Dancing With Me Da! (For Linda) Poem by Dónall Dempsey

As usual
the world
is threaded through me
through television

& right now
it's Jimmy Cagney.

I sit enthralled
engrossed in every move

...each gesture.

My Dad comes in
from the garden
as if he were Adam

toiling over
his vegetables.

He drops his crop
of potatoes on the floor

cries out: 'Oh...
I love this! '

Sweeps me off
my feet in a gentle waltz

around our kitchen.

'Casey...'
(he softly sings)

'would waltz with
the strawberry blonde

...& the band played on! '

'He'd waltz 'round the floor
with the girl he adored

...& the band played on! '

'His heart was so loaded
(it nearly exploded) '

'For God's sake Danny
put the child down! '

He is scolded by my
pretending to be annoyed mother.

'...& make us a cup of tea! '

'...& stop acting the clown
....& being an eejit! '

I am deposited
like a broken twig
in a river

on the further bank
of a big arm chair

'Da da da da da
da da da da da

da da da da da'

he hums as the kettle
boils

kissing my mum
who is by now beginning
to hum:

'Da da da da
da da da da da da...'

...dancing with me da!

...some lost sunny Sunday.



(It is more than fitting that his poem should be dedicated to Linda Treat who was the first to greet me on the site with the openness and warmth of a true Dempsey.

Thank you for all the lovely voices out there(especially Miss Angie and my old pal AL) who took the time to listen and said they enjoyed the 'stuff.' It was much...appreciated.

Thanks folks and that's all folks.)