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Thomas O'Connell

Our Ghosts Do Not Say Boo!

They are screaming
In attics
Rattling the chains
Which keep them tethered to the floor

I lie awake
Listening
Out of courtesy
Though secretly wishing for sleep

And then sometimes
Like children
When taking a nap
They will suddenly go silent
And I will wonder, and worry, if they are all right


Thomas O'Connnell is a librarian living on the banks of the Connecticut River in Springfield, MA. His poetry and short fiction has appeared in The Los Angeles Review, Hobart (online), and Blink-Ink, as well as other print and online journals.


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