Jane showed me
the tombstone
of the farmhand
who had fallen
under his tractor
the year before
a few wild flowers
were placed
in a jam jar
in front
his wife and daughter
are still in
the tied cottage
Jane said
but they'll need
to move out soon
once the local council
finds them
somewhere to live
I looked
at the words
on the small stone
I didn't know him well
she added
he was a quiet man
cows mooed
from a nearby field
I looked at Jane
next to me
he was only 35
I said
quite a few men
die in the way he did
on the land
she said
she knelt down
and placed
a few cowslips
in the jam jar
and tapped them
into shape
she stood up
and we walked
around the church
and along the path
onto the narrow road
between
the high hedgerows
birds sang
the sun shone
down on us
how's your father doing?
she asked
he's ok
he likes his work
in the woods
keeps him fit
he says
I said
we stood in
by the hedge
as a tractor
went by
she smelt of apples
as I got close
to her
her dark hair
was tied
in a ponytail
her dark eyes
gazed at me
the tractor sped
along the narrow road
towards the farm
I wanted
to kiss her
but I didn't
I looked at the sky
where rooks flew
overhead
but dreamed
that night
that I kissed her
inside my head.
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