Was Yours Poem by Dónall Dempsey

“What was it like to be paralyised? ”

He laughs &
repeats the question

so he can hide
behind the words.

“It was like...
Lazarus come back from...”

(Even Spring
couldn’t move)

(& the rain that fell
couldn’t fall)

(lost in
itself) .

“It was like being dead
but being
alive to know it! ”

“With maggots
eating the memories

that were supposed to be
yours

somewhere in the back
of a mind

you could never be
sure was yours

was yours...was yours

...yours.”