WINTER WEATHER 1957

A BOY AND GIRL IN LONDON IN 1957

I see Enid looking over

the balcony outside

my front door of the flats.

What you doing here?

I say.

Just watching

my dad

go off to work,

she says,

he was in

a good mood

this morning

didn't row or hit

either of us

even joked with me.

I look over the balcony

but her old man has gone.

He's playing

cat and mouse

with you,

I say.

Cat and mouse?

She says.

Yes being nice

one minute being

horrible the next,

I explain.

He was all right

last night too,

even let me stay up

to watch TV.

So what's cheered

him up then?

I say.

Don't know,

she says,

as long as

he is nice

I don't care.

I watch

as the coal man

loads a big sack of coal

onto his back

and walks along

to the far end flat

where a door is open.

Are you ready

for school?

I ask.

Just got to get

my bag and coat,

she says,

and walks off

up the stairs

to her flat above.

The coal man

walks back

with an empty sack

and puts it on

the back of his lorry,

then heaves

another sack

on his back

and walks back

to the flat again.

Enid comes down

the stairs again:

ready now,

she says.

So we walk down

the concrete stairs together:

both dressed up

against the winter weather.

Reviews

[Tony Jordan]

Her little friend has been through it hasn't he - he even has his own terminology. Its good that he is there for her - she will need the likes of him to survive I think TC.
Wow - coalmen - they use to frighten the bayjaysus out of me as a kid with their bit white eye-sockets and their awesome strength.

I hope you dont tire of me saying your writings are brilliant!

[Terry Collett]

Thank you, Tony. Happy new year.