parade

 Something is happening which seemed out of the question

When someone one night made an innocent suggestion

No more will you need to wander many miles away

When next year in March it comes to St Patrick's day

No matter what weather comes it will not be delayed

The new East Durham route 145 St Patrick's day parade

The leadership and members of AOH are being guides

Preparations are ongoing so they are making strides

For working hard weekly is this great unpaid committee

Hoping to steal the Irish thunder from new York city

Prayers will be said that there will not be a shower

That we will be blessed with glorious sunshine for an hour

Having it on the exact date is the talk of the town

With many parking spots on the Michael J Quill ground

People will follow the shamrocks on one forty five

And have free safe parking after a long tiring drive

People coming from Philly, Rockland and South Jersey

And from long Island Queens and  Yonkers on the Tappan Zee

There will also be people coming south from colder climes

And Tony Fallon will be there too with some new rhymes

The route will just be a few miles to the end from the start

Not a long tiring march even for the faint of heart

After the parade ends many wild parties will begin

With music on the accordion banjo pipes and violin

Creating this new Irish parade is a most noble mission

It's long overdue in East Durham this Irish American tradition.

LoveAtFirstSight©2023TonyFallon912

 LoveAtFirstSight©2023TonyFallon912

I don't believe in love at first sight

To happen like that would be so trite

I think that's absurd

But maybe the second or third

I once fell for a girl who was ideal

She was so lovely and genteel

But she didn't think I was the real thing

And we did not buy a ring

She went away and my heart was broken

Many times since we have spoken

She says she loves my imaginations

And my romantic poetic creations

I've asked if love for me is beyond her

Maybe separation makes her grow fonder

I know the love was one sided

I asked her if she'd been misguided

I've told her she wasn't the first

But our break up was the worst

She said she still lives all alone

I wonder if a love for me has grown

If it has will she admit it

Or will her pride not permit it

Is it worth a new campaign

Or would it once more end in pain

I should not commit in one session

For it has led me to depression

ToAmuse2023©TonyFallon913

 ToAmuse2023©TonyFallon913

I'm never under the influence of booze

Yet I write poems that sometimes amuse

That may not be my intention

I may want to see if I have your attention

And I never shy away from fun

And I don't regret what I've done.

I always try to be sedate

And try not to cause debate

Something funny may come on the sly

I let it pass because I'm not shy

Who doesn't sometimes slip in a pun

As long as someone doesn't have a gun 

I'm awful careful not to insult

A child ateen or an adult

My words I choose with great care

I do not bwant to cause despair

Words from my mouth are oft distorted

Twisted bent and contorted

Sometimes the reader does not comprehand

Or worse still they pretend

Not to understand and act irritated

Which leaves me frustrated

I hope you'll understand the content 

Because I only said what I meant

OhtoSingAnIrish Song(C)2021TonyFallon0630

 OhtoSingAnIrish Song(C)2021TonyFallon0630 

Are The Irish Music high Holy days gone maybe forever?

Perhaps brave men will come once again and start a new endeavor

Do you remember sixty years ago in a more folksy age

When wild looking young men some with beards  would take the local stage

And belt out new Irish songs from local villages and towns

And fill dance halls from Kerry to Armagh with swinging Irish sounds

Big Tom would sing of Castleblaney Brendan Shine of Castlerea

Dermot O'Brien would sing of Louth and the Turfmsn from Ardee

Larry and Declan were singing of their Longford and Drumlish

Others told of the awful suffering and dying in Long Kesh

Almost every week there would be a new song about H Block

Meanwhile Dana was singing the praises of the Lady of Knock

Danny Doyle was singing about gathering up pots and pans

The Wolfe Tones had new songs about the IRA and the Black and Tans

Somewhere else someone would sing of the Kerry hills of Knocknashee

Dermot Henry in New York was singing The Village of Asdee

Remember Lovely Derry the Lee and the Lovely Rose of Clare

And the Johnson group sang lovingly of the Plains of Kildare

Who can forget Lovely Leitrim or the green hills of Sligo

Or the cottage on the borderline of Galway and Mayo

Lough Ree oh Lough Ree where Roscomm Westmeath and Longford counties met

The pretty little girl from Omagh may have been a brunette

A woman was afraid of a kiss in the town of Ballymoe

While up in Cavan they were singing the praises of John Joe

Sharon Shannon moved a bit north and became the Galway Girl

The song became so world famous once she gave it to Steve Earl

One gypsy was a rover another's crush was a girl of eight

And Willie Brady walked the boreen with a Muldoon girl named Kate

The Dubliners going to Galway Races had four hours to drive

It must have been a Rocky road to Dublin one two three four five

Sean McCarthy wrote a rousing song about a red haired Mary

Johnnie McCauley was home in any town in Tipperary

Phil Coulter wrote so sadly of Derry the town he loved so well

And how the hated British army turned his hometown into hell

Paddy Farrell told us he wanted to go back to Castlebar

Someone else sang of Patsy Mulligan the man from Mullingar

Pete St John wrote of the Atherny wife who could only mourn

As her husband was shipped to Australia for stealing some corn

There were songs about love,romance,Clay pipes,carrots donkeys and goats

The old guys who drank too much and the dreaded emigrant boats

It seems no one will record now unless it's Grace or Raglan Road

Or country songs about Texas where the Rio Grande flowed

Will all our little towns and villages become once more obscure?

Will no one again sing Irish songs like Margo or Christy Moore?

Are we no more to hear the likes of McEvoy or Brendan Grace?

Or Furey/Arthur nor Hegarty that would be such a disgrace

Are there no more Paddy Reilly's Luke Kelly's or Ronnie Drews?

Is there anyone out there to fill Foster and Allen's shoes?

No more drilling in the mountains no more Kelly from Killane
No more Kevin Barry or Sean South or Martha from Strabane

No more Tommy Makem from Armagh no Clancy's or Pecker Dunne
No more Billy Reid dying on the street with an old Thompson gun

No Lisdoon or Limerick Lady or Irish in New York

No more will we hear great stories of the boys from county cork

Is the Golden era past is there no more youthful passion?

Are we not proud of new Irish songs and gone Country to cash in?

the famine emigrant.

 I   l e f t   t h e   o n e s   I  loved    i n  Tipperary  a n d   t o o k   t o   t h e   r o a d  

T h e   p a i n   a n d   s o r r o w   i n   m y   h e a r t   w a s   a   h e a v y   l o a d 

 I   w a s   c r y i n g   l i k e   a   b a b y   a n d   I   c o u l d   n o t   s t o p   i t 

 I   h a d   a   t i c k e t   t o   A m e r i c a   i n   m y   i n s i d e   p o c k e t 

 T h e   b l i g h t   h a d   c o m e   t o   I r e l a n d   conditions   t h e r e   w e r e   c r u e l 

 F a m i l i e s   w e r e   s l o w l y   s t a r v i n g   w i t h   n o t h i n g   t o   e a t   b u t   g r u e l 

 I   h a d   t o   s o m e h o w    m a k e   m y   w a y   t o   C o b h   i n  ounty  C o r k 

 A n d   c a t c h   t h e   n e x t   d e p a r t i n g   s h i p   h e a d e d   t o   N e w   Y o r k 

   

 M y   f a t h e r   w a s   a   h a r d w o r k i n g   f a r m e r   i n t e l l i g e n t   a n d   a s t u t e 

 Y e t   w h e n   t h e   p o t a t o   c r o p   f a i l e d   h e   w a s   r e d u c e d   t o   d e s t i t u t e . 

 T h e   f a r m e r   h a d   t o   d e p e n d   o n   f o o d   p r o v i d e d   b y   h i s   o w n   t i l l i n g 

 T h e   m o n e y   w a s   a l l   s a v e d   u p   f o r   r e n t   t h e r e   w a s   n o   s p a re shilling 

 W o r k i n g   t h e i r   f i n g e r s   t o   t h e   b o n e   t o   p a y   o f f   t h e i r   m o n t h l y   r e n t 

 T o   E n g l i s h   l a n d l o r d s   w i t h   i l l e g a l   d e e d s   l i v i n g   i n   L o n d o n   o r   K e n t 

 W h i l e   t h e   t e n a n t s   l i v e d   i n   f a l l i n g   h o u s e s   t h a t   w e r e   d i l a p i d a t e d 

 T h a t   o n c e   b e l o n g e d   t o   t h e i r   f o r e f a t h e r s   b u t   h a d   b e e n   c o n f i s c a t e d 

 

 I   w a s   t o   j o i n   u p   w i t h   f a t h e r ' s   s i s t e r   w h o   l i v e d   i n   Q u e e n s

 A   l o n e l y   young   t r a v e l e r   n o t   y e t   s h a v i n g   i n   m y     t e e n s 

  I t   w a s   m a n y   a   f a r m e r ' s   w i f e   g a v e   m e   b u t t e r m i l k   a n d   w a t e r               

 A n d   l e t   m e   s i t   b e s i d e   t h e   f i r e   a   w h i l e   u n t i l   I   w a s   h o t t e r 

 B e f o r e   I   b o a r d e d   t h e   s h i p   I   k n e l t   a n d   k i s s e d   t h e   q u a y 

 A s   I   b i d   g o o d b y e   t o   t h e   l a n d   I   n e v e r   m o r e   w o u l d   s e e                  

W h e n   w e   s a i l e d   a w a y   t h e r e   w e r e    s i c k   p e o p l e   o n   b o a r d                    

T h a t   w e ' d   g e t   t h e r e   a l i v e   I   s i l e n t l y   p r a y e d   t o   t h e   l o r d                   

 S o m e   d i e d   w i t h i n   a   f e w   days   c a u s i n g   m u c h   s a d   e m o t i o n                      

T h e y   l i e   f a r   a w a y   f r o m   I r e l a n d   i n   t h e   A t l a n t i c   O c e a n 

 

 I   w a s   o f f e r e d   a   j o b delivering    c o a l   w h e r e   I ' d   a l s o   b e   t h e   g r o o m 

 S i n c e   I ' d   b e   w o r k i n g   six   d a y s   I   c o u l d   s t a y   t h e r e   i n   a   r o o m 

 T h e y   s a i d   i f   I   s t a y e d ,   i n   M a y   w e ' d   s w i t c h   t o   c u t t i n g   g r a s s

 A n d   e v e r y   S u n d a y   a t   t e n   O ' c l o c k   I   g o t  two   h o u rs  o f f   f o r   m a s s 

 T h e i r   p a r e n t s   c a m e   f r o m   I r e l a n d  a n d   t h e y   k n e w   o f   o u r   p l i g h t 

 T h e y   w e r e   j u s t   t h e   g r e a t e s t   e m p l o y e r s   t h e y   t r e a t e d   m e   a l l   r i g h t 

 T h e   c h u r c h   w a s   c l o s e ,   f o r   m y   f a m i l y   i n   I r e l a n d   I   o f t e n   p r a y e d                                    

  I   c r i e d   t o   s l e e p   t h e   n i g h t   o f   m y   f i r s t   S t   P a t r i c k ' s   D a y   p a r a d e 

 

  I   w a s   s e n d i n g    d o l l a r s   h o m e   f o r   a   t i c k e t   f o r   m y   s i s t e r 

 I   d o u b t e d   t h e   p a r e n t s   w o u l d    m a k e   t h e   t r i p   a n d   I   m i s s e d   h e r 

 S h o r t l y   a f t e r   c o m i n g   h e r e   s h e   w o n   a   y o u n g   r i c h   m a n s   h e a r t 

 I   w a s   s t i l l   i n   B r o o k l y n   d e l i v e r i n g   c o a l   b y   h o r s e   a n d   c a r t 

 H e r   n e w   f a m i l y   w a s   f a r m e r s   b u t   s h e   m o u r n e d   h e r   I r i s h   l o s s 

 T h e y   h i r e d   m e   t o   r u n   t h e   f a r m   t h e y   w e r e   m a k i n g   m e   t h e   b o s s 

 B u t   f o r   m a n y   o f   m y   c o u n t r y m e n   I   s i l e n t l y   h a d   t o     c r y 

 W h e n   I   s a w   s i g n s   i n   w i n d o w s   s a y i n g   " N o   I r i s h   n e e d   a p p l y " 

 

 A u n t   M a r y   a l r e a d y   a   w i d o w   m y   s p o n s o r   I   n e v e r   w i l l   f o r g e t 

 S h e   d i d   n o t   w a n t   t o   h e a r   o f   i t   b u t   I   p a i d   h e r   b a c k   m y   d e b t                        

S h e   g a v e   b i r t h   t o   t h r e e   b u t   o n l y   o n e   o f   h e r   s o n s   s u r v i v e d                        

T h e   o t h e r   t w o   d i e d far too  y o u n g   s h o r t l y   b e f o r e   I   a r r i v e d 

 T h e   s o n  m a r c h e d  o u t   w i t h   t h e  6 9 t h   l e a v i n g   a  w i f e  a n d   c h i l d   b e h i n d 

 T h e n   c a m e   b a c k   f r o m   t h e   c i v i l   w a r   b o t h   l a m e   a n d   p a r t l y   b l i n d                         

 B u t   m y   a u n t   n e v e r   c o m p l a i n e d   s i n c e   t h e   d a y   s h e   l e f t   t h e   o l d   s o d 

 W i t h   h e r   h u s b a n d   a n d   t w o   c h i l d r e n   d e a d   s h e   p u t   h e r   t r u s t   i n   G o d 

 M y   s i s t e r ' s   h u s b a n d s   f a m i l y   w e r e   n o t   c a t h o l i c   y e t   t r u l y   s a i n t s 

 T h e y   t o o k   m y   c o u s i n   i n t o   t h e i r   h e a r t s   d e s p i t e   h i s   p h y s i c a l   r e s t r a i n t s 

 

 T h e   l e t t e r s   c o m i n g   f r o m   I r e l a n d   t o l d   o f   m a n y   a   m a r r i a g e   a n d   b i r t h 

 A n d   t h e   u n t i m e l y   r e t u r n i n g   o f   o l d   n e i g h b o r s   t o   t h e graveyard e a r t h 

 I   n e v e r   t h r e w   a w a y   o n e   o f   t h o s e   m e s s a g e s   o f   l o c a l   n e w s 

 M y   m o t h e r   w o u l d   p u t   a   f u n n y   t w i s t   o n   h e r   s t o r i e s   s o   t h e y ' d   a m u s e 

 B u t   a t   t h e   e n d   o f   e v e r y   l e t t e r   t h e r e   w a s   o n e   q u e s t i o n   without f a i l 

 I f   I   w a s   g o i n g   t o   g e t   m a r r i e d   a n d   h a v e   a   g r a n d c h i l d   w h o   w a s   m a l e 

 F o r   m y   b r o t h e r s   a n d   s i s t e r s   a l l   h a d   m a n y   d a u g h t e r s   f a i r   a n d   f i n e 

 B e f o r e   I   f i n a l l y   m a r r i e d   a t   f o r t y   b e t w e e n   t h e m   t h e y   h a d   n i n e 

 

 O n e   S u n d a y   a f t e r   m a s s   I  m e t   S a l l y  M u r p h y  j u s t   o u t s i d e   t h e C h u r c h 

 W e   h a d   g o n e   t o   s c h o o l   t o g e t h e r   t h a t   w a s   t h e   e n d   o f   m y   s e a r c h 

 W e   b o t h   w e r e   p a s t  o u r   b e s t  d a n c i n g   d a y s   b u t   s h e   w a s   a   l o t   o f   f u n 

 A   y e a r   a f t e r   w e   m a r r i e d   w e   s u r p r i s e d   e v e r y b o d y   w i t h   a   s o n 

 I   s e n t   h o m e   d o l l a r s   i n   t h e   l e t t e r   w h e n   i t   c a m e   t h e y   w e r e   e l a t e d 

 T h e   n e i g h b o r s   w e r e   i n v i t e d   i n   a n d   t h e   w h o l e   n i g h t   t h e y  celebrated 

 T h e y  w e r e   i n   t h e i r sixties   n o w   o h   h o w those  s a d   y e a r s  w e  c a n ' t  postpone

 A n d  i t   w a s  m o r e   t h a n twenty   y e a r s  n o w   s i n c e   I   l e f t   t h e m  t h e r e   a l o n e 

 

T h e   n e x t   f e w   y e a r s  w e n t  quickly  b y e   w e  w e r e  b u s y w i t h   o u r  l i t t l e   m a n 

 M y   s i s t e r   h a d   a   d a u g h t e r   w h o m   s h e   n a m e d   a f t e r   o u r   m o t h e r   A n n e 

 T h e   l e t t e r   k e p t   o n   a r r i v i n g   k e e p i n g   m e   i n  t o u c h   w i t h   a l l   a t   h o m e 

A n d   t h e   g o i n g s   o n   a r o u n d   Clonmel  a n d  Clogheen  f a r   a c r o s s   t h e   f o a m 

 B u t   t h e   saddest   l e t t e r   I   e v e r   g o t   w a s   p e n n e d   b y   o u r   p a r i s h   p r i e s t 

 T e l l i n g   m e   t h e   s a d   n e w   t h a t   o u r   d e a r   m o t h e r     w a s  now  d e c e a s e d 

M y   p a r e n t   g r e w   u p   t o g e t h e r   a n d   t h e y   m a r r i e d   i n   t w e n t y   s e v e n 

 T h e   d a y   a f t e r   m y   m o t h e r   w a s   b u r i e d   D a d   j o i n e d   h e r   i n   h e a v e n 

 

 B u t   s t i l l   o u r   l i f e ' s   m u s t   g o   o n   a n d   o u r   s o n   g r e w   b i g   a n d   s t r o n g 

 W e   t o l d   h i m   a l l   t h e  s t o r i e s   o f   o u r  y o u t h   a n d  t a u g h t  d a n c e  and   s o n g 

 N e w   e m i g r a n t s   t o l d   u s   o f   t h e  news and the    struggles for Irish land

 A n d   t h e   w o r k  being  d o n e   b y Davitt  f r o m   M a y o   w h o   o n l y   h a d   o n e   h a n d               

 T h e   s i t u a t i o n   f o r   t h e   p o o r  s m a l l  f a r m e r s   w a s   v e r y   l i t t l e  i m p r o v e d 

 F r o m   m y   d a y s   t h e r e i n   t h e faminee  w h e n  m i l l i o n s  h a d   d i e d   o r   m o v e d 

 T h e   s m a l l e s t   c r i m e   m e a n t   b e c o ming  a   v i c t i m   o f   t r a n s p o r t a t i o n                                

  A n d   b e   s h i p p e d   o f f   t o  T a s m a n i a   o r   A d e l a i d e in the Austrailan nation

 

 M y   s e v e n t i e t h   y e a r   h a s   c o m e   a n d   t h e   c e n t u r y   c a m e   t o   a n   e n d 

 T h a t   w a s   s e v e n   y e a r s   a g o   w h e n   m y   s o n   m a r r i e d   h i s   T u a m   g i r l   f r i e n d 

 A   g r a d u a t e   o f   C o l l e g e    h e   w e a r s   t h e   f i n e s t   o f   l a w y e r ' s   c l o t h e s 

 T h e   t h r e e   c h i l d r e n   h e   h a s   w i t h   t h e   G a l w a y   g i r l   k e e p s   u s     o n   o u r   t o e s 

 I ' v e   j u s t   r e t u r n e d   f r o m   C a r n e g i e   H a l l   w h e r e   I   s p e n t   a   c o n f l i c t e d   d a y 

 I   h e a r d   J o h n   M c C o r m a c k   s i n g i n g   a   s o n g   a b o u t   T i p p e r a r y   s o   f a r   a w a y 

 I   w o n d e r   w h a t   w o u l d   h a v e   h a p p e n e d   i f   I   h a d   n o t   c r o s s e d   t h e   s e a s 

 W o u l d   I   h a v e   d i e d   a t   h o m e   i n   T i p p e r a r y   f r o m   h u n g e r   a n d   d i s e a s e ?  

   I n   t h e   p a s t   f e w   y e a r s   m y   m o b i l i t y   h a s   s h o w n   g r e a t   r e d u c t i o n 

 I   d o n ' t   w a n t   t o   w i n d   u p   m o p i n g   a r o u n d   c a u s i n g   a n y   o b s t r u c t i o n 

 I   h a v e   n e i t h e r   k i l l e d   o r   h u r t   a n y b o d y   I   h a v e   a   c l e a n   r e c o r d 

 I ' v e   h a d   m o r e   t h a n   m y   s h a r e   o f   h a p p i n e s s   I ' m   p r e p a r e d   t o   m e e t   m y   l o r d 

 

I   l e f t   m y   h o m e   i n   I r e l a n d   a n d   t o o k   t o   t h e   r o a d   

 T h e   p a i n   a n d   s o r r o w   i n   m y   h e a r t   i t   w a s   a   h e a v y   l o a d 

 B e f o r e   I   b o a r d e d   t h e   s h i p   I   k n e l t   a n d   k i s s e d   t h e   Q u a y 

 A n d   b i d   g o o d b y e   t o   I r e l a n d   I   n e v e r   m o r e   w i l l   s e e . 

 

T o n y   F a l l o n ,   P o e t   L a u r e a t e ,   C a i r o   N Y 

MyIndianMaiden©2019TonyFallon00202

 MyIndianMaiden©2019TonyFallon00202

I met a girl from Arizona that should end my search

She owned a forest in Oregon full of oak and birch

That’s not the end of my troubles you must think again

For every problem I have she has at least ten

You know I have problems with English grammar

When she loses her temper she goes for the hammer

A two by four an iron bar or any thing that’s handy

And she often did this in front of my uncle and my auntie

Yet when she’s not angry my life is full of thrills

She has loads of money and I have loads of bills

She was the only daughter of her Wicklow Irishman named Grady

Who panned for gold in the west and met an Indian lady

Just as her father was about to separate his scalp from his brains

And throw whatever was left to the howling wolves on the plains

They had one only daughter and she inherited a half a million trees

And her wood is shipped on her sailing boats all over the seven seas

The smallest thing will set her off she’s very temperamental

She says she doesn’t care if I come or go she’s no way sentimental

Yet when she’s not angry our lives are full of thrills

And I would never divulge what happens when we go up in the hills

                                                

TooLate©2023TonyFallon0824

 TooLate©2023TonyFallon0824

Do you remember the day we walked the lonely road

The odor all around us of the meadow just mowed

There was tension in the air things had to be discussed

You were leaving and my love for you was still robust

You knew then I loved you dearly but I did not cling

I could not see why you refused my engagement ring

I had to promise I'd be true yet you broke the bond

Months after our parting I feel like I have been conned

You went to save up money but you forgot the plot

I heard it through the grapevine you are now into pot

No more are you the darling girl I met in fourth class

No more meadows for you now it is different grass

If your parents heard this news their hearts would be broken

If they finally find out I will not have spoken

I kept the home fire burning while you went to explore

Not even one call or letter I shall wait no more.