We were on the bomb site
off Meadow Row
Helen was re clothing
her doll Battered Betty
I was looking for small stones
for my catapult
over the way
by the coal wharf
coal men were loading up
the trucks
and horse drawn wagons
these clothes
have just about had it
she said
buttoning up
Betty's dress
at the back
Mum said she'd look for more
at the jumble sale
but Dad's not earning
as much at present
as he was off sick
she added
sitting Betty
in an upright position
Helen was wearing
a dull grey dress
and white ankle socks
her thick lens glasses
made her eyes appear
larger than a were
I’ll ask my mother
if she can knit some
she's good at knitting
I said
maybe if I show her
she will know the size
Helen said
I picked up a handful
of small stones
and put them
in my trouser pocket
hope you're not
going to fire them at birds?
she said
no tin cans or bottles
I said
sometimes I stand tins
on top of each other
then shoot them off
one by one if I can
a boy near where I live
shoots birds
with his catapult
she said
I shot at a rat
on our balcony
the other week
I said
missed it
but it took off afterwards
she picked up Betty
and said
where we going?
let's go to the herbalist
and get some sarsaparilla
I said
and a liquorice stick too?
she asked
sure we will
I said
showing her the 1/-
my mother gave me
for doing chores
so we walked off
the bomb site
and across the New Kent Road
and down by
the railway station
towards the herbalist shop
she with her doll
and me with my catapult
sticking out
of my back pocket
and a pocketful
of small stones
she with her brown hair
in plaits
and me with my hair
plastered with Brylcreem
me thinking of seeing
a new cowboy film
she with her own
dolls house dream.
Jul 23, 2014
Jul 23, 2014 at 2:55 AM UTC
We were on the bomb site
off Meadow Row
Helen was re clothing
her doll Battered Betty
I was looking for small stones
for my catapult
over the way
by the coal wharf
coal men were loading up
the trucks
and horse drawn wagons
these clothes
have just about had it
she said
buttoning up
Betty's dress
at the back
Mum said she'd look for more
at the jumble sale
but Dad's not earning
as much at present
as he was off sick
she added
sitting Betty
in an upright position
Helen was wearing
a dull grey dress
and white ankle socks
her thick lens glasses
made her eyes appear
larger than a were
I’ll ask my mother
if she can knit some
she's good at knitting
I said
maybe if I show her
she will know the size
Helen said
I picked up a handful
of small stones
and put them
in my trouser pocket
hope you're not
going to fire them at birds?
she said
no tin cans or bottles
I said
sometimes I stand tins
on top of each other
then shoot them off
one by one if I can
a boy near where I live
shoots birds
with his catapult
she said
I shot at a rat
on our balcony
the other week
I said
missed it
but it took off afterwards
she picked up Betty
and said
where we going?
let's go to the herbalist
and get some sarsaparilla
I said
and a liquorice stick too?
she asked
sure we will
I said
showing her the 1/-
my mother gave me
for doing chores
so we walked off
the bomb site
and across the New Kent Road
and down by
the railway station
towards the herbalist shop
she with her doll
and me with my catapult
sticking out
of my back pocket
and a pocketful
of small stones
she with her brown hair
in plaits
and me with my hair
plastered with Brylcreem
me thinking of seeing
a new cowboy film
she with her own
dolls house dream.
A BOY AND GIRL IN 1950S LONDON.
Request permission to use this poem