Christina walked home
from school
in a strop
she'd not seen
Benedict all day
not on the sports field
(too wet
the prefect said)
nor in the corridors
despite searching
wide eyed
high and low
and in double maths
she'd doodled his name
in the inside cover
of her exercise book
to feel close to him
at least in mind
he was there
his sister said
he was some place
or other
she'd said
in a classroom
or gym
(oh to be there
Christina mused
to be close to him)
and once home
she strode
through the house
(ignoring
her mother's complaints
of this being left undone
or unwashed linen
left on the floor
of her room)
and up the stairs
and into her room
shutting the door
on her mother's tirade
(in one of her
blue moods no doubt)
and putting a chair
against the door
to keep her mother out
she lay on her bed
and took out
the photo of him
from beneath her pillow
and lay it
on her breast
and let him rest
all day and not
one sight
not a glimpse
not a passing shadow
just the teachers
and their talk
and other girls
and their chat
and giggles of boys
or such
oh it was all too much
she mused
rubbing the photo
against her breast
(nearer to her heart
symbolically)
closing her eyes
imagining him there
kissing her lips
********* her hair
talking like he did
of this or that
of some book he liked
or some place
he'd been or liked
to go
but in her mind
at least
he was there
having placed
his clothes
on the chair
being quite bare
(as was she of course
in her mind's eye)
just he and she
laying alone
he saying yea
and she making moan
but disturbed
by her mother's knock
at the door
(the imagining dispersed
he but vapour
in her mind)
and her mother's voice
much calmer
just asking
about some tea and toast
(all sins forgiven)
yes OK
Christina said
tucking his photo
beneath the pillow
and rising
from the bed
carrying his image
and her dreaming
inside her head.
Nov 4, 2013
Nov 4, 2013 at 1:59 AM UTC
Christina walked home
from school
in a strop
she'd not seen
Benedict all day
not on the sports field
(too wet
the prefect said)
nor in the corridors
despite searching
wide eyed
high and low
and in double maths
she'd doodled his name
in the inside cover
of her exercise book
to feel close to him
at least in mind
he was there
his sister said
he was some place
or other
she'd said
in a classroom
or gym
(oh to be there
Christina mused
to be close to him)
and once home
she strode
through the house
(ignoring
her mother's complaints
of this being left undone
or unwashed linen
left on the floor
of her room)
and up the stairs
and into her room
shutting the door
on her mother's tirade
(in one of her
blue moods no doubt)
and putting a chair
against the door
to keep her mother out
she lay on her bed
and took out
the photo of him
from beneath her pillow
and lay it
on her breast
and let him rest
all day and not
one sight
not a glimpse
not a passing shadow
just the teachers
and their talk
and other girls
and their chat
and giggles of boys
or such
oh it was all too much
she mused
rubbing the photo
against her breast
(nearer to her heart
symbolically)
closing her eyes
imagining him there
kissing her lips
********* her hair
talking like he did
of this or that
of some book he liked
or some place
he'd been or liked
to go
but in her mind
at least
he was there
having placed
his clothes
on the chair
being quite bare
(as was she of course
in her mind's eye)
just he and she
laying alone
he saying yea
and she making moan
but disturbed
by her mother's knock
at the door
(the imagining dispersed
he but vapour
in her mind)
and her mother's voice
much calmer
just asking
about some tea and toast
(all sins forgiven)
yes OK
Christina said
tucking his photo
beneath the pillow
and rising
from the bed
carrying his image
and her dreaming
inside her head.
SET IN 1962. A SCHOOL GIRL AND THE BOY MISSED.
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