Early summer
after school
after low tea
of bread and jam
and a glass of milk
you sat with Fay
on the roof
of the pram shed
of Banks House
and looked up
Meadow Row
watching the sun
slowly going down
on the busy horizon
she clothed
in a grey dress
with black plimsolls
and you in fading jeans
and open necked shirt
and she said
my daddy says
I’ve to learn
the Credo in Latin
by the summer holidays
or there’ll be trouble
what the heck’s the Credo?
you asked
looking at the heels
of her plimsolled feet
hitting the wall
of the pram shed
it’s the I Believe prayer
setting out the items
of our beliefs
in the Catholic Church
why Latin?
you said
noticing fading bruises
on her thighs
as the hem
of her dress moved
as she banged her heels
against the wall
because daddy said so
she said
looking
at the orangey sun
in the darkening
blue sky
I don’t know many prayers
you said
at least
not all the way through
except the ones
they teach us
at school
even then
some of the boys
put their own words in
which I couldn’t
repeat to you
she looked at you
her fair hair
adding beauty
to her pale face
and water colour blue
of eyes
best not to
she said softly
don’t your parents
insist you learn prayers?
she asked
no
you said
my old man
wouldn’t know a prayer
if it came up
and tickled his moustache
she smiled
and looked away
then after a few moments
of silence
she said
the sun looks
like a big orange
on a big blue cloth
doesn’t it?
yes
you said
looking skyward
then watched
the traffic pass by
at the end
of Meadow Row
and the bombsite outline
on the right hand side
and the shadows caused
by the lowering sun
then you lowered
your sight
to the fading bruises
on her thighs
and the watercolour blue
of her bright clear eyes.
Feb 26, 2013
Feb 26, 2013 at 2:27 AM UTC
Early summer
after school
after low tea
of bread and jam
and a glass of milk
you sat with Fay
on the roof
of the pram shed
of Banks House
and looked up
Meadow Row
watching the sun
slowly going down
on the busy horizon
she clothed
in a grey dress
with black plimsolls
and you in fading jeans
and open necked shirt
and she said
my daddy says
I’ve to learn
the Credo in Latin
by the summer holidays
or there’ll be trouble
what the heck’s the Credo?
you asked
looking at the heels
of her plimsolled feet
hitting the wall
of the pram shed
it’s the I Believe prayer
setting out the items
of our beliefs
in the Catholic Church
why Latin?
you said
noticing fading bruises
on her thighs
as the hem
of her dress moved
as she banged her heels
against the wall
because daddy said so
she said
looking
at the orangey sun
in the darkening
blue sky
I don’t know many prayers
you said
at least
not all the way through
except the ones
they teach us
at school
even then
some of the boys
put their own words in
which I couldn’t
repeat to you
she looked at you
her fair hair
adding beauty
to her pale face
and water colour blue
of eyes
best not to
she said softly
don’t your parents
insist you learn prayers?
she asked
no
you said
my old man
wouldn’t know a prayer
if it came up
and tickled his moustache
she smiled
and looked away
then after a few moments
of silence
she said
the sun looks
like a big orange
on a big blue cloth
doesn’t it?
yes
you said
looking skyward
then watched
the traffic pass by
at the end
of Meadow Row
and the bombsite outline
on the right hand side
and the shadows caused
by the lowering sun
then you lowered
your sight
to the fading bruises
on her thighs
and the watercolour blue
of her bright clear eyes.
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