Hiding in the hay <br />me a terrified little boy <br />& my uncle like a terrified little boy <br /> <br />the voices in his head <br />telling him to be afraid <br />of all strangers...changes. <br /> <br />He’s been like this <br />since the day his Dad(my unknown grandfather) <br />died. <br /> <br />My Aunt’s voice <br />searching for us...searching us out. <br /> <br />Her shouts like bloodhounds <br />hunting us down <br /> <br />her words angry & cruel. <br /> <br />Her angry voice <br />slurring us into: <br /> <br />“DonallSeanie! ” <br /> <br />as if we had fused into one being <br />a metamorphosis of us. <br /> <br />The hay cooks us <br />and we swelter in our hidey hole <br /> <br />A chicken sits on top <br />of my uncle’s cap <br /> <br />as if his mind had <br />materialised into this shape. <br /> <br />He rocks himself <br />and rocks me. <br /> <br />“Shhhh...boy...shhhh! ” <br />comforting both him & me. <br /> <br />“Don’t leave me! ” <br />he clucks <br /> <br />the words scattered around him <br />like newly laid eggs. <br /> <br />I settle into his silence. <br /> <br />My Aunt’s threats <br />freezing us <br />in this terrible heat. <br /> <br />His chest hair <br />tickles my nose. <br /> <br />The cut on my left big toe <br />throbs through the open sandal. <br /> <br />My uncle cries in fear. <br /> <br />I wipe away the tear <br />with the dirty edge of my sleeve. <br /> <br />We escape to <br />the West field <br /> <br />me riding his shoulders <br /> <br />transformed into <br />a legendary creature <br /> <br />that only exists <br />in myths <br /> <br />fleeing from the realness <br /> <br />...of reality.<br /><br />Dónall Dempsey<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/centaur-for-brian/
