Benny Fight Watching 1955 Poem by Terry Collett

A fight erupted
in the playground
two boys
circling each other
jabbing out
punches now and then
mostly wrestling
of a sort
then pushing apart
to throw
pathetic punches
once again.

I watched
from the sideline
within the crowd.

The tall kid
had the reach
but missed more often
than he hit.

The tubby kid
was slow but
when he hit
it struck hard
because the tall kid
winced
saw it
on his face.

No girls came
and watched
they were too busy
at other things
to bother
or they didn't like
the sight of blood
or roughness.

My money
(not that
I had any)
was on the tubby kid.

Hit him Watts
a voice said
from the crowd.

Then a voice said
prefects!
and the crowd dispersed
like a Red Sea.

The fighters merged
with the crowd
and there was nothing
left to see.