Mary After Sunday Dinner 1967

Mary sits on the sofa

while he goes off

to fetch photos

of his childhood,

after the Sunday dinner

his mother cooked.

She helped

his mother wash up

while he sat

in the lounge smoking.

She could smell

his mother's perfume

as she helped dry dishes,

his mother's naked neck

how she was tempted

to kiss the neck,

how she wanted

to wrap her arms

around his mother's waist

and kiss.

But she refrained,

controlled the urges,

and sitting on the sofa,

she hopes he doesn't return

with the darn photos,

but wants to imagine

his mother

sitting beside her

without clothes.