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Terry Collett Mar 2015
The youngest monk-
holding the holy water sprinkler-
walks beside the abbot

down the aisle
between the choir stalls;
the other monks

bow their heads-
the semi-dark
of the church lit up

by moonlight through
the large windows
on either side.

I polish the floor
of the refectory
with a cloth on

a broom head,
smoothing out
the polish laid-

I think of her-
laying there
on the bed,

hands behind her head,
her Eve's garden visible
and laid bare;

I polish hard
not being there.
The old Belgium monk

listens to the bell
for Compline,
his hand behind his ear,

ready to capture
like a fisherman's net
when sounds are near.
MONKS AND A NOVICE IN AN ABBEY IN 1971
Terry Collett Mar 2015
We cross a field
by the cottage
where I live
with my parents

the sun is warm
and the sky
a blue and white cloth
above our heads

it's Saturday
I have spent part
of the morning
up the farm

weighing milk
and cleaning out
cowsheds
Jane wants to show me

a small river
where there are fish
and now and then
unusual butterflies

can you fish there?
I ask
some do
but very few

she says
but it is good
to see them
swimming by

with their lovely colours
I look at her
as she relates the details
but I am not listening

so much to her words
as the music of her voice
and the brightness
of her dark eyes

her black hair
is drawn back
into a ponytail
and I am there

beside her
and I feel like
touching her hands
as she shows me

the size of the fish
but I don't just
sense her there
her being

the almost purity
of her
and butterflies float by
quite innocent

she says smiling
and now and then
if one is gentle
one can hold them

in the palms
of the hands
and just open up
enough to see

them there
opening and closing
their wings
like small bellows

I study her
her lips moving
the lips
opening and closing

like landed fish
and yet I had kissed
them before
but don't want

to just kiss
without her
knowing before hand
but how to ask

to kiss?
we cross about
three fields
I tell her

about my morning
at the farm
and the farm dog
a black mutt

who bit me
one morning
and show her
my scar on the arm

and she touches it
and her fingers
seem almost healing
and sends through

my whole body
an electric
buzzing feeling.
A BOY AND GIRL IN THE COUNTRY AND IN FIELDS IN 1961
Terry Collett Mar 2015
I went to watch tennis
with Fay
on the South Bank
by the Thames
(amateurs but good)

we sat in the stands
it was warm
the sun was out
in the sky
like a big boy
showing its muscles

I shouldn't be here really
Fay said
I should be home
studying the letters
of St Paul
Daddy wants me
to know them by heart

why's that
why learn them
by heart?

he said
the nuns at school said
I don't seem
to know them
that well

do you?

I thought I did
but he thinks not
she said

we watched the players
and the tennis ball
going left to right

I only learn by heart
what I like
my old man tests me
sometimes on
who was in what film
because he's
a film buff
but he don't worry none
if I don't know
and I usually don't
or I pretend I don't
because I'm too lazy
to tell him

o you are naughty
she said
my father wants me
to know things
wants me to know
the Pater Noster in Latin

Pater Noster?
What the heck is that
when it's at home?

it's the Lord's Prayer
but in Latin

o that
I know that mainly
because we have it
day after day in assembly
at school
I said

we do too
but in Latin
she said

there was cheering
from those around us
as a player
won his match
and we clapped too
even though we'd not
been watching
that closely

fancy ice cream?
I asked

sure that'd be nice
she said

so we walked along
the South Bank
to some guy in white
who was selling some
from an ice cream van
and bought two

and stood by the Thames
and watched
the water and boats
and such passing
us by

she reciting
the Pater Noster in Latin
I thinking
of pirate ships
at sea
which were
really tug boats
below me.
A BOY AND GIRL IN LONDON IN 1959
Terry Collett Mar 2015
Anne rubs
her leg stump
to ease pain

Skinny Kid
watches her
sitting there

in the black
old wheelchair
can I help?

he asks her
kneeling down
best not Kid

if the nuns
are watching
they'll be here

like black bats
at dusk time
Anne says

the Kid stares
as she rubs
the leg stump

still painful?
he asks her
yes it is

she replies
kiss it Kid
kiss the stump

he studies
the fleshy
stump of leg

will it help?
sure it will
she suggests

looking up
at the home
where the nuns

nursing nuns
are at work
other kids

play about
swings and slide
coast is clear

kiss it now
she whispers
he puckers

his small lips
and kisses
the leg stump

Anne laughs
get off Kid
you're tickling

making me
**** myself
he removes

his small lips
from her stump
well done Kid

that's better
the pain's gone
looking up

she sees there
across grass
rushing close

a young nun.
A BOY AND GIRL IN A CHILDREN'S NURSING HOME IN 1950S
Terry Collett Mar 2015
Enid removes her glasses
wipes them
on the hem
of her skirt

tries to clean off
the smeariness
she breathes on them
they cloud up

she wipes them again
I watch her
near the wall
of the playground

after lunch
waiting for her
are they better now?
she asks me

I look through them
the view is magnified
a million times
one big blur to me

yes that's better
I say
giving them
back to her

and watching
as she puts them
back on
pushes the wire arms

over her ears
then pulls the hair
over her ears again
is it all right now?

she asks me
sure I can see your eyes
clear as day
she nods

and looks
at the playground
and the other kids at play
why do some boys

call me four eyes?
or ugly bucket?
she asks
some kids are just finks

ignore them
I tell her
I can't help it
if I have to wear glasses

or am ugly
she says
intelligent people
wear glasses

and hey you're not ugly
I think you are
quite a pretty girl
as they go

she looks at me doubtfully
and then at the kids
and look Mrs M
wears glasses

and she's a teacher
and bright
Enid sighs and sits
on the steps

leading down
into the playground
even my dad thinks
I'm ugly

she says softly
you're old man
wouldn't know prettiness
if it came up

and introduced itself
I say
she smiles
do you think

I'm ugly?
I frown and peer at her
look I'm no expert
being a 9 year old kid

like you
but you can be
my Maid Marion
to my Robin Hood any day

could I?
she says
sure you could
she smiles wider

and says
thank you Benny
and walks down
into the playground

and goes play skip rope
with a couple of girls
by a wall
and I walk

down into
the playground
feeling six feet tall.
A BOY AND GIRL IN LONDON IN 1957.
Terry Collett Mar 2015
Ana, your father says,
where is the vase
your grandma gave to me?

You look at him
with your large eyes.
Not seen it, maybe

it is in the lounge
with the others?
You say.

No, I have looked there,
it is not there,
he says,

then I do not know,
Papa, you say,
looking away,

trying not to show it
in your big brown eyes,
your childlike lies.

He sighs, doesn't look
in your eyes, maybe
knowing somehow,

that you broke
the family heirloom,
but not wanting

to push it too far,
waits until you regain
your conscience to say,

if not now,
then some other day.
AN INDIAN GIRL AND THE FAMILY VASE.
Terry Collett Mar 2015
I show Lydia
the toy Bowie knife
which came

with the cowboy outfit
my parents had bought
for my 9th birthday

and there's a 6 shooter
and holster
and other stuff

I say
we're standing
on the platform

at Waterloo
watching for the next
steam train

to come in
it looks quite real
she says

can I feel it?
I hand her
the toy knife

and she rubs
her finger along
the blade

looks sharp
but it's not at all
she says

handing me
back the knife
I put the knife

into the belt
of my jeans
and we look

for a train
if Hem had that
he'd throw it

at me pretending
I was his
knife throwing

assistant she informs
your brother's a ****
I say

she smiles
what's that?
I think it means

an idiot
I reply
I look at her

standing there
with her thin arms
and straight fair hair

and that always
worried stare
that off grey dress

the black plimsolls
and white socks
here comes one

Lydia says
pointing towards
the far end

of the platform
and I see the smoke
in the air

and the sound  
and the smell
that steam trains have

and we stare
as it approaches
taking in the black

steaming beauty
of it as comes
on by

drinking in
the power
as it lets off steam

huge and noisy
like a dragon
in a dream.
A BOY AND GIRL IN LONDON IN 1950S
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