Once Bitten(For Scarlett) Poem by Dónall Dempsey

Stopping for
a roadside pee

in the Australian
outback

(the great Lord’s great outdoors)

still fresh
as if

he had just created it
that minute.

Ah, paradise!
Eyes closed with relief

as an arc
of urine

glinting gracefully

a silver
rainbow

dancing in the sun

until
(all of a sudden)

a kookaburra bird
screaming a warning

one
is

bitten
on the manhood

by a pissed upon
pissed off

snake
who don’t take to people

pissing on
it’s patch.

the pain was great
(like Adam being expelled from the Garden of Eden.)

The man nearly died
ut lived to tell the tale

which he
(for a free beer)

would regale
one & all

but always made sure
that now

(bladder bursting)

he used
the outside loo.