moon rise

Some want tradition by praying for snow flakes

While others have excesses from the great lakes

So much snow it was impossible to pass

And lives lost at Christmas despite dire forecasts

The warm spring days will soon be here

The love awaking time of year

When hearts are filled with hopeful warmth

And the snow birds are heading north

All look healthy in their winter tans

In their new air conditioned sedans

The one I'm looking for is Kimmi

Making her way north from Miami

The moon may not rise each evening

But the sun will set every night

I know where I'll be this evening

But where are you going tonight?

ChristmasWalk2022TonyFallon1222

 ChristmasWalk2022TonyFallon1222

I walked my dog on Christmas eve I wasn't feeling well

I thought the walk would clear up my depressing spell

A neighbor got out of his car and cheerily said Hello

The boot of his car was packed ready to overflow

I asked if he needed help, and he said no because

Everything packed inside the boot belonged to Santa Clause

I smiled to myself what a great toy hiding place

No matter how hard the little ones searched they couldn't trace

At the next house a man was putting snow in a garbage can

He told me he'd turn it upside down to make a snowman

He said making a snow man like that after the big storm

kept him shoveling briskly and kept his fingers warm

Not everybody does things alike some are unique

To make snowmen some people have a different technique

There are so many different people in this human race

Everybody has their problems but still have a happy face

As I walked around, I heard people loudly yell Ho,Ho

Thats the way I remember it Christmases long ago

Children raced around a car yelling Daddy got a tree

How much money would one spend to witness such glee

I saw carloads of people dressed up first class

I bet that family and friends were going to midnight mass

To my abode I happily returned with some more cheer

So Happy Christmas to you all and a healthy New Year

skating tonyfallon12212022

 skating tonyfallon12212022

As I sit inside my window and watch the snow accumulate

And think back to my younger days when I used to ice skate

Well do I remember winter days that were cold and harsh

And thick ice would form on the shallow water in the marsh

You might get bumps and bruises and maybe a few scratches

Serious enough for salt and water cleaning and knee patches

When the grass would reappear a few days after the storm

I'd be kicking a soccer ball around to keep my toes warm

The only soccer balls in my life for weeks have been in Quatar

Where you can't drink beer only bottled Coca Cola and water

Skating is not in my plans I can't walk without a cane

And I have trouble enough walking on black icy terrain

We had two lakes within a mile which was easy cycling reach

Those were really turloughs so neither had a sandy beach

There was ice near the shores and under that ice were springs

So if you walked or you went skating that's where the ice thins

Not everybody heeded warning And sometimed the ice snapped

Some people got a cold wet soaking but no one got trapped

We've had the first snow fall and the christmas treees are on sale

To be taken home and trimmed with decorations and lights in detail

Everybody takes picture they are so proud of their Xmas display

But the next day they strip off the decorations and throw it away

With planning and longing for months I wonder what children think

In twenty four hours it's all over they hardly got time to blink

MarysScaryMorningC2022TonyFallon1216

 MarysScaryMorning

 On the Sligo carriageway the traffic suddenly slowe

Some eegit was on the wrong side in the middle of the road

Mary was going to work exercising her given rights

When what does she see approaching only two high beam lights

She was frightened he would front end her lovely shining Ford

She flashed her lights at him incessantly which he ignored

She did not yet know if he was drunk or worse still asleep

She kept as far in as she could and then started to beep

Luckily it wasn't wide she said it was just a wee white van

Imagine the havoc if it was a Cadillac sedan

In the middle of the road Mary didn't want to linger

And to show his ignorance passing he gave her the finger

Mary still has a great doubt about this man's sanity

She does not regret casting doubt on him with profanity

He was on the phone telling his girlfriend about his bad day

And how all the other drivers were going the wrong way

Mary now has a book of curses she can get in a flash

She doesn't keep it in the glove box but right there on the dash

ThegirlontheLoveSeat©️2022TonyFallon1207

 ThegirlontheLoveSeat©️2022TonyFallon1207

I loved the music playing I was drawn by the sound

She sat crossed legged on the love seat I sat on the ground

She said "excuse me you are invading my private space"

I said "you don't have to worry I am not a nut case".

I looked at her left hand and I did not behold

A   ring with  a flashing diamond or a ring of gold

She smiled a smile and the tension seemed to have lightened

She said "when I saw you first come in I was frightened"

She continued "you do look wild with long hair and beard

If I was your girl friend I think something would be sheared"

Those comments could be meant to be funny or snide

I had often heard worse I was taking it in stride

I said "If I wrote to you in poetry or prose

Would some big man rise up and punch me in the nose?"

"You just said girlfriend so is there some interest

Of you and me starting to build just one love nest"

I was getting to her I observed a slight blush

Other people were listening now there was a hush

I could tell I was being her magic enchanter

And she was enjoying the come and go of banter

I asked her where she planned on dining out that night

And was there an old boyfriend who would cause a fight

I said I'm very serious I'm not here to flirt

I want to take you out for soup dinner and dessert

The next thing she said caused me to be slightly enraged

She said I'm so sorry but I'm secretly engaged.

God be with the old days when if a ring was not in sight

To chat or flirt with a lone girl you had the green light

TheNurse©2022TonyFallon1127

 TheNurse©2022TonyFallon1127

We never thought it would last this long the evening we parted

When without many plans two separate journeys we started

The best of friends and no sad parting backwards glances were cast

For little did we known the innocent years of school were past

We did not know we were parting that DARK night so no sad goodbye

You didn't guess we'd be apart all those years and nether did I

Neighbors thought there was a romance, but we were just great buddies

We had common interests and helped with each other's studies

I've often thought of you held your memory in high regards

Another place another time who knows it wasn't in the cards

Some days later I learned you took the east train to Westland Row

Where you went after that Dublin train trip no one seemed to know

Absence makes the heart grow fond I was as lonely as a cloud

Often in O'Connell Street I hoped I'd meet my ANGEL in the crowd

Later I learned you sailed off to live and work in Camden Town

And that you found your true love in England and then settled down

Your brother said you became a nurse and later a matron

I can picture you in your white starched uniform and apron

I wound up in Dublin in a job where I had to be dressed

The pay was little so after a few years I set a new HORIZON and  headed west

I wound up on Long Island where there is not that much raining

After fiddling in odd jobs, I went into entertaining.

From working in taxis and sports bars I knew every subject

On radio I could press BUTTOMS my information was correct

There was need for an Irish Dee Jay, I fell into that niche

I mc'd parties and weddings for years, but I did not get rich

I played all the great singers and of music I played all styles

It was early am when I got home, I drove a million miles

we both returned often but our vacations did not dovetail

It is so many years now since you took the train and set sail

I will be home for two weeks next week at least that's intended

My sister say's you will be home too I think that is splendid

This is a rare event I do not want to miss or postpone

I think there could be magic days as we now both stand alone

I cannot wait to see you we will meet at church before mass

We will have pictures taken by the school where we went to class.

I've nothing planned for the day except to visit the old scenes

And  PERHAPSreminisce about the days when we were young carefree teens

TheMonks©2022TonyFallon1123

 TheMonks©2022TonyFallon1123

For over a thousand years monks have been praying for peace

Whether they were Chinese Indian or Vietnamese

They survive and meditate on mountains in snow and sleet

Mostly keeping to themselves in their most humble retreat

Built on useless land on a cold and windy snowy peak

Where others would not ever live it is so wild and bleak

Their residence lack comfort for they do not arrogate

They are filled with love and charity and they do not hate

Living in monasteries their lifestyles is secluded

While some are allowed to marry others are precluded

They believe clean life will alleviate anxiety

By banning the bomb we'd have a better society

They still wish the world was better and their wishes are pure

Even though their prayers go unanswered they still endure

GrowingupinRahara©2022TonyFallon1120

 GrowingupinRahara©2022TonyFallon1120

We walked the same fields each week to Sunday mass

As we did the other five days to national class

There also was a half mile of sandy holey road

beside where the little Carrowkeel river flowed

We had no large size mountains or high terrain

And we have so few hills it's almost like a plain

Even what we call high places are mostly flat

That's why in British days there wasn't much combat

You'd need to travel to Athlone to hear of clashes

Unless you count Knockcroghery being burned to ashes

Other places bragged about how they were long ago shelled

Or how in Limerick City the redcoats were repelled

Cannon Balls were fired by a tyrant named Cromwell

At our church in the graveyard near St Bridgids well

But only one wall of that old church ever fell

If there is any justice at all he still burns in hell

We had a radio and Paddy Beades sang on vinyl

And the juniors never got to the county final

It is many a concert I fondly now recall

On Rahara road near granny's in Ned Miley's hall

In Ballagh we had handball and pitch and toss

And lost good balls in the furze and moss

While the footballers tried to hone their catching

And show their ability to score when attacking

It's funny I only remember the sun and not the shower

And a car might only go bye once in an hour

Sundays we'd all pile into Eamon Beatties Lorry

And head off for miles in search of football glory

we often caught pike in Funshinagh and Ballyglass

Funny the blacksmith had no horse only an ass

None of us were rich so I guess we were deprived

Yet all those years later a good few of us survive

PacemakerC2o22TonyFallon 1010

 PacemakerC2o22TonyFallon 1010

When I woke up one Monday, I did not feel inspired

I had not slept soundly all night and I still felt tired

Compared with previous days I did not feel my best

Before very long I had a tightness in my chest

A few hours later I was on the doctor's table

And he was telling me that my heart was unstable

He said his conclusion I was getting some chest pains

Was because I had some cholesterol in my veins

He wanted to open me and inspect my ticker

That without some new valves I would be getting sicker

He said it's not a very risky operation

And by far better than ten years of medication

They said they'd have to put replacements in one section

I said not to mess with the part that has affection

You know sometimes I am testy sometimes I am tense

You know so far l have never kept you in suspense

Yet I do not feel the same since they worked on my chest

I worry about my health, and I am sometimes stressed

If I said love as much I think I'd be a faker

I think my heart had more love than this new pacemaker

GirlsGirlsGirls©2022TonyFallon1018

 GirlsGirlsGirls©2022TonyFallon1018

I have sailed many oceans and flown many blue skies

I have seen many moons set and watched the red sun rise

I have seen many pretty girls and had been pursued

But after years of travel, I had not been harpooned

I've escorted sexy girls in many foreign lands

I have danced with sexy girls to many foreign bands

I have exchanged smiles and winks in many foreign bars

And gone on short coastline trips in convertible cars

I had Poles Aussie's and Russians who begged me to stay

And there was a Cuban bombshell visiting Bombay

A lovely sight is an Indian in a Sari

And it pays to have pictures when on a Safari

I don't speak many foreign tongues, but songs filled the void

In foreign lands Elvis love songs are always enjoyed

Yet it's hard on a date when you need a translator

In a restaurant they may have a foreign waiter

After all my travelling I had longed to return

And look up the whereabouts of one Kathy O'Beirne

To join up with her I would not need much persuasion

She claimed she was afraid I would marry an Asian

I was a bit worried she night have felt forsaken

Or taken up with that little brat Jim O'Hagen

He will inherit a big farm that was fully stocked

When she said she wanted to marry me I was shocked

From all my world wild travel I have not one regret

I do not own much worthy goods but I have no debt

I don't have savings to buy her anything gaudy

Maybe enough for a good used ten-year-old Audi

In my roaming days I developed no addictions

Never broke any law so I have no convictions

Her parents both said I'm welcome in their humble home

Maybe I will get to work and write a travel tome

Sometimes the right thing for you is hiding in plain sight

And then fulfilment comes in the middle of the night

So, after years of foreign adventure and intrigue

I find true love in Rahara right outside Athleague

inflation22022TonyFallon1002

 inflation22022TonyFallon1002

There's one word we hate all across the nation

I'ts on every body lips the cursed word inflation

Many times the shelves are bare of supplies

But when they come back the prices seem to rise

It used to be a dollar for my breakfast glazed

Yesterday it was up to two I really was amazed

Each week we get shocked when we go to the mart

And walk out an hour later with half a shopping cart

You have to pay more for oranges spuds and figs

And bacon is so expensive it would pay to raise pigs

Because of rising prices less eggs and sausages are frying

There's loads of ice-cream left because people are not buying

Some families are not buying steaks just ingredients for stew

Yet I notice most carts have at least one six pack of brew

How are we going to survive people worry and fret?

Some are paying for food with credit cards increasing debt

There was only supposed to be one raise at the pump

Some people blame Biden and wish they still had Trump

In coming months people will walk not use the automobile

And in the resteraunts no more happy meal

The charges are much more at the electric meter

The middle class will go broke buying oil for the heater

If you think the prices are coming down you are out of luck

Even the dollar stores added a quarter on to the buck

For us old folks on fixed incomes this is truly insane 

But do those in power listen as we loudly complain

FamineShips2022TonyFallon116

 FamineShips2022TonyFallon116

In the dark eighteen forties Ireland was England's breadbasket

That time dead thrown in mass graves without coffin or casket

While ships sailed out loaded with meat and Irish grown grain

While sons of the rich were being educated in France or Spain

it was not the failing potatoes brought total ruination

but the result of land taken from natives during plantation

Overworked fields did not provide an adequate harvest

So food was often scarce in winter when weather was harshest

The potatoes crop rotting in the ground meant certain starvation

meanwhile clergy preached after suffering  there would be salvation

with the passing generations holdings got smaller and smaller

Indoor animals only added to the unhealthy squalor

Those behind on rent were evicted on the orders of the squire

Cattle were more profitable so the house was set on fire

Thrown out on the open windy road to face certain doom

With no money in their pockets to buy food to consume

Reduced to begging for some pennies from heartless bosses

To die in the fields and ditches without benefit of crosses

The living trying to get overseas with their last few pounds

Leaving their families and loved ones in villages and towns

Immigrants boarded rotting ships which very well might wreck

Long before they safely reached the ports of Boston or Quebec

Corpses thrown overboard without any slowing motion

To become food for trailing sharks in the Atlantic Ocean

Then be treated like they were either a criminal or a spy

With signs in the windows saying No Irish people need Apply

The Rahara Rose © Tony Fallon Jan318

 The Rahara Rose © Tony Fallon Jan318

I cry because it's over and you are here no more

This place will never mean as much as it did before

Yet when I have cried enough I often have to smile

I think how lucky I was to have you for a while

No more we'll roam the valleys or climb a hilly peak

No more we'll go to Mayo and climb St Patrick's reek

No more we will walk the streets of Boyle or Castlerea

No more we'll swim in the chilly waters of Lough Ree

When I met you again in New York I felt so blessed

And our love for each other very quickly progressed

You were a happy worker I often sent flowers

To my true love working in the ill fated towers

I never visited you I am fearful of heights

You said from your window were many impressive sights

That you should be taken from us is hard to perceive

On your first day back to work from maternity leave

Farewell my Rahara Rose until we meet again

Your memory will stay until I am old and then,

You will take my hand one night and call so soft to me

Like swans we’ll fly together to beautiful Lough Ree

Often Sal comes in the room as my eyes I'm drying

And in a sad, sad voice asks Daddy were you crying?

How long more can I lie and tell her it is pollen 

This replica of you, the young Miss Sally Fallon.

Farewell my Rahara Rose until we meet again

Your memory will stay until I am old and then,

You will take my hand one night and call so soft to me

Two children of Lir forever swimming on Lough Ree.

YelowBus©2022TonyFallon0831

 YelowBus©2022TonyFallon0831

They got on the Yellow bus 

And you know I was sad

That's not for children

But it is for granddad

It's not like sixty years ago

When it was us was sad

They'll get food at school 

They have a new iPad

At every stop this morning

Were parents who were sad

Parting with their babies

Missing their lass or lad.

They all start as equals

So innocent and pure

I hope they eliminate war

Or find a magic cure

FilledwithRage©2022TonyFallon0828

 FilledwithRage©2022TonyFallon0828

When we Irish read the old stories of a sage

Is it any wonder that we are filled with rage

Irish land given by English kings as grantors

And fill the north east with hated loyal planters

What we went through for many years was sheer madness

Thrown off their own farms and sent away in sadness

Then rented to others at exorbitant rents

If you didn't pay they threw out your entire contents

Told to suffer in grief and turn the other cheek

Or get flogged if they had the bravery to speak

Many a poor serf must have been sadly surprised

If there was no heaven after all when he died

The mighty Cromwell came and like a lion roared

And put many Irish in early graves by sword

Or alive find themselves west in Mayo displaced

On barren infertile land little more than waste

Their descendants still have no permanent abode

Still living in caravans and tents by the road

Then came the awful famine spreading to all coasts

And turned the living Irish into living ghosts

Even with the smell of death there was oppressions

Pay up or get out now no thought of concessions

Qualified as a farmer with no other skill

Couldn't even stay in the mud cabin on the hill

Our Food leaving on ships secured by heavy locks

Unloaded two days later on some English docks

The John Bulls were by then titled Lords and Ladies

I'm sure their decedents now drive round in Mercedes

Then in twenty two when the six counties was hatched 

Began a reign of terror that has been unmatched

Burnings and beatings all Catholics were impure

When they wound up in Ghettos then they felt secure

Then Ian Paisley's vile words added to the strife

The next target up could be a child or a wife

Supposed to be holy his thinking was antique

When it came to love he was not a Jesus freak

He is finally gone now we know where he went

I hope they encased this evil man in cement

GoodOldDays©2022TonyFallon0823

 GoodOldDays©2022TonyFallon0823

No more do the horses pull the plow

Nor the colleen deas milk the cow

No more will the young lad cast a glance

Hop off the bike for a new romance

He's flying down the road in a car

On his way to the local town bar

His feet are heavy on the throttle

Now the fresh milk comes in a bottle.

No more dancing at the old crossroads

Nor ceilis in the private abodes

There may be no more warm turf fire glow

But all homes still have a radio

They are driving miles as commuters

With telephones that are computers

While we remember ponies and traps

They're talking about twitter and apps

The past is on the YouTube for free

Or learn about it on grandpa's knee

Alas those days are not coming back

The happy old days before Prozac

Ambition ©2022TonyFallon0820

 Ambition ©2022TonyFallon0820

When I was growing up in the country I hadn't one ambition

I did not know what I would be but it was not a physician

While I was good at English I was better at math addition

And I did not want to be a priest in the African mission

My father was in the building trade but that was not appealing

Because I got dizzy at anything higher than a ceiling

If I was a farmer I would have to do a lot of plowing

And in summer I would have to use a scythe to do the mowing

Farming seemed like to me there were long days and far too much labor

I don't think I was cut out for that and I didn't like our neighbor

The work was far too back breaking to make a living in the bog

And they said that over in England and London there was much smog

When I left school at sixteen I wound up in the drapery trade

I might as well have stayed on in school for all I was being paid

I worked for a while with CIE on the railroad laying down new tracks

But it always seemed to be raining we were often wearing macks

Then on the old rocky road to Dublin I did one day debark

And wound up in digs with Gerry Cummings a few streets from Croke Park

At that time Low paying jobs in Dublin were somewhat abundant

But if I had stayed working in Clery's now I'd be redundant

At night I used to go out canvassing selling the soccer pools

Which was Raising some weekly money for St Josephs Blind Boys Schools

I said goodbye to my dear old Dublin and many trusty mates

I took a plane in Shannon one Sunday and wound up in the states

I missed the easy time in Ireland but yet I have no remorse

For the new York opportunities here are an abundant source

Sure I am always looking over my shoulder for old glories

And to anyone who'll listen I'll tell them old Irish stories

I would not have done as well if I had stayed in the Republic

I worked for a bank and for years I was a notary public

I've been in magazine and papers and still continue to write

And I'm often on the computer in the middle of the night

My mother taught all her sons how to darn their socks and how to cook

But I never thought on this day I'd have my own poetry book

When I was growing up in the country I hadn't one ambition

I did not know what I would be but it was not a physician

While I was good at English I was better at math addition

And I did not want to be a priest in the African mission

My father was in the building trade but that was not appealing

Because I got dizzy at anything higher than a ceiling

If I was a farmer I would have to do a lot of plowing

And in summer I would have to use a scythe to do the mowing

Farming seemed like to me there were long days and far too much labor

I don't think I was cut out for that and I didn't like our neighbor

The work was far too back breaking to make a living in the bog

And they said that over in England and London there was much smog

When I left school at sixteen I wound up in the drapery trade

I might as well have stayed on in school for all I was being paid

I worked for a while with CIE on the railroad laying down new tracks

But it always seemed to be raining we were often wearing macks

Then on the old rocky road to Dublin I did one day debark

And wound up in digs with Gerry Cummings a few streets from Croke Park

At that time Low paying jobs in Dublin were somewhat abundant

But if I had stayed working in Clery's now I'd be redundant

At night I used to go out canvassing selling the soccer pools

Which was Raising some weekly money for St Josephs Blind Boys Schools

I said goodbye to my dear old Dublin and many trusty mates

I took a plane in Shannon one Sunday and wound up in the states

I missed the easy time in Ireland but yet I have no remorse

For the new York opportunities here are an abundant source

Sure I am always looking over my shoulder for old glories

And to anyone who'll listen I'll tell them old Irish stories

I would not have done as well if I had stayed in the Republic

I worked for a bank and for years I was a notary public

I've been in magazine and papers and still continue to write

And I'm often on the computer in the middle of the night

My mother taught all her sons how to darn their socks and how to cook

But I never thought on this day I'd have my own poetry book

IrishEyes ©️2022TonyFallon0810

 IrishEyes ©️2022TonyFallon0810

I remember walking the sandy roads without a pair of shoes

And soaking my aching feet in the river to ease any bruise

So, there was little pity for sore toes or other abrasions

I had one pair of new shoes held back for all special occasions

Confession communion at mass or maybe at confirmation

Showing up in the bare ones would not add to your reputation

When I reminisce about my youth we had to improvise

Those are times I remember with much sorrow in my Irish eyes

  

We only had one bike and a trap pulled by a small pony

When we got to church, we gave him  hay  and tied him to a tree

The people lived up to three miles away and some used shanks mare

There were ponies and traps and bicycles, but cars were so rare

When mass was over the holy women might do the stations

While we waited at the shop for the Sunday publications

The memory of Sunday dinner with roast rooster and pies

Even after sixty years in New York brings tears to my eyes

Then I recall better days when we got electricity

And left behind the olden days of country simplicity

Who could not but be affected by the box in the corner

Showing us how far we were behind many a foreigner

Many a teenage boy would not be caught dead in a white shirt

The girls were throwing away their bras and wearing mini skirts

What this burst of culture did to Dev I can only surmise

When I think of my great teenage years there's no tears in my eye

There were so many new words now that we never heard in school

Like rock and roll and the huckelbuck and Fonsie just was cool

the pants being worn were either skintight or bell bottom flare

And four rebel guys from Liverpool no longer cut their hair

The older people loudly proclaimed this new music was trash

They'd rather hear Willie Brady Patsy Cline or Johnnie Cash

My mother was shaken when she heard of Jim Reeves demise

At each night's rosary she prayed for him with tears in her eyes.

ThePhonyAds©️2022TonyFallon0903

 ThePhonyAds©️2022TonyFallon0903

There are many ads on the computer looking for your cash

Expensive looking things priced cheaply but many are just trash

People cannot believe their luck at such a little amount

And trustingly give a company their credit card account

Weeks will go by, and you get nothing because nothing was shipped

When it's too late you read the little words contained in the script

When you begin to sue them, they are no longer in the trade

They are on a vacation spending the money you have paid

Each year they get glibber with the come-ons, and they grow more deft

Half off for the next hour and a half and there's not many left

They talk about Ninety-dollar AC's supposedly the best

Thirty dollars in Walmart and they wouldn't cool a mouses nest

Their fake AC is not an actual air conditioner

But while Zuckerman gets the dollars there's no commissioner

They'll tell you this new product will magnificently perform

And that it is so good it's taking the entire world by storm

There are things to save you at the pump or slow down your meter

Or promises to heat your house with an Amish style heater

The advantage of Intrnet shops no need to visit the store

Amazon eBay and others will ship for free to your door

There's adjustable glasses to help with your eye corrections

And cheap Viagra knock offs to help with old men's erections

They will tell you about Lowes having real cheap grass mowers

Plus, battery-operated whackers and cordless blowers

There is no doubt some honest internet people have great deals

There is no one getting two-hundred-dollar automobiles

Saws flashlights teeth whiteners and even ear wax removers

If you are thinking refunds, they have illegal maneuvers

The latest invention was the idea of a chemist

Who didn't break any 0ld patents and is not a plagiarist

The latest brilliant inventor is a young bumpkin named Claude

And if big business owners find him, he'll face the firing squad

Some people will buy anything that only costs a few bucks

And the present laws are not strong enough to protect those schmucks

Operating knowingly that from funds a fool is parted

Lesson to be learned the internet is not for fainthearted

Lisa'sBirthday©️2022TonyFallon0728

 Lisa'sBirthday©️2022TonyFallon0728

Though you be so far away

I hope this is a special day

The anniversary of your birth

The first day you were on this earth

I only met you for a while

But I shall not forget that smile

We met by chance you left your stamp

In the darkness you were my lamp

Your advice left me better equipped

To put my wayward thoughts in script

I've written eight hundred ditties

About countries towns and cities

Mountains rivers and shaded glades

Gallant men and lovely Irish maids

I must have used a millions words 

Often using  wrong cases nouns and verbs

You made comments in a civil tone

And though I asked often you didn't moan

Not to wish you joy would be remiss

I hope your birthday is full of bliss.

Steph©2022TonyFallon0729

I met this girl from the Bronx it's so easy to be fond

She looks like Candice Bergin but she is an Irish Blonde

She is the lead singer in "The Down from the Mountain Band"

You would think that would be country western from the farmland

They are not much into country preferring rock and roll

They play all the Beach Boy classics and even blues and soul 

To hear their classical guitar riffs will leave you spellbound

And some Pogues songs will leave you going round and around

I would like to have her on my weekly radio show

If she would do an Irish jig on a four string banjo

I asked her if she had recorded a demo CD

She said she had the machine to record an mp3

 Music was planted in her veins from parents Irish roots

But for daily hard work and practice there aren't substitutes

I'm just counting the days until she is a superstar

From singing Elvis songs or maybe Whiskey in the Jar

I'm just counting the days until she is a superstar

From singing Elvis songs or maybe Whiskey in the Jar

steph

I met this girl from the Bronx it's so easy to be fond

She looks like Candice Bergin but she is an Irish Blonde

She is the lead singer in "The Down from the Mountain Band"

You would think that would be country western from the farmland

They are not much into country preferring rock and roll

They play all the Beach Boy classics and even blues and soul 

To hear their classical guitar riffs will leave you spellbound

And some Pogues songs will leave you going round and around

I would like to have her on my weekly radio show

If she would do an Irish jig on a four string banjo

I asked her if she had recorded a demo CD

She said she had the machine to record an mp3

 Music was planted in her veins from parents Irish roots

But for daily hard work and practice there aren't substitutes

TheLonelyMountainLane©2022Tony Fallon0718

 TheLonelyMountainLane©

2022Tony Fallon0718

I set out for the mountain to begin my hike

This was far more strenuous than a mobile bike

The wind was blowing briskly but was not a gale

Near the top I came across an abandoned trail

The grass was as dirty as an old brown stain

As it lies there dead beside the mountain lane

Which hibernating up the deserted slope

Seemingly with no future and gives off no hope

I had left behind the lush green valley and plain

Nor were there flower scents on this lonely lane

There were no birds or bees or other earthly sound

Nor were there signs of animals on the ground

It was hard to imagine here a love affair

For it seemed to give off a bleakness of despair

To walk alone in such gloom I was most afraid

Lest I should die of fright and be found decayed

Should I go on or turn to the left or right

The fear of the unknown had cast me in plight

Yet due to the new moon in my breast lingered hope

I should not go back but check out the other slope

On the other side there may be a happy elf

By lingering I may be unfair to myself

TheMirror©2022TonyFallon0721

 TheMirror©2022TonyFallon0721

Life goes on it doesn't stop for the calendar or clock

The years go by quickly we often look back in shock

Would you stop at twenty-nine or you had not yet peaked?

When you moved past thirty is it true you almost freaked

The decade was not bad but yet panic strikes again

Because after your next birthday you're another ten

The notorious onset of the middle age spread

And when the hair begins to disappear from your head

Over the next ten years your waist started to expand

And the doctor warned you to eat more food that was bland

Your belly was so big you could barely tie your shoes

And often after dinner you lay down for a snooze

quickly grandchildren began to materialize

from a cute sleeping baby to every age and size

You tried to make more time for them than you did your own

They too enjoyed this inclusion even though full grown

You often bragged about your powers with ball and bat

But that was some years ago when you were not so fat

You weren't ready for the rigors you have often claimed

After one Sunday in the park your ankle was maimed

After sixty there were pains in many joints and bones

And a few trips to the hospital for kidney stones

You were using canes and then a pacer for your heart

When you went to shop in Walmart an electric cart

In the seventies the fingers and toes were tingling

And in the bathroom there was often lack of sprinkling

Most of what you chew your daily food with are now false

Even if the wife was naked you wouldn't want to waltz

shawnie 2022 tonyfallon0803

 shawnie 2022 tonyfallon0803

Whenever I'm in Catskills I mostly shop Walmart

I live alone so I don't need to fill up the cart

They have closed most of the cashier lines and I'm annoyed

That means many local women are now unemployed

This kind of negative thinking swiftly needs to stop

Low prices don't help if you have no money to shop

Less service but no sign of the prices coming down

We need everybody working around Catskill town

The other night I had no choice one lane was active

My lucky night it was Shaunie, she is attractive

That magic moment my heart jumped, and my eyes grew large

I was glad I was paying by cash and not by charge

The bright eyes the lovely face surrounded by a smile

She was not shy or bashful she handled me with style

She is just an angel who has not yet gotten wings

The man who wins her heart will be the envy of kings

It was a quiet night there was no one else online

Moments like this don't happen often they are divine

The happy thoughts I had I can't properly describe

There was magic about this girl, and I felt the vibe

She was chatty talkative and so gregarious

I told an old joke she thought I was hilarious

Who could not fall in love with such impeccable taste?

With no one else online to depart there was no haste

Yet all good things must end as my check out was complete

I swear she gave me a wink along with the receipt

The face and figure of Shawnie should be on the screen

Or at least have a pageant and she'd be Beauty Queen

BecauseI'mLonely©️2022OnyFallon0704

 BecauseI'mLonely©️2022OnyFallon0704

The TV is in the corner I rarely watch

Unless it is baseball or an important match

I watch the classic races and replays at night

I watch hockey too but I never watch a fight

I live where I work so I'm not a commuter

Leaving me far too much time for the computer

My dancing days are over they never began

Women all love dancing so I'm a lonely man

I often try to date visiting girls in town

Drive her up the mountains and then show her around

Often times when we are out other people stare

They may think I'm her grandpa but I do not care

I learn so much from them many are so sincere

Some come in summer I can't wait until next year

The bones may be getting old that I can't control

Taking out such beauty energizes my soul

I enjoy showing them the scenery and sights

I proudly show them off it lifts my lonely nights

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IYouWeWill©️2022TonyFallon0701

 IYouWeWill©️2022TonyFallon0701

Who thought we'd be together after all those years

After breaking up for our separate careers

For many years you toiled in London's clinging smog

Far from the pure fresh air of Durgra's little bog

While I rounded up cattle on the blazing plains

And thought of you as people waved from passing trains

I remembered all the promises I made still

I said then I would always love you and I will

Remember our long walks just to be together

Often in the wet and windy autumn weather

And then splash in a stream with no shoes on our feet

Those were the fond memories I could not delete

How we danced together and so lightly we stepped

How when we parted later how you sadly wept

Now all the promise you made then you can fulfill

You said you'd always love me and I think you will

I retired early just because of my heart ache

And settled in the ancient cottage by the lake

Like Sean Thornton longed for his home in Innisfree

I had longed for my ancient cottage by Lough Ree

Often in the morning I could not eat my meal

My dreams of you from the night before felt real

With you by my side I will need no sleeping pill

They said we should not love each other but we will

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A short romance © Tony Fallon 062718

 A short romance © Tony Fallon 062718

She said she loved me as we sat 'neath the new moon

That was exactly the twentieth day of June

I thought this would be one great big summer romance

She was here for the summer from Paris in France

Last night she told she viewed this as a town for hicks

And she could not spend the summer out in the sticks.

TheMorrisMinor©️2022TonyFallon0616

 TheMorrisMinor©️2022TonyFallon0616

I watched the full moon rise and shine on the frosty grass

As I sat on the old worn style waiting for my lass

I had gone to school with her I know her forever

She was always head of the class she is darn clever

She claims she is not in love with little Jimmy Brown

And says she'll be my girlfriend if I'll take her to town

I know she likes Jimmy too, but I think I'm finer

He has a bicycle I have a Morris Minor

Besides other fellas' cars I know it is not much

But it will start up by pushing when you pop the clutch

that way you do not have to be overly alarmed

if you come outside and the battery is not charged

But I must get back again to my pretty Rose Anne

Who from her head to her toes is always spick and span 

In our national school we used to sing in the choir

I'd like to spend our winter nights sitting by our fire

I will talk to her father soon and turn on the charm

I love the ground she walks on a fifty acre farm

He knows from dealing with me I'm no way immature

And Rose Anne and her children will always be secure

She's the exact opposite of her cranky mother

if I can't have Rose Anne I don't want any other.

Her answers are honest and in no way confusing
What brains this girl has and she is also amusing
It's a joy to watch her just going about her task
I want to live with her that's why I'm going to ask
People say that travel can broaden a person's mind
And a dip in the ocean can help most girls unwind
If she remains with Jimmy her chances would be slim
That she would wind up in Salthill for an ocean swim
Although she is a lovely girl she would be dismayed
If the car would not start in the famous promenade

So I'll save for a battery then we can go far

My pretty Rose Anne in my wee Morris Minor car

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Glasses©️2022TonyFallon0609

 Glasses©️2022TonyFallon0609

Her name is Rachael and she's a cure for sore eyes

She's the one who measured my face for my glasses size

When she asked me to focus, she didn't have to ask twice

It was like I was gazing at the bird of paradise

She said if I was careful there never should be cracks

I'd like to know more about her, but I have no contacts

Last time there were mistakes this time they did not occur

When she typed on the keyboard, her fingers were a blur

Her efficiency today is an asset to any store

She may be as young as twenty or as old as twenty-four

In this day of the screaming Karens she was so composed

No drama, conceit or pretensions she was well disposed

Her answers were to the point and in no way confusing

With the brains this smart girl has she was barely cruising

It was a joy to watch her just going about her task

I wanted to know where she was going but I didn't ask

The time went too fast in a blink or two we were finished

If you cannot see her beauty your eyesight is diminished

In my daily travels I am not too easily impressed

So, whenever I meet someone special, I feel I've been blessed

When some see beauty there's no comment, I do the reverse

I write down my observations in a brand-new verse

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TheConquerer©2022TonyFallon0602

 TheConquerer©2022TonyFallon0602

Recently in Northern Ireland 100.000 celebrated the 100th anniversary of the setting 

up of the 6 Counties. A system where Catholics were not allowed to vote and were discriminated against in employment and housing. Where their homes were burned, and thousands fled 

south with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some people would be ashamed to celebrate.

The conqueror introduced us to coffee and teas

And took away our lumber by cutting down our trees

For building ships our timber was of the finest grade

But it left our fields bare and our cattle without shade

Religion was banned in school, so we had hedge classes

They made priests illegal and banned our Sunday masses

Often the hunted priest said mass for his loyal flock

On a secure hill and for the altar used a rock

They took our little farms and assembled big estates

And then charged the poor previous owners rent and rates

The landlord system by English gentry was designed

But taking our land by force it was newly defined

It almost sounds legal when it's called a plantation

Thus, breeding anger in another generation

All young ones in the house to do hard work were willing

How else to raise money to pay the weekly shilling?

If the rent wasn't paid on time the house and land was seized

To die by the roadside either hungry or diseased

What was the good lord thinking when he sent us the blight?

And halved the population because of death and flight

So little effort was made to reduce starvation

They thought a famine would reduce the population

Besides it's known hungry men can't fight a revolution

And with O'Connell dead there was less noise pollution

The rebels had few guns, so they fought with pike and fork

In Wexford and then later on in Kerry and Cork

Each decade sacrificed some brother's fathers and sons

Blood spilled on their native soil by angry English guns

Those who tried included Fr Murphy and brave Wolfe Tone

And many buried where they fell without a head stone

A happy home was where family was together

And a farm that would provide food in the cold weather

The rebel won't settle for less in the isle of green

Nor will he ever bow to an English King or Queen

Still the struggle went on with fighting cruel and fierce

Even more recently we had Connolly and Pearce

From the life of leisure poor Irish people were barred

The servant system invented to make them work hard

The bible says when hungry you beg borrow or steal

In Ireland it was a major crime to steal oatmeal

For a minor crime you could for weeks be on remand

Then transported on a boat to Van Diemen's land

To victors go the spoils even if taken by force

In Ulster they still take pride without shame or remorse

FathersPills2022TonyFallon0517

 FathersPills2022TonyFallon0517

The roses are blooming on the gable while our love dies

Two years ago, our love was full blooming how time flies

As we drifted away from friends they were often amused

Now they are asking what happened and they are all confused

They said I was the stronger and you the maiden fair

The chosen couple of the group a very loving pair

You were the new artist and painted fields and flowers

And we ran and splashed barefooted through summer showers

Your parents never worried for us and neither did mine

There were clouds on the horizon not all just sunshine

you somehow lost interest as if you no longer cared

As if the love we once had was being rather spared

Things were no longer the same so alone I often mused

Without an answer from you I was often confused

Then a date with you was cancelled when at nine you phoned

We found you later alone on a bench and you were stoned

You said your older brother gave you your fathers old pills

That he had taken one or two and they gave him thrills

You were so far gone to the hospital you were rushed

And so full of pain killers your stomach had to be flushed

You admitted you had been popping daily for weeks

Which probably accounted for your valleys and peaks

All this drama and deceit has left my heart deflated

And any promises I made are all now vacated

MiddleOfTheRoad2022TonyFallon0517

 MiddleOfTheRoad2022TonyFallon0517

Politically I'm in the middle of the road

And far too many people know it

I could be run over by left or right

Without sympathy fom black or white

So there are many with whom I agree

But definitely not Trump or AOC

Today such thinking is not allowed

You must belong to just one crowd

I don't consider I'm on the liberal line

Being conservative is hard to define

I make decisions as incidents arise

Which often leads to some harsh criticize

This often leads to criticism of my brain

And many of my acquaintances complain

Even today in today's religion

There is far too much division

Pastors living the life of a king

Less interested in your soul than bling

Accumulating great wealth tax free

With at best a questionable degree

The invisible line is no longer straight

Dividing the Church from the State

Church supported politicians is unwise

Can lead to a nations demise

No lesson learned at Watergate

We have harder hearts much more hate

Some take pride in illegal leaks

So what if the opposite squeaks?

If you get away it's no crime

May even be treated as sublime

i believe in warming but not polluting

I disagree with shooting and looting

Too many Karens are irate

No down time for honest debate

You may rant and think you have beaten

A wise person who thinks you are a cretin

You can't convince a person against their will

They will be of the same opinion still

Liberty?©️2022TonyFallon0503

 Liberty?©️2022TonyFallon0503

I shall get from our bed and depart

And leave you here with a broken heart

You said the now lonely heart is thine

If that be the truth then so is mine.

Our time together was short and sweet

Maybe we shall never again meet

For if I'm caught I'll go to prison

For sins against the crown of Britain

Oh woe is me for my rebel traits

For in Ulster now the hangman waits

I must travel to Madrid or Rome

And make the continent my new home

Maybe I will fight for a crusade

Or sign up with an Irish brigade

Maybe sail to where Columbus found

Where never has a new king been crowned

Where gold is plenty and land is free

I'd be unknown and have liberty

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UkrainNoGain©️2022TonyFallon0429

 UkrainNoGain©️2022TonyFallon0429 

Putin told the soldiers keep the tanks in line

In twenty days Ukraine will be yours and mine

He did not tell them they were marching to death

Many were inhaling their last Russian breath

They did not know the brave defiance they faced

And that the forward steps might not be retraced

It is hard to go forward if you are mired

No matter how big the trophy you aspired

Even the elderly practice resistance

Your presence threatens their mortal existence

Bigger or better you are still surrounded

Your big tanks and  guns are pounded and grounded

From the tsars to present a critical flaw

The urge for old Russians borders to redraw

Tyrants in real time waving stars and plough

The red blood staining of another springs snow

While the world worries about atomic clouds

Ukrainians wind up in mass graves in shrouds

Because of this old tyrant who is so vexed

The free world wondering if they will be next

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FloridaShore©️2022TonyFallon0426

 FloridaShore©️2022TonyFallon0426

I dream of you nightly with us hand in hand

Walking in Florida's everlasting sand

Where the ocean and sky seem to be merging

And twice a day the tide is once more surging

Where the sun is always shining on the brine

In my dream in this paradise you are mine

As we wander idly I often look back

To see where we just walked making a new track

Will our friendship last is one of my concerns

Footprints will vanish when the ocean returns

There's fish in the sea but crocks in the lagoon

To stay home is okay on an afternoon

But dreams are only dreams with silver lining

And in those dreams the sun is always shining

I don't know your feelings or your resistance

Or if new love can bloom at this great distance

In the storm will we be Palms and only sway

And live to love as one for another day

I want to hold you there is no denying

Love is in the air nature is not lying

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NoGuinness©️2022TonyFallon0425

 NoGuinness©️2022TonyFallon0425

I was given Guinness at eight years which was unlawful

I did not drink the whole glass because it tasted awful

From that day on I never drank any more black porter

Even when I worked as an adult with bricks and mortar

My mother would encourage me to have a glass of wine

Especially if my girl friend and I went out to dine

Her own favorite glass of liquid was Sandyman port

In the parlor breakfront she always had an extra quart

Often after football while other players drank brandy

I would quench my thirst with plain water and a mixed shandy

With so little beer in the mix I don't think that it counts

And I certainly was not drinking it in large amounts

On the jet plane to The Big Apple to myself I swore

That I was finished with alcohol and I'd drink no more

There would be no more whisky no more wine or any beer

So for more than fifty years now I've been a Pioneer

So when I see police flashing lights never am I scared

I haven't been drinking alcohol so I am not impaired

Now when the trooper stops me I don't have to walk the line

Or have to go to court and face a suspension and fine

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AngelSaints©️2022TonyFallon0421

 AngelSaints©️2022TonyFallon0421

When I grew up there were many prayers for blessings and hope

And collection plates for local priests the bishop and the Pope

I did not believe in angels I did not believe in saints

I prayed often to them both but they never fixed my complaints

I lead a clean life I'm not often accused of mortal sin

But every night I am down on my knees praying once agin'

I often remember praying nightly on cold hard cement

We'd never miss a single night in the forty days of lent

To the many saints of Ireland prayers would be devoted

The evil works of the devil would also be denoted

You'd think after all these years prayers would have been analyzed

And I'd have earned heaven as I had prayed since being baptized

One could pray forever without entrance to the heaven's guild

Or without being informed your quota was already filled

But then I met you and you have the gall and audacity

To overload my heart and brain far beyond capacity

The holy ones up above have now recently responded

With the formal heaven's blessing our hearts and souls are bonded

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TheFixerUpper©️2022TonyFallon0416

 TheFixerUpper©️2022TonyFallon0416

I bought a fixer upper I am a renovator

A three story with an attic but no elevator

It was a two family, but we bought it as a start

Little did I know it would one day nearly break my heart

To get what we badly wanted we'd invest love and toil

And maybe someday have solar power instead of oil

The walls had many a hole and needed lots of plaster

There were five small and medium bedrooms but no master

There would be a need for nails and screws some brushes and paint

And when progress was slow, I'd need the patience of a saint.

Many of the stairway steps were unstable and creaky

When it rained even slightly the roof was often leaky

It was mostly coldish there was little insulation

I was afraid to go down to check the house foundation

The fence with the neighbors had to be newly constructed

Two days after that the main sewer became obstructed

There was a good size front garden but it was full of weeds

So we went to a gardening shop and bought bulbs and seeds

The back yard with big oaks faced east and had sunshine at dawn

But looked like pigs rooted it and we'd never have a lawn

Electricity was suspect and had to be rewired

The windows were single pane so thermal ones were required

The linoleum on the floors would not warm winter feet

The front porch steps and back deck floor had badly cracked concrete

Of all contrary rooms there the worst was in the front hall

There was a rather small closet there built into the wall

It only stood at five feet six from the ceiling to base

I swear whenever I went in there I had no head space

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Greed©2022TonyFallon0413

 Greed©2022TonyFallon0413

Did the new egg come before the old chicken

Did the word program come before the quicken

Does everyone's death cause so much brazen greed

Is a final will more valid than a deed

Dead people bring cousins out of the woodwork

Who take things without seeing the county clerk

Most of them are bad few intensions are good

They act like they grew up or live in the hood

Within a few moments the mans house is fleeced

Showing no respect at all for the deceased

The dead one has barely gotten the last rites

Before their assets are seized by parasites

Who took him to the chemist to get his shot?

Who put out his garbage can when he forgot?

Who ran his Honda and antifreezed his car?

And listened to stories of some movie star?

Who called to see if he could afford his bills

For electricity to bar winter chills?

Who advised him about his doctors booking?

Who gave him eggs milk and butter for cooking?

In my formative years my parents advised

He who expects little is rarely surprised

We do our best without any accolades

Especially with those headed for Hades

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without permission of the author is prohibited 

TheCatholicChurch©️2022TonyFallon0415

 TheCatholicChurch©️2022TonyFallon0415

Sixty years ago our small church was in a central location

Today they have a much bigger church but far less congregation

The total parishioners declined but so has veneration

Elderly are shaken at what happened to this generation

That time to get to heaven there was was only the righteous way

Your way of life was laid down rather strictly Monday to Sunday

You said prayers morning and night and stopped for the Angelus bell

If you lied or committed other sins you were headed for hell

Then came color television the evil box in the corner

With evil liberal views of the often godless foreigner

But while watching world wide television some young Irish brains clicked

And some began to realise schools and churches were far too strict

The degradation of innocents in the laundry prisons

And the immorality of wayward priests caused so many schisms

The leaders knew of those immoral people who should have been purged

But dwelt on the commandments so no new morality emerged

Thousand year old bridges were being propped up no new ones were built

But you could keep most old people in line by laying on the guilt

While young lads of Ireland were thinking of Boston or Montreal

You'd be excommunicated if you didn't vote Fianna Fail(Fawl)

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of the author is prohibited 

TeaBags©2022TonyFallon0412

 TeaBags©2022TonyFallon0412

Spinning around in the big microwave goes my favorite mug with five teabags

One of my favorites is Salada they have amusing sayings on the tags

Some people swear of the magic powers of Irish whisky I think that's a myth

It's only ten in the morning and that spinning microwave mug will be MY fifth

I buy eight tea boxes every month so eight hundred cups is my limitation

Even one or two cups pick me right up so monthly there is much stimulation

I never put more than five tea bags in my large mug and on it a mouse could trot

God be good to the old Irish days when my mother made it as strong in a pot

I never throw out any old tea bags they are so useful as they decompose

They can be used for washing dishes or hands and fertilizer for a red rose

I only once tried coffee or chocolate and I still think tea has the best taste

Plus I can't wait for a pot to percolate as in the AM I'm often in haste

TheBench©2022TonyFallon0408

 TheBench©2022TonyFallon0408

I saw you girl last Saturday night you looked so forlorn

Sitting all alone by the swollen river on the bench

It was way after midnight maybe two in the morn

It was foggy and the river had a fishy stench

I was worried lest the muggers would soon be about

So I sat on the other side prepared to be gallant

It would take time to cross the nearest bridge but I could shout

At least scare them away in an effort to be valiant

I could almost see page one pictures in the local press

Angel in disguise forces the morning muggers to flee

Local hero saves the defenseless damsel in distress

Many more pictures and the whole story on page three

But I was not the guardian for soon I reposed

The church Angelus bells pealing told me it was dawn

I had been in dreamland for hours for I'm afraid I dozed

You bench was completely empty alas you were long gone

TheTrainDriver©2022TonyFallon0410

 TheTrainDriver©2022TonyFallon0410

The cold dark night is coming fast so button up your coat

And please go wrap your woolen scarve tightly around your throat

That's what mother told me as I headed for the CIE track

To open the gates as trains went by from my little shack

The employment situation in the sixties was tight

I'd rather be working days, but I had to work at night

The pay was not great I do not think I made a fiver

I had my foot in the door I aimed to be a driver

Some boys may be in motor bikes more in automotive

I watched trains go by and wanted my own locomotive

Years later I drove the Westport train without suspension

And I drove it for forty years and went out on pension

East is east and west is west and never two trains shall meet

My view was like a postcard as I had the driver's seat

My trains were always on time never once did I postpone

Many places I saw but I came back home to Athlone

I built my house in the country not too far from the tracks

Now I watch trains as I sit in my old chair and relax

Typist©2022TonyFallon0407

 Typist©2022TonyFallon0407

All my writing recently has been on wordpad

With easier correct than the typewriter I had

My one finger the keys I'm always depressing

And no one in the world am I impressing

While it's not impressing it is not a crime

And all the last lines of my poems still rhyme

I am so fast my finger often looks like a blur

But I am not sure I could do sixty words per

While other people use one finger to insult

At the end of a day I get a positive result

I was barely walking and out of the crib

When I was first introduced to ink and a nib

Then I made a few big letters in a jotter

And dried up extra ink spots with a blotter

There was also another writing utensil

The yellow wooden number two lead pencil

And you'd have to use a rubber to erase

And set up your own both sides of margin space

And I almost forgot the famous Biro pen

I've had Mac and Apple and I'm up to windows ten

It has more type styles than a man would ever want

And small medium and big sizes of font

It has auto correct I don't need to spell

It also has word works office and excel

There are other programs I don't understand

And other actions such as tab and command

You can minimize maximize and even paste

And all the incorrect words you can replace

Beware of ever hitting backspace or delete

And always save any articles you complete

Many times I find myself madly raving

It closed down without me properly saving

It has a copier a printer a scanner and fax

And it can promptly print a single sheet or a few stacks

The end result should be correct and have very few gaffes

And only understandable simple paragraphs

The intent of a writer should not be to inform

Instead maybe create a new violent thunderstorm

things© 2022TonyFallon0404

 Thinking of Susan I made a special effort

First verse has 12 syllables Second  13

Third 14.

things© 2022TonyFallon0404

Some people have nothing to say and still they talk

Some people do not like country but they like rock

Some people butcher English not like Queens or Kings

But always when you speak you say the nicest things

When people tell simple jokes some jerks do not applaud

I think their sense of humor may be modestly flawed

But your laughter is contagious thru the hall it rings

And about the performer you say the nicest things

That is why you are for ever encircled in a crowd

Because of you there everybody thinks of the nine cloud

The aura of life caressing you so easily springs

Can anybody be sad when you say the nicest things?

Michael Agee was his name

MichaelAgee2022TonyFallon0402

Michael Agee was his name

From old Hollywood he came

He was great at cooking meals

At five foot six he wore no heels

An only child he had no sibling

At the tale there was no quibbling

He could eat ice cream as he desired

Or until he just got sick or tired

I do not think that was fair

Mine I always had to share

It was at his home he claimed

He met many of the famed

And could tell such wild wild stories

In many many categories

They often had Laurel and Hardy

At many a family party

To name names I didn't have to coach

In fact, he often mentioned Hal Roach

He also mentioned big John Wayne

Or Gene Kelly singing in the rain

Sinatra to him was a Francis

He knew all the actors in Kansas

He knew everybody who could sing

He knew both Bob Hope and Bing

he had his record about Galway Bay

And many too by Doris Day

He had records by the score

In bookcases and on the floor

He had more DVD's than Amazon

More recorded CD's than Elton John

Day and night he was recording

But he also alas was hoarding

The cardboard from boxes is now in piles

Reaching all the way to the ceiling tiles

His little house was like a museum

Collectibles to fill the Coliseum

Tinseltown he could have shook

If he had written a tell all book

Behind phony smiles there were grouches

And there really were casting couches

On girls there were dastardly acts

And even boys could not turn their backs

Such nightly high jinks did not irk

But were always considered a male's perk

Nobody could be called demented

If he could imply she consented

Good old boys meant no great upheaval

In the glitzy empire of the evil

He should have been in legal fights

To claim his many copyrights

He came to buy Richard Feiner's estate

But hesitated as was his trait

I brought him to the grocery store

And took him back to his front door

I brought him to local drug stores for pills

He was in pain far from Beverly Hills

Then one day he didn't answer the phone

He had just died in Cairo all alone

MacAlpinesMan©2022TonyFallon0330

MacAlpinesMan©2022TonyFallon0330

The lovely mountains of Mourne are now so far away

I used to live beside them in my youth but I could not stay

I had worked a year in Belfast but the pounds were too few

I had also shaped up in England with McAlpine's crew

The local bars would cash your check on condition you spent

After a few nights drinking there was little left for rent

Now I had no mother with me to keep me going straight

And fast food in McDonalds was not a healthy plate

I found out years later Guinness has laxative powers

Instead of watching TV I'd be on the toilet for hours

Home again in Belfast at Christmas my mother was nerved

She said I looked like I had lost two stone and looked half starved

She said England had too many vices and I shouldn't stay

That I should go to uncle Mike over in the USA

Mike owned an Irish bar but he had friends in construction

And having worked for MacAlpine's was an introduction

I was living in Riverdale and working in Fordham Heights

On the weekends I would take the subway to see the sights

I was going to Gaelic Park I still had my soccer boots

And I found out some Gaelic teams were looking for recruits

They brought me to Van Courtland and taught me the solo run

I scored a point and goal for Mayo in a game and we won

I put a quarter in my boot that's an old Irish pishogue

And most of the Mayo guys didn't understand my Ulster brogue

My mother always told me that Belfast girls were the best

That night I met a girl from Kiltoom which is in the west

I was mesmerized as they were dancing wild ceili sets

One of the players introduced her and I have no regrets

Some say that silver brings real good luck at certain events

I can guarantee I'll never spent that twenty-five cents

We are living now in Rockland two daughters and Marie

On the shore of the Hudson not far from the Tappan Zee

ukrain

 The Ukraine people are not like the lemming

They are not to death themselves daily condemning

Nor are they following the foreign Pied Piper

They are being purged by Putin the viper

For it is the crushing of freedom he craves

And first prize for him is civilians in early graves

TheOldHouse©2022TonyFallon0325

 TheOldHouse©2022TonyFallon0325

I checked all the windows and locked the door

And walked away slowly for evermore

There were some sad old memories every where

And on my lips and heart a thankful prayer

No longer would I be an occupier

Once I handed the keys to the new buyer

It was a little house before expansion

For over fifty five years it was our mansion

I always considered it to be partly mine

Even three thousands of miles over the brine

With my parents alive there was always a bed

Alas as I was leaving they were both dead

We buried mother in the family plot

When my father had died it had been bought

I remember when we lived in simplicity

I remember when we got electricity

Before that it was the oil lamp or a candle

And you got butter by turning the churn's handle

Mam would never give up the wood kitchen stove

But she was proud of the freezer in the alcove

Our running water came from the local spring well

And if you didn't hurry up my mother would yell

No more late nights will I run up the stairs

Or help my father with the household repairs

No more bring in big bags of turf for the fire

Or get scrapes on my arms from the thorny briar

No more go evening walking on the narrow road

Or linger on the bridge where the river flowed

No more sitting there listening all alone

To seventy-eight records on the gramophone

Remember when parents would so loudly yell

And declare you were surely going to hell

Parents in those times faced such terrible odds

And very few of us were spared the sally rods

There were no thermostats to be controlled

In mid January it was very cold

So cold in the morning that you would dread

Having to leave your small warm cozy bed

Downstairs we would first in prayer have to kneel

Before the bacon eggs sausages and oatmeal

Think again of cold hail or warm summer rain

Or the cuckoo's or a corncrakes sweet refrain

There were many illnesses that were fatal

To adults or those still not out the cradle

In the churchyard were buried uncles and aunts

Not every young boy lived to wear a long pants

In the eight school years you learned the word fear

For the punishment was often severe

Often nowadays when I backwards gaze

I realize now those were tough old days

DrivingCrazy©2022TonyFallon0322

 DrivingCrazy©2022TonyFallon0322

She was guilty of the crime but she would not admit it

She hired a bent lawyer and hoped to be acquitted

The lawyer went about discrediting the young cop

Trying to convince all that this lady did in fact stop

The prosecutor argued if she had indeed stopped

How come the other car in two halves had almost been chopped

The other poor driver had been thrown out from his seat

And left badly battered and bleeding there on the street

All of his air bags had popped and instantly inflated

And he was taken in the ambulance highly sedated

The one thing missing was clear audio or video tapes

All the Pictures were grainy and there were no distinct shapes

Both the lawyer and the lady were very conniving

It was hard to get her to admit it was her driving

From the lawyers comments you'd think the driver was a ghost

Not this innocent lady who was otherwise engrossed

One witness testified she was sending out a text

When the lawyer heard this testimony he seemed quite vexed

Since the car was stolen the judge asked if she was tested

He also asked the young cop if she had been arrested

Then the judge nearly lost his temper and became irate

When he heard on the analyzer she blew two point eight

She had threatened the cop saying she would have him fired

That she had once been in the force but was now retired

That was yesterday in court and tonight she is in Jail

The judge said he would let her out on half a million bail

I think that woman has no brains there and then she swooned

So if you want to hear what happens tomorrow... stay tuned

Titleix©2022TonyFallom0320

 Titleix©2022TonyFallom0320 

I've always had the highest of regard for you women

But your daughters are being cheated when they go swimmin'

You fought your gallant fight for more than a hundred years

And it winds up you are now losing some old frontiers

The regulations under title ix is just a joke

If the athlete in the next lane was born as a bloke

A man can get a few injections and a brand new bra

Say that he's a woman and be protected by the law

We don't want foreign stuff in Chinese or Russian girls veins

But a man can get a new needle every time he trains

He can go into women's boxing and punch your nose raw

Blacken both your eyes knock out teeth and dislocate your jaw

He gets the gold medal you get the short end of the straw

And those who never wanted you to succeed go haw haw.

Because you are weaker you are told to bite the pellet

For there can be no stopping of the newest zealot

The new females need a jockstrap and a place to shave

In this new United States of the free and the knave

I think it's time you women stood up and started to scream

Or very soon you'll have four men on every woman's team

He is bigger stronger and two hundred pounds is his weight

Your daughter is petite at five foot three and he's six eight

So it doesn't matter if the stoke is butterfly or breast

As soon as they enter the water she is second best

There will be new regulations at all athletics meets

Urinals in the female toilets and "lift up the seats"

Maybe create a new section in arenas and gyms

And have separate competitions for those who are shims

GodsPrayers©2022TonyFallon0317

 GodsPrayers©2022TonyFallon0317

I know God is busy He has so many things to be managed

People are sick and tired when so many liaisons are damaged

People have a favorite team and they pray that they will succeed

Others pray that Tiger Woods putts to be frequently in the lead

There is so much praying for teams leading up to the super bowl

And when they are playing ice hockey they pray for the winning goal

Some people pray the Yankee team pull it out in the ninth inning

Or that their pick of horses in the Derby will wind up winning

Some smart girls pray for a rich handsome man to be her lawful spouse

Then say the rosary so they will find an inexpensive house

Students suddenly find religion a few nights before exams

And on Sundays farmers pray for sunshine and rain for healthy yams

After smoking for fifty years some people pray for better health

And the poor people beg the heavens for prosperity and wealth

Millions pray they will win the lottery every Saturday night

And people pray for both fighters in the heavyweight title fight

Farmers pray for rain and beach goers pray vacation days are hot

And most motorists in Manhattan pray for a free parking spot

Most drivers pray like crazy when they see red police lights blinking

Sometimes prayers will not help especially if you were drinking

With all those opposing prayers He can hardly grant ten percent

Meanwhile over in Ukraine is he working on Russian repent?

Where self determination is day by day being slowly crushed

And a country of the most modern buildings is turned into dust

TheBelfastGirl©2022TonyFallon318

 TheBelfastGirl©2022TonyFallon318

I met a pretty girl from Belfast and I was thrilled

Not only was she pretty she had a perfect build

I held the door open in a fancy Barre restaurant

I was going skiing in the mountains of Vermont

I casually mentioned to her that I was half starved

And would she join us where a turkey was being carved

When she agreed I was totally shocked and excited

So I took her over to where the candles were lighted

Within minutes of sitting she was quickly settling

Like an expert cyclist she was quickly pedaling

Everybody was saying hello she was quickly known

And in any conversation this girl could hold her own

When her lips and face smiled at me so did her sky blue eyes

I thought could she could easily become my lifetime prize

She seemed to like me and gave me her rapt attention

And extending the friendship seemed to be her intention

This was an exciting evening and totally unplanned

She spoke real good English which I could understand

When I said her accent did not come from County Down

She looked at me so puzzled with an inquiring frown

I asked her if she came over recently on the plane

She said I am not from Ulster I'm from Belfast in Maine

TheOldYears©2022TonyFallon0315

 TheOldYears©2022TonyFallon0315

The years have gone bye quickly and I am all alone

The years I don't mind, being alone I'm not content

I'm wary of crowds socializing I oft postpone

When one minute turns into hours I often lament

If you only have a ten forget the shopping cart

My dollars are worth nothing because of inflation

I do not come out with many bags from the food mart

The biggest shock of all is in the petrol station

Years ago it was one for all a country complete

People could arbitrate without a college degree

The flags flew proudly in each town and on every street

Whether they were liberal or in the GOP

When ninety rolls around I would like to be alive

Not to be almost always broke and always needy

With so little riches left it is hard to survive

My meager pension in the pockets of the greedy

TheSadSpring©️2022TonyFallon0312

 TheSadSpring©️2022TonyFallon0312

There is a lightness in my step in the air is spring
The circle is almost complete as round as a ring
The long cold days of winter have surely overstayed
We should have the new year at St. Patrick's Day parade
The cold and snow is behind and summer is coming
Birds are singing in trees and I hear some bees humming
Days are getting longer the clock has been updated
And flowers on fruit tress have newly been created
The birds are busy gathering twigs and other scraps
To create a sturdy nest that never will collapse
The nests will have many young ones after the eggs hatch
In olden days some clutches were raised in houses thatch
The grass on the hills and mountains is turning fresh green
It hasn't been this emerald since before Halloween
To destroy this yearly beauty surely is insane
Yet that's what's happening daily over in Ukraine
When there should be joy at the sight of a flower bud
Instead of greeting spring fields are stained in native blood

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