'DREAMING OF BEING REAL(for Scarlett)

I waited with

the bubbles

to cross the street.

One big bubble

winked at me.

It had a rainbow

just off-key of its center

like a Cyclops
eye.

'Bye! ' it blinked

and went out of existence.

I felt sad.

I had really liked that bubble.

My daughter

waiting for red to go green

continued blowing

families of bubbles.

some of the bubbles

crossed the road

before the lights

changed

and got hit by a 69

bus.

Others busted

on a lady's hat

but the lady didn't

notice it.

One hitched a ride

on an exclamation mark

pretending to be

a dog's tail.

Two little baby bubbles

travelled over on my shoulder.

Some newly blown bubbles

dashed across the road

leading delightedly

the way.

Others disappeared up

into a blue so blue

(you wouldn't believe it)

as if Summer

was trying to be

a perfect picture postcard

of itself.

'Hold my hand now, love! '

the father in my voice

tinged the words

with love and care.

'Ok! '
my daughter said

trusting the words.

As we crossed the road

the bubbles in the bottle

fell asleep

and dreamed of being

real.

Dónall Dempsey'