' ' ' Wot De...Dickens! Poem by Dónall Dempsey

'Oooooh he was so...young! '
she moaned.

'But I played it
all wrong! '

'Came on all coy & shy & then
...too strong.'

'Frightening my little dear
into running away.'

'Oh he was so...young! '
she moaned.

I told her
she should do
as Chinese ladies used to do

wear a garland
of lighted candles

about one's head
& sneaking up at one or two

in the morning nailing
a straw doll of him
to the door.

He in two days or so would(voila!)
weaken & sicken.

Then go from Drop Dead Gorgeous to just
dropp dead.

'That's a bit excessive! '
she said.

'But thanks for the advice! '

It was Miss Haversham time
(all the clocks stopped at twenty to nine)

but she still held
great expectations.