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Donal Mahoney

Donal Mahoney

Firstborn

Born at the foot
of the mountain
what will you do?
 
You have time to decide
but some die young.
Others live but remain
 
at the foot of the mountain
where wind like snow
blows them around.
 
So what will you do?
Go 'round the mountain?
Fly over the mountain?
 
Or climb the mountain,
hand over hand,
with fingers and toes
 
tucked in clefts,
stopping only for water,
then going on.
 
Millions are now
on the side
of the mountain
 
halfway up
with grappling hooks
and the finest gear.
 
So what will you do?
Parents can pray but
God only knows.
 
Donal Mahoney

Other works by Donal Mahoney...
Near North Side: Chicago

Where will the lovely lady go on her diurnal walk? One child in 30 years she bore, now they do not talk. Supple, firm, her lithe legs are,
A Chance to Say Good-Bye

After World War II before television, before women had tattoos before men wore earrings, I was a child in a world
A Bride for Mr. Fenster

Three sisters single in their 40s gather 'round the fire on a night of thunder to figure out which sister
A Prescient Moment

Melanie was waiting for the light… at 12th and Broadway when a large… a big truck and 10 gallon hat roar… right beside her. His truck cab lo… above her old Buick. His stereo b…
True Story on the Morning News

This just in. In metro St. Louis last night a woman gave birth to a boy in the bathroom of her second-floor apartment.
Joy for Everyone

I have to hope America can trust and welcome them especially parents hiding children
You Can’t Make This Up

Police arrested a man on suspicion of child abuse after doctors found a small octopus in the throat of his girlfriend’s two-year-old s…
 1
A Chipmunk Chortles His Applause

She’s not young, his wife. They’ve been together 40 years but when she gardens in her shorts and he’s lying in his hammock she’… a lovely sight to see so when she
Where Does the Hour Go?

In the fall we lose an hour in most of the United States when we have to turn our clocks back. This is not the case
America Will Discover

If the goal of business is to make a profit and it is—and if the goal of government is to take care of people
Butter or Margarine

It was a mistake to take home economics out of the curriculum at so many high schools, says Wally, a retired teacher who has an ongoing interest in education. He taught high school for ...
A Haircut for the Yard

Herb’s wife says the grass needs cutting and Herb agrees. She says the neighbors are upset he hasn’t cut it for the last five weeks.
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Earthquake in the Yard

He’s a vet from Vietnam who won’t say much about what happened over there except to say his problem began with Agent Orange,
What the Doctor Doesn’t Say

It’s a simple procedure I’ve done for years many times a day. You’ll go home this afternoon, take it easy over the weekend,
A Man of No Words

Virgil comes to group therapy every week in his pick-up truck with his dog, Buster, standing in the bed of the truck. The sessions are held for veterans of Korea and Vietnam. Quite a fe...



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