AS THEY TALKED 1967

A BOY AND GIRL IN LONDON IN 1967

I first met Nima
in an upstairs room
in Oxford Street
there was music playing

Beatles maybe
it was also
the Summer of Love
and others were

in the room
there was talk
of love and God
and being found

and lost and sex
mentioned under breath
and I saw her standing
in a corner smoking

drinking coke
from a plastic beaker
are you one
of the God talkers?

she asked
or one of the lost?
I'm the latter listening
to the former

I said
don't suppose you've
any highs on you?
I shook my head

I wouldn't know
what they looked like
I said
she sighed

looked aside
looking for someone
who might  
look I got to get back

to the hospital tonight
she said
why's that?
I asked

drug dependency
she said
I wish they'd put
on some decent music

she added
are you part
of this Summer
of  Love thing?

I asked
and what happens
when summer's gone?
she said

I don't know
nothing I guess
I said
how do you

fancy it?
she asked
I looked at her
what's it?

I said
she smiled
sex
she said

do you?
I blushed I guess
because she laughed
just kidding

look I’ve got to go
if you want
to see me again
come to the hospital

and she told me
the name of the place
and kissed my cheek
and was gone

I tried to recall her face
and the dark red skirt
that swayed
that she walked

I stayed awhile
to listen to other
looking serious
as they talked.