I knocked
at Lydia's front door
there were voices
beyond the door.
Then the door opened
Lydia stood there.
Coming out?
I said.
Not sure
if I can
she said
they are rowing.
I looked at her
the unbrushed hair
lank and straight
her pale face
and staring eyes.
Why not?
don't they
always row?
I said.
Can't just ask
while they're rowing
Benny
she said.
Ok I'll be on
the fence round
the corner for awhile
I said.
She shut the door
I walked
round the corner
sat on the green fence.
The sun was out
but lukewarm
the sky was dull.
Rowing parents
was nothing new
but I had to admit
her parents rowed often
usually about her
old man's boozing.
The milk man
came past
on his horse
drawn cart
the brown horse
had a nosebag
looked disinterested
in his surroundings.
Lydia came
around the corner
and sat on the fence
next to me.
Can't go far
Dad said
not more
than a stone's
throw away
she said.
Depends who
is throwing
the stone
I said
and how far
they can throw.
You know
what I mean
Lydia said moodily.
So what do we do?
I said.
Talk about going
to Edinburgh
she said
on that steam train
we saw.
I mused
on the train
ok so when
and what we
will need
I said.
So we got
off the fence
and sat
on the grass
within a stone's throw
of her flat.
We talk
about going
to Edinburgh
on the steam train
but just as we got
to the list of things
it began to rain.
May 17, 2017
May 17, 2017 at 3:41 AM UTC
I knocked
at Lydia's front door
there were voices
beyond the door.
Then the door opened
Lydia stood there.
Coming out?
I said.
Not sure
if I can
she said
they are rowing.
I looked at her
the unbrushed hair
lank and straight
her pale face
and staring eyes.
Why not?
don't they
always row?
I said.
Can't just ask
while they're rowing
Benny
she said.
Ok I'll be on
the fence round
the corner for awhile
I said.
She shut the door
I walked
round the corner
sat on the green fence.
The sun was out
but lukewarm
the sky was dull.
Rowing parents
was nothing new
but I had to admit
her parents rowed often
usually about her
old man's boozing.
The milk man
came past
on his horse
drawn cart
the brown horse
had a nosebag
looked disinterested
in his surroundings.
Lydia came
around the corner
and sat on the fence
next to me.
Can't go far
Dad said
not more
than a stone's
throw away
she said.
Depends who
is throwing
the stone
I said
and how far
they can throw.
You know
what I mean
Lydia said moodily.
So what do we do?
I said.
Talk about going
to Edinburgh
she said
on that steam train
we saw.
I mused
on the train
ok so when
and what we
will need
I said.
So we got
off the fence
and sat
on the grass
within a stone's throw
of her flat.
We talk
about going
to Edinburgh
on the steam train
but just as we got
to the list of things
it began to rain.
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