Janice held the carrier bag
with sandwiches
and two bottles of pop
and packets of crisps
and walked with me
up Meadow Row
she was wearing
a red flowered dress
and white ankle socks
and brown shoes
I was in blue jeans
and a white shirt
where are we going?
she said
thought we'd go
to Bedlam Park
and have a picnic
I said
as the day's dry
and warm
and we're off
from school
I told Gran
I was going out
but didn't say where
because I didn't
know where
Janice said
didn't mind you
going out with me then?
I said
no she don't mind
me going out with you
but she did say
no mischief
Janice said
we crossed the bomb site
by Arch Street
and she talked of her
gran's sister and her husband
and I looked
at the traffic passing
on the New Kent Road
we walked on
and went by
the Trocadero cinema
where my old man
took me often to see
cowboy or war films
we went down
the subway and along
I began to sing
a cowboy song
and she said not to
but I did
and she blushed
and pretended not
to be with me
once out the other end
we walked along
St George's Road
I told her some
old dear near us
had given us her budgerigar
called Billy
as she couldn't
cope anymore
so now we've got it
I said
it don't talk though
so I can't teach
it rude words
just as well
Janice said
after you taught our canary
to say naughty words
I laughed
not funny Benny
Gran thought I
taught him
and nearly got
a smacking
sorry about that
I said
but they were
only words
rude words
Janice said
and Gran wasn't pleased
we walked along
past our school
and into Bedlam Park
where we found
a spot of clean grass
and sat and opened the bag
and began to
eat and drink our wares
and talked
and I ignored
the other boys'
stares.
Jun 30, 2016
Jun 30, 2016 at 2:56 AM UTC
Janice held the carrier bag
with sandwiches
and two bottles of pop
and packets of crisps
and walked with me
up Meadow Row
she was wearing
a red flowered dress
and white ankle socks
and brown shoes
I was in blue jeans
and a white shirt
where are we going?
she said
thought we'd go
to Bedlam Park
and have a picnic
I said
as the day's dry
and warm
and we're off
from school
I told Gran
I was going out
but didn't say where
because I didn't
know where
Janice said
didn't mind you
going out with me then?
I said
no she don't mind
me going out with you
but she did say
no mischief
Janice said
we crossed the bomb site
by Arch Street
and she talked of her
gran's sister and her husband
and I looked
at the traffic passing
on the New Kent Road
we walked on
and went by
the Trocadero cinema
where my old man
took me often to see
cowboy or war films
we went down
the subway and along
I began to sing
a cowboy song
and she said not to
but I did
and she blushed
and pretended not
to be with me
once out the other end
we walked along
St George's Road
I told her some
old dear near us
had given us her budgerigar
called Billy
as she couldn't
cope anymore
so now we've got it
I said
it don't talk though
so I can't teach
it rude words
just as well
Janice said
after you taught our canary
to say naughty words
I laughed
not funny Benny
Gran thought I
taught him
and nearly got
a smacking
sorry about that
I said
but they were
only words
rude words
Janice said
and Gran wasn't pleased
we walked along
past our school
and into Bedlam Park
where we found
a spot of clean grass
and sat and opened the bag
and began to
eat and drink our wares
and talked
and I ignored
the other boys'
stares.
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