Catapulting 1957 Poem by Terry Collett

Benny stoned
a tin can.

He watched it fall
off the wall.

He put another stone
in his catapult
aimed and hit
another tin can.

Enid watched him
she still felt
where her old man
had beat her.

She watched
the tin can fall again
watched Benny load
his catapult once more
and aim
the last tin can
stood on the wall.

Her old man
had been
in a bad mood
her mother
had said nothing
no help there.

The last tin can
fell from the wall
with a loud sound
and hit the ground.

Want a go?
Benny said
offering her
the catapult.

She took the catapult
and he stood
put the tin cans on
the wall of
the bombed-out house
on the bomb site
off Meadow Row.

She watched him
as she held the weapon
he placed all three tin cans
on the wall
and came to her.

He showed her
how to hold and aim
he gave her small stones.

She put them in
her dress pocket.

He stood back
and watched
as she pulled back
the the leather holder
with stone and aimed.

The pain where
her old man beat her
caused her hands to shake
as she aimed.

Benny watched
took in the pale blue dress
her shaking hands.

She let go the load
it shot off
into foreign lands.