Go where?
Lydia's mother said
Southend
Lydia said
you can't go to Southend
on your own
I'm not going
on my own
I'm going with Benny
her mother
stared at her
Benny?
Go with Benny?
You're both too young
to go to ****** Southend
what put that thought
into your mind?
Her mother said
we talked about it
when we were
at King's Cross station
who is we?
The mother said
Benny and me
Lydia said frowning
********* her fingers
o so you talked it over
o that's all right
then is it?
The mother said
just to Southend
as a first run
then we want to go
to Scotland
Lydia said
SCOTLAND
her mother bellowed
are you mad you two?
You can't go
to ****** Scotland
at your age
what 9 years old
and want to go Scotland
and alone?
The mother stared
at Lydia
as if she was mad
Lydia wished
Benny was there
he had a way with words
he might be able
to put it better
whose idea was it?
Both of us
Lydia said
we thought it
would be good
and we could go
to Edinburgh
and see men in kilts
and see the castle
NO NO NO
the mother bellowed
Lydia lowered her head
and gazed at
her mother's slippers
you can't go to Scotland
or Edinburgh
or Southend
not alone
the mother said quieter
staring at her daughter
when can we go then?
Lydia said
looking at
her mother's
stockinged legs
when you are old enough
and we say so
her mother said
when will be old enough?
Lydia said
gazing at her mother's
blue patterned apron
when we say so
her mother said
and walked off
back to the kitchen
where the boiler
was boiling washing
and steam came down
the passageway
Lydia sighed
and opened the front door
and went out
to find Benny
and tell him the bad news
and not being able
to see the Edinburgh views.
Jul 3, 2016
Jul 3, 2016 at 4:42 AM UTC
Go where?
Lydia's mother said
Southend
Lydia said
you can't go to Southend
on your own
I'm not going
on my own
I'm going with Benny
her mother
stared at her
Benny?
Go with Benny?
You're both too young
to go to ****** Southend
what put that thought
into your mind?
Her mother said
we talked about it
when we were
at King's Cross station
who is we?
The mother said
Benny and me
Lydia said frowning
********* her fingers
o so you talked it over
o that's all right
then is it?
The mother said
just to Southend
as a first run
then we want to go
to Scotland
Lydia said
SCOTLAND
her mother bellowed
are you mad you two?
You can't go
to ****** Scotland
at your age
what 9 years old
and want to go Scotland
and alone?
The mother stared
at Lydia
as if she was mad
Lydia wished
Benny was there
he had a way with words
he might be able
to put it better
whose idea was it?
Both of us
Lydia said
we thought it
would be good
and we could go
to Edinburgh
and see men in kilts
and see the castle
NO NO NO
the mother bellowed
Lydia lowered her head
and gazed at
her mother's slippers
you can't go to Scotland
or Edinburgh
or Southend
not alone
the mother said quieter
staring at her daughter
when can we go then?
Lydia said
looking at
her mother's
stockinged legs
when you are old enough
and we say so
her mother said
when will be old enough?
Lydia said
gazing at her mother's
blue patterned apron
when we say so
her mother said
and walked off
back to the kitchen
where the boiler
was boiling washing
and steam came down
the passageway
Lydia sighed
and opened the front door
and went out
to find Benny
and tell him the bad news
and not being able
to see the Edinburgh views.
A GIRL AND HER MOTHER AND A TRIP TO SCOTLAND IN 1957
