The Magic Of The Movies (Contains Violence) Poem by Sean Joyce

Kitchen chairs a shilling/3 and us
kids on benches nine pence each
(Escape from fear NO HITTING HERE)
Magic shadows on a sheet

So simple then, so Black and White
And I in love with Doris Day
The ‘Secret Love that (singing)
l i v e d within the h e a r t of me’

My uncle James was Burt Lancaster
tall and fearless gun in hand
Our father fear was tough-guy Gable
Uncle Vincy was Humphrey Bogart
tough and strong but gently fun as well

The farmers pooled their nickels
for gunslinger Alan Ladd and he
as Shane, and single handed
shot those baddies dead

Leaning from his horse
he tossed my yellow hair
‘Come home with me’, I whispered
‘You could sort it out’

'Well, I guess', he said, 'I guess'
and then he rode away while I
ran through the graveyard calling
'Shane, Shane, come back Shane'

Outside, always, cold and dark
but happy ending here
Shane has been and gone and
shot Clark Gable dead