LESS THAN BLUE SKY.A Poem by Terry CollettA BOY AND GIRL IN LONDON IN 1950S AND THEIR GAMES OF PRETENDING
Helen pushed
the second hand doll’s pram over the bombsite off Meadow Row Battered Betty her doll was tossed from side to side there there Helen said can’t be helped you walked beside her practising drawing your silver coloured gun from the holster your old man had bought you from the cheap shop through the Square you hit back the hammer one two three times just like that I can’t get her to sleep Helen said stopping by the ruins of a bombed out house she tucked the doll in with the woollen blankets her mother had knitted Mum said to take Betty for a walk in the pram but she still won’t sleep you put the gun back in the holster and pushed back the black hat your granddad had given you have to keep her quiet around here you said there might be Injuns and they scalp hair off babes and kids and such Helen looked around the bombsite looks deserted to me she said pushing the pram away from the bombed out house you never can tell you said they hide and when you’re least expecting it they come screaming over the plains Mum said you’d make the best husband for me Helen said coming to a halt opposite the coal wharf you drew out your gun again and fired shots over your shoulder that’s nice of her you said twirling the gun over your finger and then back into the holster Mum said you would make a good dad one of the horse drawn coal wagons moved away from the coal wharf and clip-clopped along the side road perhaps you said we could get our own house on the prairie or one of those houses off St George’s Road with the big gardens Helen got Battered Betty out of the pram and rocked her over her shoulder patting her back and said yes and I could milk the cows and you could hunt buffalo and we could sleep in one of those big beds with buffalo skins over by the main road a red number 78 bus went by and dark clouds crowded the less than blue sky. © 2013 Terry Collett |
StatsAuthorTerry CollettUnited KingdomAboutTerry Collett has been writing since 1971 and published on and off since 1972. He has written poems, plays, and short stories. He is married with eight children and eight grandchildren. on January 27t.. more..Writing
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