Big Mouth Cow 1962 Poem by Terry Collett

Elaine goes to her room,
after saying hello
to her mother in the kitchen,
hoping her sister
says nothing
about the kiss
she had from John on Sunday.

She shuts the door,
and stares at herself
in the mirror,
and then goes,
and lies
on her bed,
and stares
at the ceiling.

Wondering what John
is thinking about,
how he'll be tomorrow,
what with the kids
on the school bus
now knowing,
and teasing,
all because her sister
couldn't keep
things to herself,
and had to blab.

What was her sister
on about about
doing things?
what things?

She lies there
hands together
over her stomach,
wondering what IT was,
and what her sister meant
about doing IT?

Don't trust boys,
her aunt had said
at a family gathering
a year ago,
they're only after one thing,
but her aunt didn't say
what thing.

We've only kissed,
she thinks turning,
and facing the wall
on her side,
running a finger
down the wall.

Well he kissed me
on Sunday,
and that time
on the sports field,
it wasn't as if they did IT
all the time
was that IT
was kissing the IT?

She can hear her sister
laughing downstairs,
loud voices,
music playing
from the radio.

ELAINE,
her mother calls.

Elaine sits up on the bed,
and wonders what
the trouble is now;
her sister's fault,
the big mouth cow.