DEBATE BY THE POND 1962

A BOY AND GIRL BY A POND AFTER SCHOOL IN 1962

We went to the pond,
(she called it a lake)
and sat on the grass
on the edge, looking over
the water's skin,
and ducks swimming there.

What were you and that
Rolland, talking and laughing
about at the back of class?
Yehudit said.

Some picture
in that history book,
I said.

What picture?
She said.

Cavemen, and one
had what looked like
a droopy thingy,
I said.

Droopy thingy?
She said, unsmiling
looking at me
with her lovely eyes,
the kind of eyes
I could drink from.

You know his penis thingy,
I said.

What was to laugh about?
She said.

Sort of looked out of place
in a history book,
I said.

But was it a thingy
as you call it?
She said,
beginning to smile.

Looked like it,
but probably wasn't,
I said.

What is it with you boys,
and looking at things,
and thinking about thingys,
and sex,
and girls,
and such?

Got to think
about something,
I said.

But why
those things?
Why not higher things?
She said.

We do think about
girl's breasts too,
if they have any,
and of course,
some girls do,
and some don't
have much,
I said.

She laughed
and hit my arm,
I don't feel safe
around you sometimes, she said,
putting her hand
over her mouth to try
and stop her laughter.

Never think about that
sort of thing,
she said, finally
pausing her laughter.

What sort of thing?
I said.

Sex and boy's things,
and girls, and how
much breasts they have,
she said.

You are ok,
I said, but that tall girl
in class has hardly any,
so Rolland said,
but a nice arse.