That’s The Last Time I’ll Let Her Watch The Wizard Of Oz Three Times In A Row! Poem by Dónall Dempsey

Scarecrow
(a crucified Christ)

nailed to
the sunset & the rain.

My daughter crying
wanting to bring him home.

“Why, can’t we
bring him home! ”
she wails.

“I’ll look after him! ”
“Please! ”

She sulks in the car
all the way home and all of next week.

Whimpers in some fretful dream
that her scarecrow

“...is cold...is cold! ”

I study the holiday photo
reconstruct an exact reproduction
of her straw man.

Plant him
in our garden

in the middle of dawn
(throw stones at her window)

see her beam as she sees him again

clatter down the stairs clasp him to her:

“I knew you’d come...I just knew!