Dom Conlon, poet & author

Category: Poems/Stories

  • Moon Sail

    There’s a star white sail on the ocean sky — dawn-blown and sleep-silent it ripples the swallows and starlings to gather gold from ghostly galleons whilst the sun still marks the way. So cast your day wide and fish in the moon beams of dreams. —

  • Royal Babies

    The two youngest monarchs of England and Scotland were Henry VI and Mary. Henry ruled England from 1422 to 1453. He was 8 months old when he became King. Mary ruled Scotland from 14 December 1542 to 24 July 1567. She was six days old when she became Queen. The country’s safe, so do not…

  • You’ll Burst, Again

    A Badtime Story The water tasted like the tears of a corpse if a corpse could cry. If that corpse had not, as everyone knew usually happened, gone beyond feeling sad into accepting its dusty fate. “More,” said Jacob. “You can’t have any more,” said Balthazar the babysitter. “You’ll burst, again.” “More,” said Jacob. Nurse…

  • A Poet’s Knock-Knock Joke

    Knock knock Who’s there? A man whose knock is the sound of a rose blooming, whose shadow is the weight of a heartbeat, whose path was predicted by the collision of stars. Who? Dom. Oh. Come in. —

  • The Ducks In My Park

    The ducks in my park make this sort of sound: e-OO-e-OO-e-OO HONK HONK! They’re like clowns honking horns on squeaky bicycles. Are they going to the circus do you think? I only ask because the clowns in my circus make this sort of sound: splash splash splash QUACK QUACK QUACK! — Illustration courtesy and copyright…

  • Don’t Wake Before Dawn

    A Badtime Story The twins, Jacob and Jacob, were less than talkative that evening. “I shall remove the gags, but only if you promise not to say those words again,” said Nurse Mariam. The twins nodded like men on the gibbet, their shiny leather gags black with drool. Downstairs, the muted prayers of the Also…

  • The Maroon Baboon

    A maroon baboon Marooned on the moon Wistfully wished For a moon balloon. “I’m marooned on the moon Too soon too soon,” Crooned the maroon baboon On a maroon bassoon. “If only I had a moon balloon I’d sail away on the wind of a tune I’d sail away from now until noon I’d sail…

  • Father’s Turn To Read

    A Badtime Story Jacob and Jacob had been given new bed jackets to wear for the occasion, cut from the shrouds of long dead aunts. Their hairs had been brushed and each tooth polished and blunted. It was Father’s turn to read. Nurse Mariam was not allowed to speak that evening. ‘Must we–’ began Jacob.…

  • Sleep Like The Dead

    A Badtime Story Cloister, the gardener, was raking fresh dirt upon the bedroom floor that night. “What is the meaning of this?” Nurse Mariam demanded. “Ar,” explained Cloister. “Oh very well,” replied the old nurse. “I suppose the moon is as gibbous as a lung tonight.” The gardener, his mouth like a bullet hole in…

  • Amour No More

    I heard this tragic poem, this tale of ‘amour’ or ‘love’ as more common people call it as it was carried upon a thin breeze. I was taking my midnight walk through the abandoned cemetery near my country estate and it struck into my heart. I knew I had to take a spade right there…