' ' ' ' Down Some Imaginary Road(For Lynn) Poem by Dónall Dempsey

My Uncle’s
old blue van

gone to seed now

growing like
some strange mechanical
vegetable

beside the chicken shed.

A cock waking up
the morning.

Soon the sizzle of a sun
like a big fried egg.

Old blue van
talks to itself.

Its blue
maddened with rust.

Its mind all
honeysuckle
& wild woodbine.

Lost its wheels
lost a screw or two too
...gone a bit crazy.

Sam the dog
squints through the shattered
windscreen

cracked as memory.

Paws upon
the steering wheel

thinking in “dog”:

“Now, how
does one start this damn thing? ”

Checks his rear view
...mirror

Nothing coming
but three trees

but they’re keeping
a safe distance.

Chicken in the backseat
with a new laid egg
(still warm)
chatting chicken
sh** as usual.

Put the fear
of God
in any dog

with squawk
turn left squawk turn right.

But Sam
don’t speak
no chicken

so it falls on
dear ears

It’s all Chinese to him
but it sure is annoying!

I, in the front
passenger seat

trying to avoid
the stinging nettles

growing up
amongst the gear stick.


Dandelions
jumping on the running board

roses trying to
hitch a lift

(to any old where outta here)

snails hanging on
on the bonnet

for dear
life

cobwebs caught
in the slip stream

screaming: “Stop...
...there’s a horse! ”

Dolly the horse
trots into view.

Whoa we
nearly hit her!

She snorts derisively
& neighs,

I put
the old jalopy

into reverse
& sting myself to bits:

“Ouch…ouch, , , oops! ”

Looks like
we stalled.

I get out
& check the engine.

Just as I thought
...ain’t no engine!

Only brambles & thorns
brambles & thorns.

I get torn to bits trying to fix it.

“Ouch... ouch...oops! ”

I get arrested
by my Auntie’s voice.

End up doing time
doing mindless chores

as the old blue van

goes on
without me

down some
imaginary road.