Mary's father is sitting
in the lounge reading
a newspaper before dinner
Mary comes into the room
and sits in the armchair
by the window
and peers out
her father lowers
the newspaper
there's talk of you
from the nuns
he says
she turns and looks at him
is there
good I hope
she says
no it's not
he says
o well there you are Da
you can't please all
of the people
all of the time
never the time
with you it seems
with the nuns
he says
he shakes out
the newspaper
making noise
what's it this time?
she says
sitting back
in the armchair
letting her backside comfy
words you've said
he says
raising the paper
and peering over the top
what words?
I speak civil
and I answer
the **** questions
about God
and the religion
and maths etc.
what word is this?
she says
he sighs
wishes she were
a young little girl still
not some 14 year old
know it all
with a mouth on her
he lowers the paper
and takes out a letter
from his waistcoat pocket
(slightly ******* up)
and offers it to her
here read it yourself
he says
she leans out of the chair
and takes the letter
from his hand
and sits back down again
and unfolds the letter
and reads
he lifts the newspaper
and reads a sports page
I never did
Mary says
never in my precious
to Christ life have I said that
she reads on
staring at the page
as if it had criticized her
(which it did)
they're like
the fecking Gestapo
she mutters
I was not kissing Magdalene
I was whispering
something to her
Mary mutters to the page
(and her father
if he was listening)
and I never did
call Sister Clare
a ****** waster
Mary muttered on
then she refolds the letter
and puts it
on the arm of the chair
and gazes at her father
well?
he says
what have you to say
for yourself?
she gazes at him
once he'd have
tanned her behind
and sent to bed without dinner
but he'd gone soft
on her since
she'd grown ****
and tried negotiation instead
what's for dinner?
she says
wait and see
he says
so what about the contents
of the good nun's letter?
he says
it was one of those days
she says
womanly things
gets to me
her father lifts
the newspaper
and says tiredly
I see.
May 15, 2016
May 15, 2016 at 2:49 AM UTC
Mary's father is sitting
in the lounge reading
a newspaper before dinner
Mary comes into the room
and sits in the armchair
by the window
and peers out
her father lowers
the newspaper
there's talk of you
from the nuns
he says
she turns and looks at him
is there
good I hope
she says
no it's not
he says
o well there you are Da
you can't please all
of the people
all of the time
never the time
with you it seems
with the nuns
he says
he shakes out
the newspaper
making noise
what's it this time?
she says
sitting back
in the armchair
letting her backside comfy
words you've said
he says
raising the paper
and peering over the top
what words?
I speak civil
and I answer
the **** questions
about God
and the religion
and maths etc.
what word is this?
she says
he sighs
wishes she were
a young little girl still
not some 14 year old
know it all
with a mouth on her
he lowers the paper
and takes out a letter
from his waistcoat pocket
(slightly ******* up)
and offers it to her
here read it yourself
he says
she leans out of the chair
and takes the letter
from his hand
and sits back down again
and unfolds the letter
and reads
he lifts the newspaper
and reads a sports page
I never did
Mary says
never in my precious
to Christ life have I said that
she reads on
staring at the page
as if it had criticized her
(which it did)
they're like
the fecking Gestapo
she mutters
I was not kissing Magdalene
I was whispering
something to her
Mary mutters to the page
(and her father
if he was listening)
and I never did
call Sister Clare
a ****** waster
Mary muttered on
then she refolds the letter
and puts it
on the arm of the chair
and gazes at her father
well?
he says
what have you to say
for yourself?
she gazes at him
once he'd have
tanned her behind
and sent to bed without dinner
but he'd gone soft
on her since
she'd grown ****
and tried negotiation instead
what's for dinner?
she says
wait and see
he says
so what about the contents
of the good nun's letter?
he says
it was one of those days
she says
womanly things
gets to me
her father lifts
the newspaper
and says tiredly
I see.
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