Her Deep Sighs 1963 Poem by Terry Collett

Magdalene's
parents row
she hears them

from her room
nightly fights
loud voices

hands slapping
she turns up
her tiny

transistor
radio
and listens

ear up close
to some song
by Elvis

she's undressed
soiled linen
cast aside

short nightie
a lush pink
she then thinks

of Mary
on this bed
hours back

listening
to LPs
on her small

hi-fi box
both smoking
sipping slow

some borrowed
of ma's gin
Mary said

that idjit
boy Brian
tried to get

his feck leg
over me
but I said

go feck sheep
they both laughed
huddled close

Magdalene
put her hand
on Mary's

naked knee
moved upward
Mary said

go ahead
still rowing
downstairs

her parents
her da's voice
thundering

through the floor
her ma's voice
soprano

counterpoints
his tenor
as if in

opera
by Verdi
Magdalene

gets in bed
says her prayers
(old routine)

then lays down
in the dark
(light turned out)

dreaming of
Mary's lips
Mary's hands

Mary's hips
Mary's eyes
letting out

in slow breath
her deep sighs.