HAUNTING MOAN 1958

A YOUNG GIRL AND HER FATHER IN LONDON IN 1958

Ingrid hid
her cut thumb
behind her

a plaster
still bloody
held in place

the sliced skin
her father
in his chair

her mother
out working
night cleaning

offices
where you been?
he asked her

been playing
she replied
and who with?

he asked her
with Benny
she told him

just playing
her father stared
hard at her

I’ve told you
not with him
he uttered

just playing
games with him
she told him

what game's that?
he asked her
watching her

how she stood
her eyes large
and fearful

played Ludo
in the flat
Ingrid lied

(Benny taught
her how to
create lies)

her father
grabbed her arm
near to him

and pulled her
close to him
and what's this?

cut my thumb
she replied
fearfully

playing games?
he asked her
she nodded

no words came
too frightened
dam liar

he whispered
and hit her
backside hard

with his hand
and she cried
in his flat

below hers
young Benny
watched TV

unaware
above him
young Ingrid

was weeping
in her bed
all alone

letting out
a painful
haunting moan.

Reviews

[softlyfall]

I am not able to completely integrate this all at once. It's like whispers, almost heard words, the patterns and inflections tell you all but in the back of your mind you say, maybe its something else. Maybe it's something good and happy instead. Maybe everything is alright.
Bt in your heart, you now it is not.
This is truly and utterly terrifying to me.

[Terry Collett]

Thank you, softlyfall. The writer/narrator knows but sometimes the reader is left on the outside. For a good picture of Ingrid you could read other 1958 poems in which she features.