Ingrid's words
were muffled
when she spoke to me
by Dunn's hat shop
where we said
we'd meet
the day before
her thick lip
(where he father
had backhanded her)
moved slowly
does you dad
wear hats?
she asked
looking in
the shop window
no
I said
never seen him
ever wear a hat
not even to cover
his balding head
she looked
at the passing traffic
what happened to you?
I asked
pointing to her lip
my dad didn't like
the way I brushed
my hair
he said it was
too tartish
whatever that means
she said
tapping her
recently brushed hair
I tried to get out
of his way
but he caught me
with a backhand
I’m going
to the cinema
this afternoon
I said
there's a cowboy film on
and I want to see
how the good guy
draws out his gun
he does it
by crossing over
his hands
could I come?
she asked
Mum might give me
9d for a ticket
as long as Dad
doesn't know
she added
sure
I said
come to my flat
after lunch
we walked down
the subway
to get
to St George's Road
to walk along
to Bedlam Park
to try out
the swings there
and buy an ice cream
outside the swimming pool
(money I'd been given
by my old man
for polishing
his brown brogues)
I studied her
as we walked along
she talking
of her old man's temper
and how he punched
her mother
for letting
his dinner get cold
I noticed her
faded grey dress
the flowers red
against watery green stems
grey-white
ankle socks
black scuffed shoes
her thin hands
gesturing as she talked
and the slight smell
of dampness
as I neared her
the bruise
under her left eye
fading
like the morning sun
where her old man
had thumped her
for something
she hadn't done.
May 2, 2014
May 2, 2014 at 3:57 AM UTC
Ingrid's words
were muffled
when she spoke to me
by Dunn's hat shop
where we said
we'd meet
the day before
her thick lip
(where he father
had backhanded her)
moved slowly
does you dad
wear hats?
she asked
looking in
the shop window
no
I said
never seen him
ever wear a hat
not even to cover
his balding head
she looked
at the passing traffic
what happened to you?
I asked
pointing to her lip
my dad didn't like
the way I brushed
my hair
he said it was
too tartish
whatever that means
she said
tapping her
recently brushed hair
I tried to get out
of his way
but he caught me
with a backhand
I’m going
to the cinema
this afternoon
I said
there's a cowboy film on
and I want to see
how the good guy
draws out his gun
he does it
by crossing over
his hands
could I come?
she asked
Mum might give me
9d for a ticket
as long as Dad
doesn't know
she added
sure
I said
come to my flat
after lunch
we walked down
the subway
to get
to St George's Road
to walk along
to Bedlam Park
to try out
the swings there
and buy an ice cream
outside the swimming pool
(money I'd been given
by my old man
for polishing
his brown brogues)
I studied her
as we walked along
she talking
of her old man's temper
and how he punched
her mother
for letting
his dinner get cold
I noticed her
faded grey dress
the flowers red
against watery green stems
grey-white
ankle socks
black scuffed shoes
her thin hands
gesturing as she talked
and the slight smell
of dampness
as I neared her
the bruise
under her left eye
fading
like the morning sun
where her old man
had thumped her
for something
she hadn't done.
A BOY AND GIRL IN 1950S LONDON.
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