To get home
carrying
the image of him
the eyes hazel
the hair
the quiff
the way he looked at her
Yehudit
her mother says
where have you been
was the school bus
late again?
no I was talking
to a boy
she says wondering
what her mother will say
looking away
wanting to get out
of her school uniform
get into something better
what boy?
the mother asks
gazing
scrutinising
taking in
her daughter’s face
seeing if the eyes
give anything away
Benedict’s a new boy
at school
lives along the road
in the black cottages
the mother stares harder
boys can be problematic
she says
what were you
talking about?
Yehudit looks
at the photograph
on the mantelpiece
a family group
before her brothers
left to marry
about choir
he’s going to join
Yehudit says
trying not to sound
too excited
well make sure that
is all it is don’t
want you bringing
home trouble
the mother says firmly
of course not
Yehudit says
wondering what trouble
her mother means
just singing in choir
he’s coming tonight
for practice
she adds
looking at her mother’s eyes
the depth there
a darkness lurking
you’re 13 not 23
her mother says
be 14 soon
Yehudit says
and how old is
this boy?
the mother asks
14 I think
he’s in my class at school
so only just 14
I guess
Yehudit says
biting her lower lip
as I said
you’re just 13
so no trouble
the mother says
or else
she walks away
towards the kitchen
where potatoes boil
or else echoes
in Yehudit’s head
as she goes upstairs
to her room
to lay on her bed.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem