Relationship Poetry By Donal Mahoney

Donal Mahoney is no maven when it comes to love and relationships between the sexes. But long ago when he was young and randy, a man pretty much had to get married if he wanted to have sex. Most women kept their legs crossed in the Fifties, a scissors not ready to part. If he were young and randy today, he probably would not marry. Now he is old and randy and still happily married. And he still has no idea why for some people, “love" happens and lasts. And why for so many others, it seems, “like” happens instead and evaporates over time. 

Same Old Story

When Martha gets home from 
cooking class this afternoon,
Martin will be gone 

after 30 years of marriage.
Martha won't know why
but it's the same old story

another woman
this one young and beautiful
but deaf and mute as well

a woman Martin likes 
because her body speaks 
a language all its own

a woman who stays home
unless Martin chooses
to walk her 

along with Sparky,
an old sheepdog his wife 
gave him as a pup.

Donal Mahoney


Unrequited Love

On their 50th anniversary
Sammy gave Dolly a necklace  
and told his darling wife that
if they lived long enough 
one of them would wake  
to find the other one had died.
"That's life," said Sammy.

And so it came to pass 
Dolly rose one day
and found old Sammy 
on the bathroom floor, 
face blue, body cold,
arms outstretched, 
an old man crucified.

This wasn't the first time
in 50 years Sammy had 
ruined Dolly's day but now
free of fear, Dolly spoke: 
"I never thought you'd die.
I'll have your ashes in an urn 
and under dirt by end of day."


Donal Mahoney


If We Ever Break Up

Thunder and lightning at first,
as I understand it, 
and then the moon will split

in half and disappear
and the stars will go dark
and the sun will come up

and explode in the sky,
another Hiroshima. 
Hurricanes and tornadoes 

will savage the land.
Sickles and scythes  
will harvest the people,

throw some in the air
shouting Alleluia, 
toss others aside 

shrieking and cursing.
Silence will boom
as the credits roll.

Bugs Bunny, the sage, 
will have the last word:
"That's all, folks!”

Tiny Drawing From 05/09/2011 By jenny Mathews