“If you fall <br />off that wall <br /> <br />& break both <br />your legs <br /> <br />...don’t come <br />running to me! ” <br /> <br />Could never understand <br />my Mam’s mind <br /> <br />& how it <br />worked. <br /> <br />One moment <br />she 'had half a mind <br /> <br />to come up there <br />&' get me off that wall. <br /> <br />Then she 'was in two minds <br />about' whether to tell me to stop. <br /> <br />“Go ahead...go ahead <br />& kill yourself <br /> <br />...see if I care! ” <br /> <br />“I’m warning you child <br />if you fall off that wall <br /> <br />& kill <br />yourself <br /> <br />I’ll personally <br />come up there <br /> <br />& kill ya myself <br />so I will! ” <br /> <br />I used to watch the words <br />climbing out of her mouth <br /> <br />& fly around the room <br /> <br />looking for a place to land <br />in my mind. <br /> <br />Never cared <br />whether she gave out. <br /> <br />I just loved <br />everything she said <br /> <br />the music of her <br />& how <br /> <br />she made the words <br />behave. <br /> <br />I came down <br />and kissed her <br /> <br />kissed her worry away. <br /> <br />'I'm sorry Mam' <br />I told her. <br /> <br />And she cried.<br /><br />Dónall Dempsey<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/me-mam-s-mind-in-memory-of-my-mother-ita/
