Being George's Imaginary White Rabbit(For George) Poem by Dónall Dempsey

George likes me.
I like George.

George is autistic
& likes to play the spoons.

George is fascinated
by my long lady-like hair.

Always says... always mystified:
'But...you're a man! '

George always says hello to me
in exactly the same way everyday.

'Hello...! ' he beams & pauses

as he rummages around in his mind
for that something to define me.

Finally, after some slow deliberation
my name finally pulls in late at the station.

'Hello....Dónall! '

as if his voice were a magician
pulling me out of a hat.

I smile as if I have just been
Abracadabra'd!

Feel presto pretty
pleased

to be George's imaginary
white rabbit pulled out of
some imaginary top hat

with that special flourish
of his voice.

I feel magical!

It doesn't get better

...than that!

*******

It's always the same conversation...never changes...doesn't matter...I hear it alwasy as if it were the first time...almost swooning with the sheer pleasure of it. HIs voice brings me into being as if I never had a name until now and he has invented it...and it fits me perfectly. My Granny who couldn't see used to do the same thing to me....'see' me with the tips of her fingers as if she had created me that second. I used to feel so brand(and shyly) new) . 'Only Connect' as Foster so aptly puts it and George when he 'invents' me with that great big surge of love is just pure emotional electricty..