Listening to <br />Dad in the dark <br /> <br />us boys <br />in stitches <br /> <br />telling us stories <br />about himself <br /> <br />when he was our age <br />& growing up <br /> <br />our eyes <br />seeing it all <br /> <br />come alive <br /> <br />the darkness lit up <br />with laughter <br /> <br />us boys <br />clutching our sides <br /> <br />pleading “Please... <br />No more…no more! ” <br /> <br />(yet never wanting it to stop) <br /> <br />Knowing every nuance <br />each perfect pause <br />each shiny word <br /> <br />“No more…now…no more <br />go to sleep ya little devils! ” <br /> <br />Silence then <br />& then he’d be the first to <br />break it. <br /> <br />His wheezy hee hee <br />infectious <br /> <br />(we wanting to wee wee) <br /> <br />laughing so much <br />it hurt <br /> <br />“Oh God...oh God! ” <br /> <br />Dear Dad <br />I still listen to <br /> <br />your stories <br />in the dark <br /> <br />my laughter <br />echoing <br />down the years. <br /> <br /> <br />(For Brian my co-listener in the dark)<br /><br />Dónall Dempsey<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/listening-as-a-little-lad-to-my-old-lad-telling-stories/
