You suspected Saffy
Was shafted by her
Brother; the big ape
Eyed her frequently
From his armchair
In the corner when
You called on her
To go out. She had
That, Oh I can’t go
Out now look; can’t
We stay in, watch a
Movie or go to my
Room and listen to the
Hifi? Sure, you’d say,
And go to her to room
And sit in the chair by
The wide window as she
Sorted through records.
The side of her neck was
Shot with brown marks,
Her eyes haunted, her thin
Fingers flicking LPs, her
Tongue lying on her lower
Lip. She played her only
Beatles album, Help,
Played it loud, sitting
On the edge of her bed,
Nodding her head. The ape
Knocked her door, peered
Through the gap, not too loud
Saf, turn it down lover child,
Don’t want any neighbours
Banging on the wall, he said.
She waved you goodbye from
The door, the ape saw you
Off, his eyes following your
*** down the path with
His sick laugh. Saf didn’t
Say that he did, but hinted,
Implied; her words echoing
Through the mind years later.
The ape long since dead;
Bullet in the head, by her
They said, pulling the trigger
Of the father’s gun, ending
It in the room where all began;
Window open, wind blowing
Curtains, gun blast, midday sun.
Apr 16, 2016
Apr 16, 2016 at 12:01 PM UTC
You suspected Saffy
Was shafted by her
Brother; the big ape
Eyed her frequently
From his armchair
In the corner when
You called on her
To go out. She had
That, Oh I can’t go
Out now look; can’t
We stay in, watch a
Movie or go to my
Room and listen to the
Hifi? Sure, you’d say,
And go to her to room
And sit in the chair by
The wide window as she
Sorted through records.
The side of her neck was
Shot with brown marks,
Her eyes haunted, her thin
Fingers flicking LPs, her
Tongue lying on her lower
Lip. She played her only
Beatles album, Help,
Played it loud, sitting
On the edge of her bed,
Nodding her head. The ape
Knocked her door, peered
Through the gap, not too loud
Saf, turn it down lover child,
Don’t want any neighbours
Banging on the wall, he said.
She waved you goodbye from
The door, the ape saw you
Off, his eyes following your
*** down the path with
His sick laugh. Saf didn’t
Say that he did, but hinted,
Implied; her words echoing
Through the mind years later.
The ape long since dead;
Bullet in the head, by her
They said, pulling the trigger
Of the father’s gun, ending
It in the room where all began;
Window open, wind blowing
Curtains, gun blast, midday sun.
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