Summer's Day And Jane 1961 Poem by Terry Collett

Summer's day
and Jane and I
were lying on the grass
in the churchyard
in an area
where there
were no gravestones
(at least not at that time)

birds flew overhead
and cows mooed
from over the hedge
from the fields beyond

do you think
of me often?
Jane said
turning to gaze at me
not the sky

most of the time
I said
looking and taking
in her dark eyes

what do you think
about me?
she asked

I looked at her lips
thin lips
and opening and closing
as she spoke to me

think I love you
I said

she looked away blushing
how love me?
in what way?
she said
her eyes watching
rooks overhead

not sexual
love you for being you
I said
pushing thoughts
of Lizbeth from my mind
knowing to even mention
her name would
cloud the day

not sexual not lustful?
she said

no of course not
I said
(but was it
totally true?)

her eyes followed
a swift go by
in the sky
do you think of her?
Jane said
looking at me
letting the swift go off

her?
I said

Lizbeth
Jane said

I try not to
I said

do you lust
after her?
Jane said quietly
as if she thought
the cows might
be listening

no I don't
I said
(but did I?)

I love you
Jane whispered
in my ear
a breathy sentence
words warm and soft
like marshmallows

ditto
I said

she kissed my cheek
then lay on her back

I couldn't imagine
her ever wanting sex
she seemed too pure
for such

unlike Lizbeth
who would have
sucked me off
as quick as look at me
but I didn't allow
even the thought to stay
in my head

my mother likes you
she said
and trusts us

I liked her mother
in a kind of
careful as I walk
kind of way

Jane held my hand
at her side
her hand in mine
fingers intertwined

a swallow flew up ahead
graceful and smooth
and quickly gone

Lizbeth would turnover now
I mused
and climb me
and be on.