Donal Mahoney Poems

It's funny how strangers make your day, a teacher, long retired, told me the other day. A girl he didn't know came up to him at the Mall and introduced herself. She said she was Jo Ellen Brown's sister. She said Jo Ellen had always praised him as her favorite teacher. He told her he remembered Jo Ellen. She was a quiet girl from a little farm outside of town. Very smart. That was 20 years ago.

He told me he remembered once in class she was writing an Optimist essay and did a beautiful job. It sang, the prose was so fine, almost poetic but filled with facts. As a result, Jo Ellen and the teacher, were invited to come to the state capital for her to read her essay at the Optimist Convention. He and his wife spent three days with Jo Ellen. She had a wonderful time, first time a young farm girl had been to the big city.
...

Praise for Him
coming from us
is like the bark
...

The call comes in
to the police station.
It's a small town and
the voice at the library
...

Someone has to cut the grass
Molly tells Bill
dozing off in his recliner
too weary to cut it.
...

Melanie cried for hours the day
a drunk driver ran over her dog
a week after she had an abortion.
She loved that dog so much
...

After Saturday tennis I came home
took a nap and woke up dizzy
had trouble walking.
My balance was off so I went
...

They're starlets Hollywood
has yet to discover, two nice
young ladies who assemble
sandwiches at the Subway Shop
...

Phone rings. Wilbur answers it.

"This is Grace. Is Thelma there? "
...

You're an old man
in a nice suit and tie
out with your wife
at a fancy function
...