THE SEXUAL FUN 1974.

A BOY AND GIRL IN AMSTERDAM IN 1974

Dalya and I
were lying on the grass
by my tent
at the base camp
in Amsterdam.

The sky
was a bright blue
and warm.

Do you know
how many Americans
died in that civil war
they had
between 1861 & 65?
she asked,
turning to look at me.

No idea,
I said.

An estimated 620,000,
she replied,
that Yank girl told me
the other night
in our tent.

That's a hell of a lot,
I said.

It is;
she said hundreds
of thousands
died of disease apparently.

She lit up a cigarette
and gave me one too.

I studied the sky,
clouds drifting by.

As many died
in captivity
as were killed
in the whole Vietnam War
so she had read,
Dalya said.

At least it
made a change
from her talking
about the guys she
been to bed with,
I said.

Guess so,
but her great-great
granddaddy was in it,
she told me,
he survived
but lost a hand.

I mused on it
and inhaled
and looked at Dalya:  
is she sleeping
with you tonight
in the tent?
I asked.

Yes, I guess so;
I think she
and the Aussie guy
have split up,
they weren't talking
in the mini coach
this morning,
Dalya said.

Shame,
I said,
we could have
made out again.

She smiled
and said:
yes guess so,
but that's life,
and there you go.

We lay there
under the sun,
and I thought back
at the sexual fun.