With Thought 1962 Poem by Terry Collett

With the thought
of her big sister
being pregnant
and her father

moaning about it
and her mother
glum as Mondays
Shoshana went back

to her room
and lay on her bed
and looked
at the ceiling

at the spider
big and black
and juicy
in the corner

trying to hide
but not making
a good job of it
she mused on Naaman

and seeing him again
the following day
being next to him
lunch time

at recess
after the double maths
(yuk)
and talk to him

about things
and see his smile
(Elvis like)
and watch as his quiff

of brown hair
moves as he sits
and talks
and O just to be

next to him
she crossed her legs
at the ankles
folded her arms

under her breasts
she thought of the book
of butterflies
he had brought

and his talk
of this butterfly
and that
and the colourings

and patterns
and she wished
he had touched
her hand or arm

or just turned
and kissed her
but he didn't
he just talked

of butterflies
he had seen
or hoped to see
and her body

was yearning for him
she had never
in all her young days
felt such yearning

in her body or mind
and she closed her eyes
lying there
like one who's blind.