' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' Being Dinner(For Helen) Poem by Dónall Dempsey

She vanishes
into the kitchen

soon it is quiet
(too too) quiet

for my little
mouse

not to be up to something
...or other.

'Tillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllly'
('Where are you? ')

A voice invisible
calls

'Here I am! '

All I can see is
I can't see her

until a cupboard door
kicks itself open

she lies curled up
on the dinner plates

her curls
resting in soup bowls.

'I sleepies! '
she sighs.

'Mmmmm....you look delicious! '
I smile.

'I could just
eat you up! '

She laughs as I
salt & pepper her

get knife & fork
pretend to munch her.

'MMM...needs a little
ketchup I suppose! '

I put a little dollop
on her nose.

'Yummy! '
she licks it off.

'I like being dinner! '
she giggles.