Archive for the ‘People’ Category

1986-01-20

Monday, January 20th, 1986

I almost made some unforgivable mistake
with Rose and my children.
Almost cut us loose from each other
to drift until the ends of our lives
and not know
what we could have been to and for each other.

When I see the hand of God move
I’m never sure which side or why
and the closer passes the stroke
the less anything
resembles what went before.

gallagher
1/20/86

— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —

1986-01-20

Monday, January 20th, 1986

Rose, it gave me such a pleasure
to help with the children when you were sick today.
I know I wasn’t as much help as I could have been
fussing with the phone and the newspaper
but it made me realize what you do with them
like a farmer who digs his hands
deep into the soil that is his life.
You see them as life brimming, raw with promise.
A treasure of people just beginning.
A future world you can mother and comfort.
It was such simple pleasure to smile and hold them.
They saw my feelings and responded to me.
But you had already made that place
where I came to visit and open to them.
It was a day well spent and badly needed.
Somethings cut deeper than others
and you’ve found one, my lover, wife, and friend.
You nurture them and me in the sunshine
of your love and cherishing
and I see now
how you let God work through you.

gallagher
1/20/86 #2

— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —

1986-02-19

Wednesday, February 19th, 1986

December, January, and February

Someday, perhaps, she’ll be by
wanting to settle into the patterns
of this life.

Until then, she can never ‘just see me’.
It always has to ‘mean’ something,
be something, go somewhere.

I’m sorry, Kathy.
With you I’ve never understood why
just love and friendship weren’t enough.

So today, once again, we part.
We drop our sexual magic
and this friendship that tried
to transcend the years
and the marriages and the lovers.

gallagher
19 Feb 86

raining in Irvine and Hawiian gardens

— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —