Donal Mahoney- Three Poems

Protect and Serve

On Saturday mornings

several bowed citizens 

gather on the sidewalk

outside the clinic

to read the Bible and pray.

Staff peer through curtains

afraid one of them might

stop a client coming in 

for her procedure

despite two policemen

guns in their holsters 

stationed outside.

Sacked

When we hire people, we like to know

their limitations, said Mr. Acre,

commandant of personnel.

Look at Phil with his arm and hook.

We could see the problem when we hired him.

We've hired others with limitations 

not as obvious and that has backfired.

You and I have limitations no one can see.   

If ours were obvious, someone might

call the cops to come and get us.

I’m in charge so here’s your severance.  

Box up your stuff and go away.

A Comfortable Retirement

Retired now, he’s half St. Francis

every season of the year, putting out

sunflower seed and safflower seed 

for bickering cardinals and jays, 

niger seed for the goldfinch mob,

millet for the different sparrows,

feeds feral cats at an early hour 

that eat and leave before 

the birds drop down.

He and his wife go downtown

and step around old men drifting 

like pigeons, begging for change.

Donal Mahoney

———————————————————————

Donal Mahoney is comfortably retired but not rich;

was sacked at least twice in his life with 5 kids

in private schools, and reads a few verses

from the Bible online every day as medicine 

for his soul.  He thinks the Bible is finally 

having an effect on him but he’s a terminal 

sinner with a long (or maybe short) way to go.

He wants the elevator to go up.