At the back
of the brick bomb shelter
out of window view
on Saturday morning
before the matinée
Fay pulled up the hem
of her yellow dress
to show Baruch
the bruises
and red marks
her father had made
and all because
she didn't know
the Credo in Latin
all the way through
Baruch stared quickly
then she let down the hem
and said
don't tell no one
else I'll be for it
I won't say a word
he said
what the heck
is the Credo?
she looked at him frowning
you don't know?
no idea
he said
it's the I Believe prayer
and we Catholics
are supposed to know it
all through
but my father
wanted me to know it
all in Latin
but I couldn't get it all
and he got mad
and punished me
she said
I believe what?
he asked
I believe in God
the Father and so on
she said
I'm Jewish
Baruch said
we have our own prayers
not that I can recall
any of them
I do
she said
but Latin is hard
and the nuns say it
all the time in their prayers
and one nun hit me
with a ruler for mistakes
and said I was lazy
Baruch shrugged his shoulders
glad I aren't Catholic then
he said
now what about
the cinema matinée?
you coming?
my father said
I was to stay in
all weekend and practice
but my mother said
go and enjoy
so you are coming?
he asked
Fay nodded
yes guess I will
what about your old man?
he's away for the day
in Liverpool
and Mum said
she'd cover for me
good for her
he said
she pulled her dress tidy
and he pushed his fingers
through his dark brown hair
and they climbed over
the metal fence
surrounding the grass
and bomb shelter
and walked under
the railway bridge
and up the narrow road
behind the cinema
Baruch in his jeans
and red cowboy shirt
his silver looking
six shooter
tucked in his belt
walking beside her
looking out for bad guy
or Injuns
making sure
none scalped him or her
with their tomahawks
riding their invisible horses
across the bomb site
but none came
so he could relax
knowing she
and he
would be all right.