Yochana passed the maths block
along the narrow path
onto the sports field
during lunch time recess

her friend Angela
was in the WC
sorting out
some girl problem

I was sitting on the grass
looking at some boys
play ball nearby

Yochana stood over me  
and said
can I sit here with you?

I looked up
sure why not
where's your girlfriend?

she's not my girlfriend
she's my best friend
she replied
and sat down next to me

I gazed at her hair
smooth and black
and brought back
into two bunches
and her glasses
were thin wire framed

do you smile?

she raised her
thin eyebrows

why? do you only
like girls who smile?

it helps

helps how?

makes them
seem friendlier

she attempted a smile
not successfully

I looked at
the football game

why aren't you playing?
she asked

I'm not much good
they're better off
without me

so there are things
you're not good at?

I nodded
and looked at her
yes but
some things I am
and smiled

she looked away
for a few moments

you have a good profile

she looked
back at me
do I?

yes quite refined
unlike some
of the girls in class
who're like peasant stock
in contrast

she smiled
unkind to them

but true
I said
sometimes truth
will out

she put her hands
in her lap
and looked past me
at the boys
and their ball

your eyes are like
two of my
favourite marbles

she looked back at me
are they?

I nodded
yes I keep them
with me
as my good luck charms

show me

I got out the marbles
from my trouser pocket
and showed them to her
in the palm
of my hand

can I hold them?

sure

so she took them
into her small
thin hand

they're warm

came from a warm place

yes they are
like my eyes' colour

she gave them
back to me
and as she did so
I held her hand briefly
nice hand
I said
and kissed it

she took it back
and looked at it
why'd you kiss my hand?

same reason
I kissed your cheek
the other week

others might
have seen and came up
with ideas

what ideas?

well that there's
something going on
between us

and isn't there?

she sat back
and looked
around her

not like
they might think
she said

and what might
they think?

things going on
between us

what kind of things?

just because
I like you
doesn't mean
we're doing things
she said
keeping her hands
out of reach

that's true
we're not
anyway here comes
your girlfriend Angela

she's not my girlfriend
she's a friend

she got up
and looked at me
and smiled
-she could smile
if she wanted to-

and walked off
and I studied her
narrow frame
the legs
the waist
the neat behind
and thanked God
I wasn't blind.