NOT AN ANSWER WHY.A Poem by Terry CollettA boy and girl in the city in 1950s and life and loveFay managed to get out while her father worked and she came and knocked at your door and said You want to go out? Sure you replied and you both went down the stairs of the apartment block across the Square and down the slope up Meadow Road crossing over the bombsite behind the coal wharf and on to the main road where you walked along side by side Let’s see what’s on at the movies you said and you stopped outside the movie house and peered at the programmes Fay said My daddy doesn’t think movies are right for children he says they’re sinful and full of lust and sex and greed and she stopped and stared along the road at the people passing and the cars and lorries going by on the main road and the evening air choked up with fumes and the street lights giving a false perspective It isn’t all like that you said Some movies are about love and laughter and people enjoy going it takes them out of their dreary lives Fay said I’ve never been inside a movie house never seen a movie Well why don’t you come with me to the matinee on Saturday I can squeeze some money from my dad for the two of us Fay looked at you and seemed interested but then said No I can’t if my father caught me there’d be hell to pay and apart from the lecture on the immorality of the arts and such he’d belt me some and not let me out again for some time and you said Ok but some day you’re going to find out things aren’t always as the parents say then you’re going to have to find your own road and walk your own way and she looked sad and walked away from the movie house along to the subway and down the steps into the bright lights and noise of traffic over head and you touched her hand and she gripped yours and you walked down through the subway tunnel she in her flowered dress and brown shoes slightly scuffed and you in your tee shirt and jeans and you pretended not to notice the bruise on her thigh which caught your eye as she skipped along her dress rising high as she went holding tight your hand her fingers wrapped about yours and up and out on the other side of the subway with its bright lights and evening sky and too many questions and not an answer why. © 2012 Terry Collett |
AuthorTerry CollettUnited KingdomAboutTerry Collett has been writing since 1971 and published on and off since 1972. He has written poems, plays, and short stories. He is married with eight children and eight grandchildren. on January 27t.. more..Writing
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