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Jim Dolan

things of the mind/things in the world

after that storm in june
bradford pear tree
heavywet the

black boy on his bike that's
too small sirens
swarm like bee's from a nest

the

front porch bedecked with
geranium begonia impatiens
enough latin for a mass

concrete driveway dark and
slick
filaments of current slice

the sky

these gnats swarm
my ears
they bother me

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Forgiveness

There is a twelve year old boy walking

In my shadow. When I enter a room, and

Sit in a chair, he plops down in the empty one next to me. He

Bites his nails. He is fat. His shoes are untied.

There is a smear of ketchup on his Metallica shirt. Of course,

He needs a shower. Wherever I go, there he is.

He is fascinated with cars. In his dreams, blue ones and

Red ones race toward empty horizons at impossible

Speeds. They are sleek, divine bolts of irresistible force.

One day, I'd had enough. I spoke to him. I said,

You embarrass me. What do you want? And he said, Well,

You ignore me, so I guess we're even. He lifted the

Hamburger he was holding to his lips and chewed with his

Mouth open. His filthy baseball cap sat askew on his

Head, nearly falling off. Whadderyoulookinat? He said. I

Dunno, that's what I'm trying to figure out. It went on

Like that for a while, getting more and more ugly. Finally we ran

Out of things to say. There was a long silence. Who are

You really? I asked. When he told me, it was no surprise

At all. We looked each other in the eye a long time.

Eons passed. Sea floors rose up and hardened in the sun, became

Rock upon which the ancients carved their languages. Still,

We held each other's eye. At last the trance broke. I put my hand

Behind his head, pulled him to me. I know you are doing

The best you can, I said. I see how hard you try. I am right here,

I won't leave you. I won't let you down. I won't let you

Down, I said, to an empty chair, a fleeting image in a mirror, to

The air. Yes. It's true.

I spoke it to the air.

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click here for more of Jim's Poetry

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Jim is a psychotherapist who has practiced in Dallas since 1978. He is a native and current resident of Oak Cliff, where he resides with his wife, Karen, and children, Ryan and Whitney. He was educated at University of Dallas and Duquesne University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

He is published in The Word, Illya's Honey, and online at RedRiverReview and Pyrowords. In 1997, he published his chapbook, Amethyst, Amaryllis, Amor. He has been asked to present his work at Barnes and Noble, Sequoyah's Book and Coffee Shop, Club Clearview, and the New Amsterdam Coffee Shop. In 1998, Jim Boone asked him to join the Texas Poetry Project. He is President of the Board of Directors of WordSpace. He helped begin the Oak Cliff Circle of Poets. In 1998, he was a runner up in the Dallas Poets Community Open Contest, a Finalist in 1999.

He is a member of the improvisational theater group, Serious Mayhem, directed by Nancy Fine. He studies film acting at the Michelle Condrey Film Actors Studio of Oak Cliff.

He is currently playing the 'bad guy', Alan, in the film entitled Nemesis, in production, directed and written by James McDonald.

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