THE COWS AND ALL 1971

A YOUTH IN AN ABBEY IN 1971 HAUNTED BY A WOMAN

There was sometimes
the smell of manure
from the farm
coming through the cloisters,

les vaches
the French monk said,

reminded me of Bug's Lane farm
as a thirteen year old,

the world's your ship
not your home Therese said,

home is wherever
the heart beats Dom Thomas said
as you plucked apples
from the abbey orchard,

kiss and suck she said
I love both or either,

bell clock chimed
a quarter nine fifteen,

taupes dans le cimetiere
the French monk said,

yes moles in
the churchyard I said,

I had mown there
as my morning task,

old tombstones old monks,

Dómine, adiútor meus
et redémptor meus,

I kissed and sucked
each of her breasts
as she said,

he should first show them
in deeds rather than words
all that is good and holy
Benedict said,

Dom Robert talked
of butterflies in the woods
you must come see some time,

Silver-washed Fritillary
he had seen he said,

the church had that smell
of incense and baked bread
and old bricks dampened,

Hugh swept the cloisters
with the wide broom
as the vacuum wasn't working,

the apples were green and red,

don't pull roughly
the monk with the cissy girl
hair cut said
hold and twist gently,

ask not for whom
it is for thee,

Gerald said the world
is the totality of facts
not of things
(quoting Wittgenstein),

take me she said
any way you wish
kneeling on her bed,  

the smell of manure
across from the farm
in the cloister garth,

hot sun on a young head,

tickling her
I made her laugh.