Time Phrases: A Book of Songs 1980-2022

By Glenn Gallagher

About the Book
This thoughtful collection of poems -- dated to show the timeframe in which each was written -- shares relatable feelings and some experiences from Glenn Gallagher's life.

About the Author
Glenn Gallagher has been a writer since high school. His novel, The Surviving Siblings, was published in 2015. He's done manual labor all of his working life: distributing paper bundles, washing dishes, bussing tables, painting houses, and driving a hearse and a limo. He obtained a B.A. in English from West Virginia University in 2001. He enjoys cooking, painting, and singing. His Christmas Song, "In Mary's Arms," was recorded in 2007.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company
• Release date: Apr 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798885276924

Book preview

Contents

Copyright

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Epigraph

From Wood to Wood

Alone On a Saturday Night

She’s Doing Shots

I Can Beat All the Boys

The Start of My Confidence

The Meeting

A GTO in the Forest

Tips for Cook

Place a Bottle of Ripple

The Lawnmower Song

Last Request

Love at First Bug

The Corpse of a Bad Boy

May I Borrow Your Tears?

I Should Have Shared My Shoulder

The Box (His Final Home)

The Dream

Wrestlin’ With the Sitter

God, Get Me Home

Holding a Whore

Come Back to Dinner, John

An Unbroken Heart

10:16 A.M., Sunday Morn

Coffee & Cake After School

The Bird of Prey (Made my Day)

Streamline Butterfly

What Can I Do?

Will I Smile Again?

A Song from the Grave

The Ring Came Off

Cinderella’s Sleeping in her Car

Thank You for the Empty Tomb

The Clock’s No More

She Dresses Like a Boy

If the Rain Remained

Driving In Kankakee

A Child Made Me Laugh

Arrest Me Anytime

Alone in a Hotel Room

A Little Bit of Blow

Second Chance Prom

An Orange Stain on the Floor

The Last Hoorah

Tina Ondreka

Wearing Nothing but a Choker

Bubblegum, Yum Yum

Picking Up a Playmate in Prison

A Wart On a Pretty Face

Alone, with Thoughts of You

Respect the Man On the Ladder

Cool, In a Quiet Way

Love at First Bug

Smokin’ It Out

Darkness, Darkness

Dolly’s Guitar

Memphis in My Ear

An Amazing Journey

Where She loved and Lost

I Need to be Married

A GTO in the Forest

An Oak Tree

Ginger-Ale Green

Gone Is the Mall

Two Scorpions in a Bottle

To Weep In Westover

Suffering From Delusion

Love In Repair

Tall Lover

A Country Boy at Heart

A Free Bottle in Front of Me

She Cheated (She Was Needed)

Always Losin’ at Love

Recess Is Out (But Dancing Is In)

Every Five Minutes

Said the Father Taxi

A Cup on a Boiler

I’m Going to Fix Him Down

You Pulled on the Chain

Ashley’s Fool

Handsome in Heaven

A Shot of Joe

A Society of His Own

Every Time I Fall in Love (A Part of Me Dies)

Killer on the Prowl

A Song of Hope

Perhaps

Tears in the Sea

This Girl

I’ll Miss You, L.W.

Mirty Moot Mope

Jami, Oh Jami

I’m So Down

EVERY TIME I FALL

I Mustn’t Love You Girl

My Heart is Heavy for Her

Holding My Pillow (And Wishing it Were You)

A Cardinal in New Fallen Snow

The Moon Over Morgantown

Roses On the Door

I Danced with the Devil

Until the Four Winds Blow

Twenty Behind the ‘T’

In Mary’s Arms

Love Knows No Age

Mister Rico

Empty Corner

Tiny Bubbles

Walls Around My Heart

And I Shall Love Again

Fifty Seconds in Emsworth

The Performer

Farewell, Lady Frances

Carrie’s Prayer

A Little Booze Won’t Cure My Blues

Still Not Over Her

A Foot Race

Mystery Child

Long Range Love Affair

The Pilot Light’s Gone Out

A Certain Quietness

Crown of Glory

I Love You, Child

The Shelter of Your Smile

Touch Me Once More

Above the Clouds

Alone, with Thoughts of You

An Aerial Burial

How Beautiful She Was

Get Out of That Car

I’m Sorry, Uncle Sam

A Working Man (Is All I’ll Ever Be)

Sky Gazer

Tom Graves

There’s Something About a Ball

Me and God

I Need to Look Away

Put Some South in Your Mouth

I’m On the Stage (And You’re Not)

The Monster in Your Mind

Mistress in the Dark

One-Legged Woman

The Dream

Heartless

Like An Angel Kissing Me

Epiphany

It Never Hit the Ground

Mistress in the Dark

What Can I Do?

The Indian Boy

Let’s Write Tonight

The Other Side of Dawn

The Marge in Me

Another Cloudy Day

Praying in the Parking Lot

Four Chords

How Do I Get to Tomorrow?

Gimmie Kimmie

A Pair of 9’s

A Thin White Streak

The Girl in the Mirror (You are pretty my dear)

I Felt her Hand

I Hope Your Shoes (Always Lead to Me)

The Ballad of Mark Basagic

Napping Nicky

Will She Choose Whiskey Over Me?

She Slipped Through the Cracks

General Grant (The Gentleman)

Colors On My Brother

General Grant. (The Gentleman)

Picking Up the 7-10 Split

Colors On My Brother

The contents of this work, including, but not limited to, the accuracy of events, people, and places depicted; opinions expressed; permission to use previously published materials included; and any advice given or actions advocated are solely the responsibility of the author, who assumes all liability for said work and indemnifies the publisher against any claims stemming from publication of the work.

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2023 by Glenn Gallagher

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, downloaded, distributed, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without permission in writing from the publisher.

Dorrance Publishing Co

585 Alpha Drive

Suite 103

Pittsburgh, PA 15238

Visit our website at www.dorrancebookstore.com

ISBN: 979-8-8852-7247-6

eISBN: 979-8-8852-7692-4

I'd like to thank God for my ability to write,

and to my parents Edward and Josephine Janis.

I'd also like to thank Taryn Wells, David Zeolla

and all at Dorrance Publishing.

Michael Welshans, Becky DeBiase and Rodger Roberts

for their friendship.

My aunt Ella Schweitzer, who always had a smile and a

kind word for me. Dr. Ellisa High at West Virginia University, and the beautiful 'champagne lady' Norma Zimmer. Also, a man who was going to call himself Noah Kominsky. You know him better as Neil Diamond.

I dedicate this book to all the

unpublished authors of poetry and prose.

Where power erupts, poetry cleanses.

John F. Kennedy

From Wood to Wood

The woman’s with Child

As she rides an ass,

Looking at the couple

People think they’re second class.

No room at the inn

But a stable’s out back,

Soon, she’s in discomfort 

As her labor pains attack.

Giving birth to a Boy

He’s wrapped and placed in a trough,

A star shines above

Telling three kings to go.

The trough is made of wood

The straw will keep Him warm,

She wants to protect Him

Keeping Him from harm.

The infant is now a Man

Carpentry is His trade,

He shows His parents

Many things He has made.

The citizens’ love for Him

Now turns to hate,

CRUCIFY HIM, they shout

For this is His fate.

Carrying a wooden cross

He sets on a knee,

A man called Simon

Will carry it for free.

He’s nailed to the cross

As dark clouds form above,

This is the price He paid

For all His enduring love.

He’s gone from wood to wood

This you can plainly see,

Ironically, these items came

From the very same tree.

October, 2020

Alone On a Saturday Night

Married couples get a tax break

Single people do not,

A fifty-year old man

Drinks alone with many a shot.

Two girlfriends in the past

But they have moved on,

He sits on the bank

Of the river Mon.

Seeing a bald eagle

Catching his prey

He works during the week

And is alone this day.

Arthritis controls him

There is a pain in his bowel,

It would be so easy

For him to throw in the towel.

But he hangs in there

Just in spite,

And now he’s alone

On a Saturday night.

His life is a wreck

His mind is a mess,

He is long overdue

For monetary success.

Walking everywhere

He sometimes takes a bus,

It is not a want

But a definite must.

Taking one day at a time

Is all he can do,

He prays to Him

So he won’t feel blue.

May, 2020

She’s Doing Shots

I work with a server

Andrea is her name,

She’s pretty and pleasant

Hard work is her game.

At 2 P.M.

Business is slow,

I take my break

With food in tow.

I go to the pass bar

Where servers get their food,

I get my drink

As I’m in a good mood.

She’s doing shots

Liquid in a small plastic cup,

This is for the dressing

I’m not making this up.

She’s doing shots

Drinking on the clock?

Oh my goodness —

This really must stop.

She’s doing shots

On company time,

Where people eat

And where people dine.

She’s doing shots

In this shift of coda,

It doesn’t contain alcohol

—But only soda!

January, 2021

I Can Beat All the Boys

On a bench in a park

An old woman talks to her granddaughter,

Many trees are nearby

Along with a fountain of water.

A young girl who is roller skating

Sits at the end,

(Her surname is Bates)

Placing her right shoe on the bench

She says, Check out my skates!

I bet you go fast,

The grandmother says with joys,

"I sure can-

I can beat all the boys."

"I can beat all the boys

I leave them in the dust,

I’m not lying

You’ll have to accept my trust."

"I can beat all the boys

My skates are like rockets,

I leave them far behind

Their eyes out of their sockets."

June, 2020

The Start of My Confidence

At twelve years old

I attended a military school,

My parents weren’t there

But the Brothers did rule.

After breakfast in the dining hall

We’d go back to the dorm,

Signing up for 16" softball

(for after school)

Became my norm.

After fall-in at three

We’d change in our street attire,

Playing softball on the field

I was filled with fire.

At shortstop one day

A line drive was hit,

It was like a cannonball

That had been lit

Catching it instantly

My stomach did hurt

The ball didn’t fall

Or hit the dirt.

Cadets came up to me

And patted my shoulder,

My confidence started

Which grew into a boulder.

I lived, studied, and played

With these young gents,

But that day started

My rush of confidence.

December, 2020

The Meeting

London,1882

The skies are gray

They are not blue.

In a carriage

Under street lights,

He sees a teenage girl

His attraction ignites.

Later that night

Under a full moon beam,

She comes to him

In a colorful dream.

She talks

But no words are spoken,

Still, he understands

He senses this lucky token.

Talking to his father

About things and such,

"We need to help the poor

Because we have so much."

What do you suggest?

"The flowers are on a tree of birch,

Let’s have a dinner

At the Guildhall Church."

The son is calm

Yet has tension,

You’re making sense.

His father mentions.

On this day, the son serves meat

In this holy house,

He thinks of her

As his future spouse.

Suddenly he sees her

So innocent and sad,

But his heart flutters

He feels so glad.

He gives her a plate

That’s full of food,

He detects a smile

Which enhances her mood.

She cleans her plate

The meat to the bone,

He has an epiphany

She is all alone!

The abbey disperses

This is his chance,

Walking up to her

He feels nothing but romance.

His heart beats fast

Sweat forms on his brow,

His knees are weak

The time to talk is now.

"Pardon me, miss,

Did you get enough to eat?"

Her smile is genuine

She is so sweet.

Yes I did.

Is her reply,

He asks her to lunch

And she doesn’t ask why.

"I’ll pick you up Saturday.

Where do you live, my love?"

She tells him sincerely

As a sun ray forms above.

They agree on a time and place

He bids her adieu,

He feels so wonderful

He feels so new.

Saturday night is their meeting

He’s fallen like no other,

But there’s an unknown surprise

She’s bringing her mother!

March, 2018

A GTO in the Forest

The man loves his job

He provides because he should,

He is a pro carpenter

He loves the smell of wood.

At a construction site

This worker feels pressure,

He sets down his tool

A large tape measure.

Knocking on a porta-john

He finds it’s being used,

Apologizing sincerely

He is now excused.

Walking quickly to a forest

Mother Nature is calling,

He’s not crying

But his mind is bawling.

Relieving himself

In this shelter,

The heat is intense

It’s such a swelter.

He zips his fly

And he turns to go,

Out of the corner of his eye

He sees a GTO!

The man is surprised

This sight makes his day,

To view such a prize

In this special way!

The car is blue/green

With just a little rust,

The hood is slightly open

The auto covered with dust.

Peering inside

The interior is worn,

The fabric is faded

The seats are torn.

Squirrels appear

This critter little band,

The odometer