A Boy Called Donnie

Do you believe in time travel? 

Frank the giant rabbit asked Donnie

-do you believe in time travel?-
slowly, so slowly
...it all began to unravel

-like an axe through bronze-

like the painted swans

that watched Cherita Chen dance
(a sad dance)
and
the ex nun 

-Roberta Swan-
who walked to and from

a letter box, 

-awaiting the equinox-

-exposing the paradox-

of life

grandma death, she said- 

'every living creature on earth dies alone'

he thought perhaps, I don't want to die alone
but I must atone, for my sins-

Donnie, son, you didn't give a damn 

about Jim Cunningham 

and his warped philosophy of fear 

...Jim didn't dare
look you in the eye
because he knew
he knew you were right...
she asked you some nights later

'Is the search for God absurd?'
and you voiced your thoughts

It is if we all die alone

came your reply Donnie,
she left a message on your mother's phone
a ghost message, it was never received
Donnie, do you know that Frank 

he turned your mind blank

you didn't thank him enough, 

you just carried on talking about buff 

smurfs. He told you to do it.
You burned it to the ground

you found 

a way of travelling back in time

and if violence is a product of fear

of course you were scared,
admittedly, you were scared

-terrified-
It messed you up. It made you see.

I believe, Donnie, I believe that
you are a troubled and confused young man-

Donnie I believe that you were part of a plan

God's time, destiny allows you to see 

into the future,
and you can try
you can try
to cut it out with the sutures  

but pointing the gun
-paralysed by fear- 

it ain't the answer, son-

Or is it, and why

why why why why

why are you wearing 

that stupid man suit?

It doesn't suit you, it doesn't suit who
you are soon to become,
that gun, put it away Donnie

'I hope when the world comes to an end 

I can breathe a sigh of relief 

because there'll be so much to look forward to'
you said that. it all made sense.
you didn't look so tense, then. you looked as ease
-wait-freeze-
what happened to your eye? don't lie-
I won't let it slide;

sometimes I doubt your commitment to sparkle motion-

what a commotion, Donnie, what a commotion

you stirred! by burning it to the ground,

-profound-
you found, a way to confound certainties
though action, through questions,
through aggressive behaviour 

Frank, was he your saviour? 

you tapped the knife against the mirror

-break, break, break-
-take, take, take-
me back to the beginning.
I just want my son to experience some relief

and I have to believe, 

that I'm doing right, your mother said
cellar door:

prescribed nonsense, you call this clarity

let me teach you about this thing called charity

I'm trying to save these kids, in a bid to save myself

I don't want to die alone

-replace it with a sunset against the grand canyon-

Frank, when's this going to stop? 

drop. drop. drop

erase the past
gone.