MARBLES IN POCKETS 1954.

A BOY AND GIRL IN LONDON AND A CHILDHOOD EXCHANGE OF A GIFT.

Look at these

I show her

in my palm

three marbles

blue and green

and one red

Helen pokes

with finger

turns over

and over

then she stares

through thick lens

of glasses

at the shades

of colours

beautiful

she tells me

standing back

her enlarged

girly eyes

look at me

I then move

the marbles

from my palm

to pocket

of my jeans

can I hold

one of them?

she asks me

sure I say

and get one

and place it

in her palm

a small palm

delicate

like a pink

rose petal

the marble

seems a gem

to her eyes

she moves it

with finger

round and round

red and pink

becoming

almost one

in her palm

she smells it

she rubs it

beautiful

she utters

you keep it

I tell her

as a gift

she lifts her

teary eyes

upon me

you mean it?

she mutters

sure I say

she kisses

the marble

and puts it

in the small

dress pocket

and leaves it

to nest there

like an egg

then we walk

slowly up

Meadow Row

to get chips

from Neptune's

for lunch time

to eat on

the bomb site

and I wish

as we walk

I was that

red marble

resting there

in the green

dress pocket

lying there

all unseen.