Mihi Deus Est Fundamentum Essendi Mei.

For me,

God is the foundation

of my being,

the old monk said,

his black habit

having stains from lunch,

his eyes grey, tired.

I sat listening,

observing the outer man,

stains and all,

but maybe,

God's holyman,

God's fool.

That time Sheila

meeting me in the school corridor

inbetween lessons,

eyed me, smiled

and blew me a kiss

from her pink

but ink-stained palm.

That time the rozzer

stopped Ellen and me

on the bomb site

gathering stones for my catapult,

he said Private property,

those stones,

Just stones,

I said,

Drop them

and move away.

We did reluctantly,

moving to anotherbombsite

over the way.

That time Dee

had her unhappy face on

when I got home from work,

Bloody milkman

said your cheque bounced

and wouldn't leave any milk

until the bill is settled,

she said.

I nodded

and gave her cash

to cover the bill

the following day.

I guess she had awarded him

with her tempered words

that would have pecked at him

like angry birds.