JANE AND COWS.

A BOY AND GIRL IN THE COUNTRYSIDE IN 1961.

Jane helped me

get the cows in

from the field

towards the farm

up the narrow

country lane

high hedgerows

birds singing

rooks above our heads

making a terrible noise

she had her black hair

tied back

with a yellow ribbon

the flowery dress

and black boots

dressed her feet

saw a wren's nest

up there

I said

indicting a place

up in the hedgerow

above

the small stream

you didn't disturb it

did you?

she said

no just saw it

and took

a mental picture

of it

she smiled

some boys about

disturb the nests

and take the eggs

for their collection

she said

they should

know better

she added

as we drove

the cows up

towards the farm track

you've taken

to the country

well for a London boy

she said

it was

a big culture shock

I said

but I like it now

she looked at me

with her dark eyes

she patted

the rear of a cow

in front of her

my mother likes you

she said

does she?

I asked

yes she says you're

different

from the other

boys about here

what's so different

about me?

I asked

you're trustworthy

Mother said

she doesn't mind me

being with you

I nodded my head

and looked

at her hands

slender

white

and the nails

well kept

she doesn't know

about the kiss?

I said

Jane smiled

no but there's

no harm in that

the kiss I mean

if Mother asked me

I’d tell her

but no harm done

I could still taste

the kiss on my lips

my lips' memory

had stored it away

for keeps

warm and wet

her lips and mine

my hand

on the small

of her back that time

we drove the cows

into the farm yard

and into

the milking sheds

where we helped

the cowmen

to set up

the machines and feed

I watched her

out of the corner

of my eye

taking in

her figure

the way she stooped

her hair

and how her hands

touched the cows gently

wishing that her hands

would touched me

as tenderly

maybe she will

I inwardly said

taking in

her total being

into my 13 year old head.