Beside and beyond
the tabernacle
(evangelistic not catholic)
was one of the biggest
bombsites to explore
more ruins to climb
more places
to hide and seek
and you showed Helen
around the place
finding a way through
the wooden hoardings
put up to keep kids out
and she stood
gaping around
and said
gosh isn’t it big
and to think
that people lived here
and maybe died here
and she clutched
her doll Battered Betty
in her arm protectingly
and you with your catapult
in the back pocket
of your jeans
showed her
into what was left
of a house
climbing the wooden stairs
one wall missing
blown away
the sky visible
through the hole
in the roof
and she in her flowered
washed out dress
climbed gingerly
behind you
talking about what
her mother might say
if she knew
saying how her mother
would wag her finger
at her and say
don’t go in those bombsites
they are dangerous
in one room
was a lopsided picture
still hanging
and there
in the wooden floor
a gaping hole
showing the cellar
two storeys below
she gripped your hand
with hers her other hand
clutching Betty
pressed tight
to her chest
and she said
what would
your mother say
if she knew
you were here?
she won’t
you said
what she don’t know
will do her good
less to worry about
and from the top room
of the house
you could see
the tabernacle
in the early morning sun
feel the sunlight
seeping through
on your face
and Helen said
she was scared
and could you go down
and so you went
back down the stairs
she gripping you tight
Betty hanging
by one hand to Helen
the smell of dust
and old tramp’s ***
and damp wood
and bricks
and London still there
despite old Hitler’s tricks
with bombs and fire
for you to wander
and explore
and taking Helen
carefully
went out the door.
Jul 16, 2013
Jul 16, 2013 at 1:45 AM UTC
Beside and beyond
the tabernacle
(evangelistic not catholic)
was one of the biggest
bombsites to explore
more ruins to climb
more places
to hide and seek
and you showed Helen
around the place
finding a way through
the wooden hoardings
put up to keep kids out
and she stood
gaping around
and said
gosh isn’t it big
and to think
that people lived here
and maybe died here
and she clutched
her doll Battered Betty
in her arm protectingly
and you with your catapult
in the back pocket
of your jeans
showed her
into what was left
of a house
climbing the wooden stairs
one wall missing
blown away
the sky visible
through the hole
in the roof
and she in her flowered
washed out dress
climbed gingerly
behind you
talking about what
her mother might say
if she knew
saying how her mother
would wag her finger
at her and say
don’t go in those bombsites
they are dangerous
in one room
was a lopsided picture
still hanging
and there
in the wooden floor
a gaping hole
showing the cellar
two storeys below
she gripped your hand
with hers her other hand
clutching Betty
pressed tight
to her chest
and she said
what would
your mother say
if she knew
you were here?
she won’t
you said
what she don’t know
will do her good
less to worry about
and from the top room
of the house
you could see
the tabernacle
in the early morning sun
feel the sunlight
seeping through
on your face
and Helen said
she was scared
and could you go down
and so you went
back down the stairs
she gripping you tight
Betty hanging
by one hand to Helen
the smell of dust
and old tramp’s ***
and damp wood
and bricks
and London still there
despite old Hitler’s tricks
with bombs and fire
for you to wander
and explore
and taking Helen
carefully
went out the door.
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