hugpagall Poetry (8)

Lisfannon


This haven I adore,
Continuous lapping,
On this my shore.
Eye’s far to that point,
This sea eager to annoint.
Closer to these rocks
Where I sit,
My burdens to these waves
I do submit.
This peaceful ambience
Captured by this place,
Day’s end of colour
Brightens my face.


Paul Gallagher
Sept 03

‘ Joy to my garden’


Joy to my little oasis,
One of many such places.
Where I can sit
With my fire fully lit,
Sipping red wine
Well after nine.
Laid well back in my chair
My eye’s gazing high into the night air.
With crackling sound
Ashes falling to ground.
Koi fish in a stare
Confused with amber glare,
Fireflies to them
Each sparkling like gem.
Cool breeze paints my face
My little garden , full of grace.


Paul Gallagher
Feb. 2008

This night

When time meanders past your hour eleven
Your mind snapping pictures of dreams made in heaven.
Allow your soul to vacate your space
And when in the stars above, I will see your face.

For behold !...on this night my heart has wings
Joyous ascension to where this angel sings.
Those tears you speak of, now tears of joy,
Two souls, hand in hand, together do toy.

Although darkness may invade eyes closed tight
Souls dance and sing throughout the night.
Now morning reveals it’s splendour glory
A spiritual embrace to grace her story.

This heavenly transcendence always within reach
More nights, more journeys, on this beautiful beach.
So dreams for you can come true, fair maiden afar
Open your heart, for there’s a soul out there, your very own star.

Paul Gallagher
June 2008

‘Marie Therese’


Memories linger of this time and place.
When distraught, lost to reality
My daughter I knew, no time,
Never to kiss.

All alone, in this desert, her and I
Devoid of life,
So tiny to my eye.
Resting peacefully cupped in hand,
Eye’s closed, with little smile
On her journey to another land.

Helpless father, emotions shattered,
My only daughter, now my little angel,
Not much time to nurse you,
When nothing else mattered.

This little white box resting on my lap,
A tiny rose for comfort,
Her smiling face, just taking a nap.

My tears, like raindrops from a pending shower,
Do stroll and meander,
Fall and rest on my own little flower.

By this tiny grave, with prayer, in sombre mood,
What would have been I thought,
Lost love and hope, so misunderstood.

News of births since, toy with memory,
But always with my spirit I hear you sing,
Amidst the angels,
Watching over your brothers….Kiefer and Cory.


Paul Gallagher

‘Heaven’s Playground’


North, South East and West,
Harbouring dark secrets
High beyond this island of ours,
Heaven’s playground, night time jewels at their best.

Men in long ignited tin cans,
Blasted into this dark abyss.
Looking back from whence they came,
Visible now so many lands.

Passing shadows by this eclipse,
As though hiding from Earth’s intrusion.
Cosmic rays from distant stars,
An ocean at night adorned, terrestrial ships.

Mysterious objects disguised as stars
Distant source of energy,
Very small, very bright
Mass or matter, just some quasars.

With inherent nature to explore,
Infinity in space, no boundary,
Like riding on a solar wind,
To where no man has gone before.

Startling showers of speeding light,
Casting spell on this our world.
Burning meteors in some cosmic race,
But passing silently through this permanent night.

This cosmic revolution of transformation,
Matter to life, unity with this vastness of space.
This blue jewel as seen from above,
Natural satellite or universal station ?

Beyond this dark horizon, to depths of infinity,
To what purpose do we seek new life.
Insignificant this blue orb of ours,
There are no secrets in this earthly vicinity.

Men of science ? men of conjecture?
Like cosmic children playing newfound games.
These birds now free of their earthly cages,
Now astronauts ignore this cosmic lecture.

Paul Gallagher Feb. 08

Learners Folly


Amidst this eternal learned battle,
Where talent and skills do bleed
Entrenched in attitude, herded like cattle,
Confusion reigns in this their need.

Vociferous verbal blasts, scorched landscape
No virtue for my skills understood,
Oh to fly my distant escape
No solace here, this my mood.

Thunderous ignorance of this I teach
Ricocheting words, deafness abound,
Art from souls beyond their reach
No resonance interred, on this battleground.

Paul Gallagher 2008

‘A Winter’s Dance’



There I stood, gazing high into the night
Although tinged in grey, clouds painted with yellow ochre.
Waiting with anticipation, excited
For the first one to appear out of this winter light.

Cold air colours my breath, lungs dressed with spice,
With silence gripping all around,
Calmness before this wonderland dance
Moist lips might turn to ice.

Now this dance begins to entertain,
With the wings of angels floating down
Waltzing to and fro, in a crowd
Slowly falling, spinning, twisting, again and again.

This blanket lying before me, quickly woven,
As though made of tufted cotton.
An invitation to jump and play
Children nearby encircled, like a witches’ coven.

Dappled footprints all around,
Walls riddled in pointillist style
Instant sculptures they create
One huge canvas this their ground.

This whitewashed landscape dusted down,
Sudden gust of wind…change of tune.
Now a riot amidst these wings,
This dance now burdened with a frown.

Morning sun now intervenes,
Glistening gems like nature’s treasure.
A gift to us from a winter’s tale,
This beauty, we should appreciate what it means.

Paul Gallagher

Feb. 08

SECOND CHANCE


They were footsteps that I didn’t recognise,
Two people close in disguise.
How can I see the bright dawn,
What has passed, has come,
But not yet gone.

Like the storm on the horizon,
That I should have kept my eye’s on,
Like the creeping fog that slowly
Engulfs the dawn of the day….
Suffocating all around
Now falling to ground.

Those values and promises
Once close to the heart,
Discarded by one who said, “ Til’ death do we part “.
Betrayal came easy
Deception so sleazy.
From the hurt and the pain
Trust and friendship they did feign.

Fear strikes so sudden,
Shivers rattle my spine,
As loneliness comes to haunt,
In the dark hours after nine.

Twisting and turning,
Wide eye’s prevail,
Fighting guilt and self-sentence,
Must escape this hellish jail.

Looking in the mirror
Just makes me want to scream,
For what I see is some nightmarish dream.
My body has taken this ‘juggernaut’ fall,
Shredded and limp,
Like a tossed ragtime doll.

So where are the bright stars
That those close point to ?
What is the future,
What can I do ?

I see nothing but fear
Ever so near.
Strength and courage evades,
Hurt and pain, so many shades.

Visions from the dark side threatened my goal,
The grip of vengeance would blacken my soul.
From the gripping depths of this dreampool
Breaking the surface above,
I will get stronger, you better believe…..
And those stolen dreams won’t be so hard to retrieve.

Alas ! Digging so deep,
I’m back on my feet.
Although I’ve been hit,
I will never quit.

Life in my forties now, takes on a new meaning,
New found friends,
Rekindle lost dreaming.
From the innocence of two young ones
Comes strength and normality,
New hope and happiness…
A new air of quality.

Those footsteps have long disappeared,
My path ahead has now been cleared.
And as the sun now plays with the children as they dance….
God, has given my life….a second chance.

Paul Gallagher