HOW IT ENDS.

A BOY AND GIRL AT SCHOOL IN 1962.

Warm midday break
by the maths block
out of sight of others
(teacher gone for lunch)

Yiska sat beside me
against the fence
hair let loose
no ribbon
her mother's borrowed scent
nice as I leaned close to her
touched her hand warm
pulsing slightly

thought about you
all through science
she said

what did you think about?

you and this
she said
being close out
of others' sight

kiss
lips wet
warm
close as close

parted
looked at each other

what do you think
my parents would say
if they could see me now?
she asked

put him down
you don't know
where he's been?

she laughed
no
Mum'd break out
of her dark mood
and most likely spank me
and Dad'd recite
some prayer or worse

I fingered her hair
smooth
soft

best they don't see you then
I said

best my brother
don't know either
because he'd tell
she said

kissed on lips again
my hand felt
along her thigh
her hand touched mine
our eyes searched
each the others'

do you think of me
in class?
she asked

and out of it
I said

she smiled
you would
she said

kissed her cheek
touched both thighs
her hands held mine

watch out
prefect over there
by the English block
she said

we parted
the sense of her lips
still wet on mine

the prefect called out
WHAT YOU DOING?

we walked along
by the wire
where he stood
looking at us
tall
thin
dark eyed

what was you two doing?
he asked

she wanted to know
the history of England
in 1066
I said

he didn't smile
he gazed at Yiska
you get back on the field
he said to her

she went off
he gazed at me
I watched her go away
looking behind
his narrow frame
she looked back
and blew me a kiss

girls aren't allowed
with boys
off the playing field
he said
what were you doing?

nothing but exchanging words
I said

he frowned
you could get into trouble
for this
he said
but seeing
as you were just
talking with her
I’ll let you off this time
now scoot
he said

I walked away
he watched me go
in the distance
on the playing field
I saw Yiska
with her fiends

that's the way
the world goes
I mused
maybe how it ends.