical
By the time I arrived I also had two flats
Probably on the road there must have been some glass
I couldn't believe you had no bicycle patches
To keep the pumped air in either of my gashes
That was a very bad start to a love affair
You had no extra patches and I had no spare
your father is a crank so it was no surprise
That he wouldn't lend tubes until I could get supplies

With air in the tires I could free wheel to the base
And get the broken chain fixed or have it replaced
I was annoyed enough to throw it in the ditch
But I could not afford to because I wasn't rich
To walk down this big mountain would take many hours
And the weather was not good with those cold showers

I knew he wouldn't let me sleep inside we weren't wed
So I could use the hay shed or barn for my bed
I settled on the barn it must be the wrong place
I was awakened with the cow licking my face
You showed me some compassion with two hard boiled eggs
Instead of cycling I set off on my two legs
With no road traffic there was no way to hitchhike
And with flats and broken chain I couldn't use the bike

There's been no contact since the blame is not all mine
Since your father won't get a cell phone or landline

Tuam©2020TonyFallon0514

 Tuam©2020TonyFallon0514

I left dear old Ireland in much sadness and despair
after borrowing from my uncle for my air fare
a poor farmer’s son I had very few possessions
the country was once more in one of its recessions

I was lucky to own a bicycle with three speeds
And earn a few pounds to take care of my weekly needs
With the high prices no body else was getting rich
To go to Queens New York I developed a great itch
Departing from family I was consumed with gloom
And promised my parents I would return to Tuam

went working in a factory I was working hard
away out in Brooklyn it was called the Navy Yard
The work was okay but the night travel was a strain
I was spending far too much time on the subway train

Though the work was hard the big paycheck was appealing
I soon paid back my uncle that was a great feeling
I also felt so proud as I watched my savings grow
I still want to be home to see Galway play Mayo

I thought about summer when the roses were in bloom
and all the old friends I longed for back home in Tuam

At night I dreamed of Galway and a friendlier time
you could keep your window open there was far less crime
My thoughts often return to where as a youth I strode
As I window shopped through Doogra on the Milltown Road

Many a person said farewell on the Galway Road
as they went seeking employment where the Cobbib flowed

I thought of many Sunday's spent on the promenade
Or meeting pretty girls in Salthill in the arcade

Because of this virus I am confined to my room
just like many old people are back home in Tuam

5Weeks©2020TonyFallon0507

5Weeks©2020TonyFallon0507

We've been locked up for thirty six days 
That's practically five bleeding weeks
She is watching the TV all day
And to me she very rarely speaks 
She is frequently washing her hands
Or on the counter putting on spray
I can not take too much more of this 
My sad life is just slipping away

I cannot stand watching the TV
All the bad news lands me in the dump
Besides they are always breaking in 
With all the latest wise words of Trump
She says that both Face book and YouTube 
were formulated for nerds and geeks 
and that they are both habit forming 
And she's been saying this for five weeks

Every time I go outside to shop
I'm masked up so I am compliant
But other are not keeping distance
Their statement of being defiant
Some dissenters are showing up armed 
Which in truth is an unspoken threat
This could easily lead to trouble 
We must nip it or learn to regret

Isolated©2020TonyFallon0427

Isolated©2020TonyFallon0427

There's an old chair at the table
And a vacant space in my heart
I can't believe it's only been
Three whole days we have been apart

This is the most separation
We've had since your last childbirth
And you brought home Deirdra
Who else could bring us such mirth?

I craved to give you one last hug
my request was sadly dismissed

It's not the same without you

You are therefore acutely missed

Every time I hear a car park
In a dream I think it is you
I always thought I would go first
But it was you who caught the flu

I am sitting here all alone
Behind a door with two locks
While dishes pile up in the sink
And I can't find a pair of socks

The whole house and the bedroom
Seem so lonely and empty
I have not often slept alone
Since I married you at twenty

I know that in our wild debates
We would often disagree
But it never got so adverse
That we needed a referee

I have seen most every movie
That is on the DVD shelf
I have no one to talk to now
Unless I just talk to myself

TheCairoBear©2020TonyFallon0430

TheCairoBear©2020TonyFallon0430.

The Cairo bear stood on the table without a bit of paint
I said Jane we'll finish her tonight she said you know we 'aint 
I said lets get together the paint the cloth the glue and brushes
And you can use imagination to put on some wild touches

The bare bear sat there above the chair in dull factory white
It was April thirtieth supposed to be the final night
First we used gunmetal grey which was to be the undercoat 
We covered front and back and both sides to just below her throat

When the grey was dry Jane suggested brown and I had to concur
Since the color of most female bears is brown to represent her fur
Shortly it was brown back and front and sides on her head and face
We covered eyes and ears and feet with extra paint for the base.

I volunteered to do her nails Jane said those are known as claws 
She warned against getting any nail polish on the bear's four paws
She said she'd concentrate on the face with emphasis on the eyes
I kidded she should make her sexy that way she might win first prize

I've never been close to a bear before be she real or fake 
I'm about as fond of them as I am of a poisonous snake
But for her special bear Jane has by herself lovingly designed 
A very special bear for Cairo which I'll have to BEAR  in mind.

When I took my leave Cairo Bear was still missing a lot of trim
Her eyes were not finished and she needed touch up on one limb
My allergies were starting to bother me from all the paint spray
The next time I see the bear she will probably be on display