' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ''Favourite Photo(For Scarlett) Poem by Dónall Dempsey

“I like this photo
of me! ”

She cradled it
happily in her palm.

The photo was old
and looked sleepy.

I could see it
dreaming itself.

“You’re in it
too! ”


I looked & couldn’t
see me anywhere.

Your head
had been cut off

and most of your eyes
(only the lower lashes showed) .

Golden curls
grew on your shoulders

like epaulettes.

You wore
a lovely smile

and nothing
much else.

“But where am I? ”

“That hand is you! ”
she smiled her lovely smile.


I squinted.

A hand
all alone

spider-like
had crept

just in to the left hand bottom side
of the photo.

“Tilly took it
when she was two! ”