One legged Anne
stormed across the lawn
on her crutches
and threw herself down

into a white chair
and tossed
her crutches aside
and said

**** the missing leg
the other children
put hands over
their ears

or hurried away
to a safer distance
or went play
on the swing

or slide across the way
you sat opposite
your mouth open
and your eyes

studying her face
her mouth still uttering
expletives frightening birds
in nearby trees

what’s a matter?
you asked
her words
still vibrating

in your ears
your brain trying to sort them
into correct departments
but failing

pain
she said
******* pain
in the leg

that isn’t there
I see
you said
watching her face

go from pale pink
to bright red
I doubt it
she said

and what
does Sister Paul say to me?
you are sharing
in the agony of Christ she said

you have been chosen
to share in his pains
you spotted dribble
escape her lips

her blue skirt
had ridden up
revealing a glimpse
of naked stump

where her leg had been
I’ve enough
of my own pain
Anne said

let him share his pain
with others who might welcome it
she exclaimed
muttering more expletives

sending a butterfly
in a different direction  
some say a pain shared
is a pain halved

you uttered
noticing how the stump
had been neatly sewn
leaving only

the smallest scar
had your eyeful?
she said
want to see more

of my stump?
and she yanked her skirt upward
revealing
her navy-blue underwear

there
she said
there have a good nose
why does it still hurt?

you asked
looking away
watching your sister
on the climbing frame

with the girl with burn scars
nerve endings
Anne muttered
or some such nonsense

so they say
you turned around
as she pulled down
her skirt

and stared you out
and you noticed
how beautiful
her eyes were

set in that angry face
like angel’s eyes
set in features
of one fallen from grace.