THAT WAS THAT 1960

A BOY AND GIRL IN LONDON IN 1960 AND TALK OF GOD AND THE VIRGIN MARY.

I sat with Fay
(both 12 years old)
on the concrete stairs
of Banks House

we'd been to
the Saturday matinee
at the ABC cinema

I was putting a roll of caps
into my 6 shooter gun
(my old man had brought
it home the night before)

do you know
the Virgin Mary
had a special relationship
with God?
she said

no I didn't know
I said
fitting the caps in securely
who's this virgin Mary?
she live around here?
(certainly wasn't Lydia's
big sister who Lydia had said
her mother called her sister
a w***e whatever that was)

Fay looked at me
you don't know
who the Virgin Mary is?
she said

no idea
I said

she is the mother of Jesus
Fay said

o that Mary
I said
closing the 6 shooter gun up
and clicking it shut
what special relationship
did she have
with God then?

Fay looked at the sky
beyond over the balcony wall
to our right
she is the daughter
of God the Father
and the spouse
of the Holy Ghost
and the mother
of Jesus the Son of God
Fay said
in the center
of the Blessed Trinity
Sister Paul said at school

sounds complex
I said
putting my gun
back in the inside pocket
of my jacket

I guess it is
she said
the nuns at school
explain to us
these things
don't they teach you
at your school?

not that I’ve noticed
I said
we had one of the teachers
ramble on about Moses
and the Red Sea
then my aunt took me
to see the film
and that was good

Fay frowned
and put a hand
on my hand
I can see you later today
as my dad is out
for the day
on some retreat
she said

good
I said
sensing her hand on mine
hoping no boys were around
to see her hand on mine
in case they thought
I was getting cissy

she got up
and let go of my hand
and said
see you later Benny
and she went up the stairs
to her flat
and that was that.

Reviews

[Ed Hart]

they're always ahead of us...even now

[Terry Collett]

Thank you, Ed