ONE LEG ANNE AND THE KID

A BOY AND GIRL IN A NURSING HOME IN THE 1950S

Anne poked Monica
the girl with burn scars
with one of her crutches

and said
Scam scar face
me and the skinny kid

want to be alone
and Monica moved off
and said

I’m going to tell
Sister Bridget about you
Anne indicated for you

to sit in one of the chairs
on the lawn
and said to Monica

Go tell her then
and kiss her arse
while you’re there

and Monica went off
and Anne eased herself
down into the other chair

and laid her crutches
against the round table
Well Kid how’s it going?

All right
you replied
Just all right?

aren’t you blown away
and isn’t your heart faster
on my approach?

she laughed
and stared at you
Well?

she said
after a few moments
of silence

Did you manage
to bum me a smoke?
you fumbled

in your shirt pocket
and pulled out
a cigarette slightly bent

Well done you
Skinny Boy
and she took the cigarette

and put it in the pocket
of her cardigan and said
I’ll have that later

when I’m in the john
having a pee
What if someone sees you?

you asked
What in the john?
I hope there’ll be

no one in the john
with me
well unless you want to come

you’re quite welcome
No
you said looking at

her straight black hair
and her dark eyes
and the one leg

sticking out
from her red skirt
she saw you staring

at her leg and said
I think you’ve fallen in love
with my lone leg

and she lifted her skirt
and revealed the leg stump
coming a little way

from her panty line
Have a good look Kid
and she laughed

and pulled your left hand
onto the stump
and held it there

and you sensed
the warmth and softness
and when she released

your hand you seemed
to take the impression
of the leg stump

on your palm and fingers
and odd
that years after that

that impression
like some ghost
still lingers.