' ' ' ' ' ' ' Off The Wall(For Onelia) Poem by Dónall Dempsey

A man emerged
from a wall

stood there halfway in
& halfway out

froze when he saw me:

“Sorry! ” he said
“I’m not used to being dead! ”

“And it’s hard
To get use to this

kind of travel.”

“Usually only
little kids notice me & smile.”

“Ask their Mams if they can go play
with the man in the wall! ”

“And their Mams give them a smack

and say don’t do that...you’re freaking me out! ”

“Ouch! ”
the kids say.

“I’m a poet! ”
I explained.

“Ahhh...that would explain
it! ”
He laughed.

“You’re just as likely
to make me up
even if I didn’t exist.”

“It’s odd to exist on this
level of non-existence! ”

“I’m sure you will
get used to it in time.”


“Oh...I’m sure I will...I will
but Time is so immaterial to me now! ”

“Just need a little more
practice at being a ghost.! ”

“Listen...could ya be a real pal
and pull me outta this wall! ”

“I’m very betwixt
& between

at the moment.! ”

I asked him
if he would like to go

and have
a cappuccino.

So we sat
at an outside table

(it was such a lovely day)

he & me.

He living his death
I living my dying.
People saw me
talking and gesticulating

to
my
self

but they passed
it off

thinking
I was

a poet.