Out of our skull <br />on Rum & Red Bull <br /> <br />we play football <br />with a grinning <br /> <br />plastic skull <br />(retrieved from a skip) <br /> <br />using the Momento Mori <br />for a drunken kickabout. <br /> <br />You dribble <br />& drool it. <br /> <br />You shoot <br />I save it <br /> <br />tipping it over <br />an imaginary crossbar. <br /> <br /> <br />Spectacular! <br /> <br />I bathe <br />in an imaginary roar. <br /> <br />I clutch <br />the skull <br /> <br />to my chest <br />begin to spout: <br /> <br />'Toby <br />(or not) <br />Toby <br /> <br />... that is the jug! ' <br /> <br />'Oi...! ' you shout <br />'Me Lord Hamlet <br /> <br />...over here <br />on de head! ' <br /> <br />I dropp kick <br />the skull <br /> <br />(grinning still) <br /> <br />in your general <br />direction. <br /> <br />I can see <br />two of you <br /> <br />& don't know who <br />to pass it too. <br /> <br />You rise <br />beautifully to <br /> <br />the occasion <br /> <br />losing a stiletto <br />in the process <br /> <br />your body arched <br />like a sublime salmon <br /> <br />jumping <br />upstream <br /> <br />you head the skull home <br />past my groping outstretched fingertips <br /> <br />'GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLGOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL! ' <br />you scream <br /> <br />your blouse <br />over your head <br /> <br />in exultant <br />celebration. <br /> <br />A 'Now then...now then' police man <br />confiscates our skull. <br /> <br />Tells us <br />to bugger off. <br /> <br />'Awwww Ref! ' <br />we argue but <br /> <br />he ain't <br />having any of it. <br /> <br />Hanging on <br />to each other <br /> <br />you ululating. <br /> <br />We stagger <br />down the street <br /> <br />look back <br />to see <br /> <br />P.C. Plod <br /> <br />miskick the skull <br />through someone's sleeping <br /> <br />window <br />crashtinkletinkle. <br /> <br />We wonder if <br />he'll have to <br /> <br />arrest <br />himself. <br /> <br />We scarper <br />in case he tries <br /> <br />to blame it <br />on innocent us.<br /><br />Dónall Dempsey<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/rum-red-bull-being-a-day-after-her-birthday-poem/
