WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? 1962

A GIRL AND MOTHER AND A BOY IN 1962

Where have you been?
Yehudit's mother said

Benny's place
Yehudit replied
(not thinking it
worth the risk
in lying about
where she'd been)

alone?

no his mum
was there
Yehudit said
not mentioning
lying on Benny's bed
listening to Elvis
and the kiss

what did you
do there?
her mother asked
eyeing her moodily

talked and listened
to records
Yehudit said
pushing the image
of her and Benny
on his bed

how is his mother?

she's ok
talked to us
about things
Yehudit said

what things?
her mother said
voice hardening
like granite words

about making cakes
and how
to decorate them
(Benny's mother
had said hello
and said they could
go to Benny's room
to listen to records)

is that all?
her mother said
like some Spanish
Inquisition interrogator

o yes and about
Benny's love affair
with Marilyn Monroe
Yehudit said

are you being
funny or rude?
her mother said

no it's true
he has photos
of Marilyn
in frames
in his room
Yehudit said
(2 photos
by his bed)

odd boy
her mother said
unsmiling
well seeing
as you are back
there are chores
to be done

Yehudit took off
her coat
and set to work
thinking
of Benny's lips
and kisses
on his bed
floating
about her head.