Our Fragile Dreams: Selected Poems (2004–2017)

By Johnny Perrem

This is Johnny Perrems first publication. These poems were written between 2004 and 2017. The subject matter covers a broad range of topics: his parents; some of his eleven siblings (both alive and deceased); his wife, Bernadette; his children, Nathan and Lucy; and his granddaughters Nessa and Elizabeth, both born about one year ago. His experiences in and feelings about fighting several cancers (four) are explored. Some are reflections about previous relationships with special women over the years since his youth. He describes his thoughts and feelings about a few friends and his eldest stepdaughter, Aoife. A few deal with political events.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: May 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543485578

Johnny Perrem

Johnny Perrem has recently retired, having held several senior leadership roles in the pharmaceutical and medical diagnostic industries over a period of thirty-five years. He grew up in a large family of eleven children living in various places mainly in the west of Ireland. His Anglo Irish father was detached and unemotional and his mother was a loving, complicated but troubled soul. He migrated from spreadsheets to writing poetry following the sudden death of his brother in 2003. His ongoing battles with cancer has provided him with a particular perspective of life, love and death. He enjoys life, music and comedy.

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Copyright © 2017 by Johnny Perrem.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2017907891

ISBN:               Hardcover                        978-1-5434-8559-2

                      Softcover                          978-1-5434-8558-5

                      eBook                               978-1-5434-8557-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 05/24/2017

Xlibris

800-056-3182

www.Xlibrispublishing.co.uk

754887

Contents

I Miss My Brother

Nearly Two Years Now

In Memory of Mollie

Second Poem to my Father

Third Poem to my Father

Fourth Poem to my Father

He Aint Heavy He is my Brother

My Birthday

Beware of Death

My Death

Mary Hillary

Ground Zero

Then There Was Five

My Wife-Bernadette

The Ashes of My Soul

Chains of Office

Christmas

Christmas Eve

My Children Make Me Feel Old

My Children

My Woman-Bernadette

When I Am Gone

Depression-The Great Divide

The Singer

My Brother Declan (Fr. Len O.P.)

My Tears

Time Out-Approaching the End

The Loves of my Life

A Wonderful Lady of Grace

The Silence

Our Fragile Dreams

My Poetry

And What of My Ashes

Music- Poetry of Our Lives

The Prostate

The Fruit Tree

I Worked for Forty-Seven Years

To Fill the Shoes of my Father

What Just Might Have Been

The Hunter

2016-One Hundred Years On

A Quiet Angel

Nathan

We Grow Up and Shed Our Dreams

My First Granddaughter

I was Abandoned by Me

How I Prepare for My Death

Lucy

Elizabeth Lucy

I Used to Be

The Ambivalence of me

Aoife

Derick

I Cannot Change the Death

Toll of My Legacy

In Honour of Our Mary-Five Years On

My Brother Michael

To The Women I Have Known

When I Finally Let Go

Axel Foley

The Disintegration of