— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —

— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —

— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —

— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —

         How dry the leaves and empty
         my first winter into the thirties
         I could disappear without contact
         be a person lost without love.
         I’ve told Rose I won’t come back now
         and the winter starts to blow,
         I’ve told Rose I’d love to see her
         but when she moves I know
         she’ll take her summer laughter with her
         and leave me here to grow.
         She’ll take my love and son then
         and leave me here to know
         how dry the leaves…and empty
         when the winter winds begin to blow
         and alone and empty I am
         as I begin to know…
         But I chose these winter empty stomach days
         and I chose the waiting for my life’s new phase
         and lead me to the summer sunshine
         where I’m bound to go.
                              gallagher
                              feb 25, 78

— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —

      My feelings walk inside me like a man with a hammer
      The year of thirty must be by far the strangest one yet
      Joe’s gone, his room says over his leavings,
      and Rose and the house are harder to bear each day.
      Soon the last shreds of her love will be torn
      and the last of my security flown away
      Its an ache to be there and yet I’ll probably always return
      for Danny
      I dreamed Bob the night before I met him
      and when he arrived I felt prophesy on my shoulder.
      And, tonight, when Rose told me
      he wasn’t going to San Francisco
      and that he’d been asking her out behind Nona’s back,
      my dream came to reality.
      “I’m seeing Rory”, she said, and I smiled…
      I like Rory and he can’t make me insecure
      Sorting photographs … cleaning the garage
      talking, with control, to Bob and Nona,
      eating Rose’s chicken and feeling this hammer.
      I’m going to be alone again soon as I’ve not been
      in a long long time
      and on none of my fantasy girls can I rest
      until this hammer has spent itself
      I pray thee, thirty, move on.
                           gallagher
                           04 apr 78

— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —

         Rose rides the desert beneath the full moon
            and my apartment holds Danny and I safe
               against her absence
         These days and hours, so electric, I’ll never forget
            Love and pain in all proportions
               and time slowing down, day by day
                  against the history nodes passing here
         Nine years coming down beneath the full moon
            and all our friends wait to see what’s right
               I feel this history like the veins in my skin
                  beneath the hours I’m living in
                                    gallagher
                                    apr 21, 78

— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —

                       Dinner at Dave’s
           Good friends are anchors into reality
           they speak their thoughts plainly
           they counseled me with criticism and concern
           and listened without rejection to my every reply.
           Dave and Ron said I owed Rose
           but, as the discussion wore on,
           it seemed that it was Danny I owed
           ‘Give him all the relief you can’, they said,
           ‘that he can grow up as straight and true as possible.’
           And Dave also said that, ‘In five years
           I wouldn’t speak to he or Ron, my friends.’
           that I would’ve risen beyond their friendships
           and I smiled, honored
           that they should see my future so bright
           but hurt to think that they would think I would discard them so.
           Evidently, they’ve seen me as some rising star
           long before any of my talents or blind luck bore fruit.
           They said they knew I’d do Rose wrong even back then,
           when all my shoe string dreams lived only by our faith,
           hers and mine, and her love.
           I listened and I loved their honesty
           but I can no more change myself than quit breathing….
           I listened, listened and begged to hear more.
           Perhaps something they know
           could make it easier for her and Danny and I.
           But, if not, I don’t regret our words nor the time spent.
           They’re my friends and I love what they think.
                                 gallagher
                                 22 april 78

— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —

                        For Danny
            Your Mother is a good woman
            but her dreams were never the same as mine
            and sometime, before you, before I knew why,
            in the Washington wheat fields
            our lives became involved and our hearts
            began their play.
            I didn’t know how it could be then
            that you need to share more
            than just love and gutsy togetherness
            and so it began, and you came our way
            the sweet product of all our love and youth
            what more can I say?  let truth lead the way…
            Your Mother loved me and I loved her
            but our youth began to slip and fray
            and our dreams started to get in the way
            beneath the wheat field love and her simple ways
            but her dreams were far different from mine
            and I can’t live in her settled way
            youth isn’t the only time for dreams
            and I’ll never come down to where
            love isn’t all that I pray
            I know you’ve got to wonder
            how your young life can be so torn
            and the tears come to my eyes to think how
            your young soul is so bruised
            by all the pain between your mother and I
            I hope you see what it means to you
            to find the right woman, boy.
            For all the love you mother and I shared,
            was never worth all the time we spent
            and all the pain it took
            when our dreams began to get in the way
            Drink women like fine wine, boy…
            they’ve each got something beautiful inside
            but remember your dreams, whatever they may be,
            and find a woman whose eyes shine
            when you share your deepest dreams with her.
                                 gallagher
                                 30 april 78

— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —

            She bad dreamin … she must be
            life can’t be so bad
            she’s cryin everyday and getting thinner
            I think she could lose it
            and not think her life worth the pain anymore.
            What is it that love unbinds in us
            that only love can fix again…
            She’s unraveling…her cheekbones and fingers
            bear witness to it
            her love has flown away
            and now there’s nothing but the days
            she waits for my return
            and she won’t let it end
            she tears her heart out again and again
            to pass each aching day
            and when I hold her and feel the pain
            nothing eases…nothing goes away
            she tries so hard not to say it
            she tries to accept it my way
            but she can’t stand it
            and she drives me farther away
            I can keep Danny and become celibate
            but I can’t give my life away to the old ‘us’
            its mine, but she can’t deal with it that way
            her pain cuts deeper day by day
            I feel it…Danny feels it
            Rose’s heart is breaking…
            what can I say… what can I say….
                                    gallagher
                                    apr 30, 78

— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —