' ' ' Always Do Poem by Dónall Dempsey

Play hide and seek
in the library

in & out among
the children’s section

as we
always do.

We laughing silently.

I pull from the shelf
Grimm’s scary stories

but oh
no you!

Then I take out
Anderson’s Tales
but you’re not there.

I create a wall
of empty spaces
& blocks of sunshine.'

Finally find you
smiling behind

An Illustrated Shakespeare
....as always.

We know the end before we begin
but
delight in its playing.

“Here I am! ”
you tell me

& I always try to look amazed.

The look on your three-year old face!

Now you’ve grown
to have kids of your own

I still
pull out An Illustrated Shakespeare

amazed to find you

no longer there.