Makeshift Daddy Poem by Dónall Dempsey

She wraps her legs
around my neck

pulls on the reins
of my ears and curls

when she wants me
to giddy up or stop.

She screams: 'Daddy Daddy! '
and excitedly wee wees down
the back of my neck,

A happy little girl
happy that I am her Daddy
...even just for now.

'You're my pretend Daddy
'cos my real Daddy's gone away

to be dead
in Heaven.'

She tells me that one day
she will visit him in Heaven

but she will '...have to wait
until she's grown up dead.'

'But...' (she carefully
assesses the situation)

'...you'll do
for the time being! '


(for Lyn)