Love and lust, young

Five,

Keva, sleeping beauty play

Beautiful, long hair, but no prince!

Confident shy boys in the class, laughing and joking

But I stepped up

I leaned over

You woke!

Seven,

Deirdre, I remember you in that communion dress

From the letter you sent me, when you moved

We had played so much

Even though I injured you and the other girls alot

Puppy fat and all that

Ah, but we had so much fun, before you left

Now I find myself living where you moved to

The child I was, still searching?

Nine,

Visit with my aunt

I was so important, my cousin being the neighbourhood boss, or bully perhaps

So foreign also, fresh blood from Meath

We encircled you, me and my worshippers

so confident, despite some remaining puppy-fat

Confidently asked you for a shift

But you said no.

After asking nine or so times, I walked away

“Gracefully”

Twelve,

Desperate now, not much confidence left, going with the puppy-fat

Need that elusive shift

Sharon, straight from Doyle’s Dublin

Confident, bigger than me, in all ways

Climbed over a wall, then long walk to behind the school

Romantically, you threw away your gum, and then

your lips prised my mouth open with mechanical strength and then

a moist dagger attacked.

But I was not to be beaten!

My own dagger fought you away

You pulled back for a moment, then attacked again

Then you retreated, for good this time.

We said goodbye, I cycled away

I cycled so quickly

So much energy

Excitement, fear, embarrassment

Achievement!

I had won the battle

Looking forward to more

But not yet

15.09.10