SCHOOLBOY FUN

SEVEN YEAR OLDS IN 1955

Helen Clark
would have

fought over you
with any other

seven year old girl
who set their eyes

on you and she
stood next to you

with her thin
wired spectacles

and long hair in plaits
gripping your hand

in case you had thoughts
of going off to play

with the hard boys
in the playground

shooting pretend guns
or waving invisible swords

and she was pretty
you suppose

in her own
seven year old way

but you never told her
or gave her hint

of that as such
but you were tempted

to go off
with other boys

and play the games
with imaginary

sword and gun
and have that

seven year old
schoolboy fun.