A man emerged <br />from a wall <br /> <br />stood there halfway in <br />& halfway out <br /> <br />froze when he saw me: <br /> <br />“Sorry! ” he said <br />“I’m not used to being dead! ” <br /> <br />“And it’s hard <br />To get use to this <br /> <br />kind of travel.” <br /> <br />“Usually only <br />little kids notice me & smile.” <br /> <br />“Ask their Mams if they can go play <br />with the man in the wall! ” <br /> <br />“And their Mams give them a smack <br /> <br />and say don’t do that...you’re freaking me out! ” <br /> <br />“Ouch! ” <br />the kids say. <br /> <br />“I’m a poet! ” <br />I explained. <br /> <br />“Ahhh...that would explain <br />it! ” <br />He laughed. <br /> <br />“You’re just as likely <br />to make me up <br />even if I didn’t exist.” <br /> <br />“It’s odd to exist on this <br />level of non-existence! ” <br /> <br />“I’m sure you will <br />get used to it in time.” <br /> <br /> <br />“Oh...I’m sure I will...I will <br />but Time is so immaterial to me now! ” <br /> <br />“Just need a little more <br />practice at being a ghost.! ” <br /> <br />“Listen...could ya be a real pal <br />and pull me outta this wall! ” <br /> <br />“I’m very betwixt <br />& between <br /> <br />at the moment.! ” <br /> <br />I asked him <br />if he would like to go <br /> <br />and have <br />a cappuccino. <br /> <br />So we sat <br />at an outside table <br /> <br />(it was such a lovely day) <br /> <br />he & me. <br /> <br />He living his death <br />I living my dying. <br />People saw me <br />talking and gesticulating <br /> <br />to <br />my <br />self <br /> <br />but they passed <br />it off <br /> <br />thinking <br />I was <br /> <br />a poet.<br /><br />Dónall Dempsey<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/off-the-wall-for-onelia/
