The Lunch 1962 Poem by Terry Collett

Yiska was there
when my school bus
got to school
this morning.

As soon
as I got off
she said her mother
had said I could go
to her place
and have lunch.

The downside was
her mother
would be there.

I got the impression
her mother
didn't trust me
she never left
the dining room once
while I was there
(except briefly
to get orange juice) .

She sat opposite us
gazing at me
her dark eyes
summing me up.

Yiska did most
of the talking
her mother replying
now and then.

I spoke when
either of them
asked me something
otherwise I said little
wishing it would
soon be over
or that her mother
would go off
in a deep sleep
for an hour or so.

But she didn't
just sat there
gazing at me.

Afterwards
we walked
back to school
she talking
about how
her mother never
understood her
and how she wished
we could have
been alone.

We parted company
at the girl's playground.

We kissed quickly.

She went off
and I went
to the boy's playground
and saw Trevor
who yakked about football
all the time.

I waited for the bell
wondering about
Yiska my girl.