AFTER BORING LESSONS 1962

A BOY AND GIRL MEET AT LUNCH TIME RECESS AT SCHOOL IN 1962

After a long boring
science lesson
I had my sandwiches
in the lunch room
then went out
on the playing field
to find Yiska

hey Benny
Goldfinch said
how about a game of footie?

no I can't
I'm meeting someone

o not the girl again
leave girls to the soft heads
come play football
he said

but I walked on
and looked for her
and then saw her
with some other girl
plump girl with dark hair
and a green bow in it

I stood and waited
for her to go
Yiska saw me
and the other girl went off
giving me the cool stare

sorry just chatting to Mary
she's having problems

what problems?
I asked

girly problems
Yiska said

o right
I said
well where shall we go?

let's go to London
and see the sights
she said smiling

I mean now
here on the playing field
I said

up near the fence and woods
she said

so we walked up
by the fence
passed groups of girls
sitting and chatting and laughing
and the sound of boys
playing football way back

how was your morning?
she asked as we sat
on the grass by the fence

boring as hell
something about gases
and air or something
I said
and you?

netball then maths
then geography
where I nearly fell asleep
she said
did you miss me this morning
when I wasn't by your bus waiting?

yes I thought you
might be off ill
I said eyeing her eyes

no I was in the gym
getting ready for netball practice

yes I saw the short skirt

she smiled
you would

yes guess I would

wish we were at my place
she said
having lunch and such
but my moaning mother's home
and my big brother
comes home some lunch times
and I try and avoid him

why's that?

she looked at me intently
he tries it on

tries what on?

can't say but I prefer
not to be there alone
with him and he'd
tell Mum if he
saw us alone together there

she touched my leg with a hand
say nothing to anyone

why would I?

just in case promise?

of course my lips are sealed
I said

she leaned forward
and kissed my lips
then moved away

then we talked about other things
her mother's moans
and migraines
and depression
and I talked of my interest
in cars and birds
(feathered kind)

the school bell rang
and we got up to go
back to class and lessons  

I wanted to kiss her
one more time
but with others there
I didn't dare.