Ernie’s big sister
was a *****
or so
your old man said

although
he didn’t say
what she did
or what

she was for
you often saw her
go out
in the evenings

from the downstairs
lower flat
on the corner
dressed in a short

red skirt with
a slit at the back
and high heel shoes
and her hair

up high
in a beehive style
or you’d see her
by the entrance

to the Square
standing there
talking to some guy
with that

come **** me look
in her eye
but no one told you
what a ***** was

or did that part
of the action
your old man hid
you thought

she was a small time
actress like the ones
you saw on
the big screen

who stood in saloons
when the cowboys
came in or was a moll
who hung on to some

gangster’s arm in those
black and white films
you saw on winter
afternoons

but when you went
by her standing there
or she spotted you
up on the balcony

of the flats
she’d wave or smile
but seldom spoke
other than to say

hi there kid
or how’s your old man
and off she’d go
with her tight skirt

with the slit
at the back
and her wiggling ***
and high heel shoes

and her hair piled high
with that
come have me later
look in her eye.