JANICE AND YOU AND MARKET DAY.

A BOY AND GIRL IN LONDON IN 1950S.

Janice got the bus with you
to East Street market
after the Saturday morning
film matinée

(Batman episodes
and a cowboy film)
and you got off the bus
and walked through

the market
and showed her the stall
where you'd bought
a fish tank

for the goldfish
you'd won
at the funfair
which was

prior to that time
swimming around
and around
in the cheap

glass bowl
she looked
at the market guy
selling all sorts of things

shouting loudly
and holding up items
and saying
not £2 lady

but here for you
£1/10/-
no wait
you've got

a pretty face
I'll take £1 & 5/-
Janice stood
open mouthed

her fair hair
tied in a pony tail
with her red beret
on top

and her orange
flowery dress
and sandals
white socks

come on
you said
this bloke's always
full of the old chatter

the stuff probably fell
off the back
of a lorry
you walked on

gazing at
the various stalls
fruit and vegetable
clothes and material

junk stalls
some selling drinks
and sweets
and some urchins

trying to con her
about watches
and such
what about a drink?

you said
there's a cafe over there
maybe a cake or something?
she looked in

her small purse
with a Cinderella picture
only got 6d
she said

which Gran gave me
no problems
you said
I've still got money over

from the matinée
this morning
my old man gave me
so you took her

to the cafe
and ordered two lemonades
and a piece of cake
and sitting there

you gazing at her
sitting there
the red beret
on her fair hair

her blue eyes
taking in all
around her
the fat woman

eating fish and chips
with a cigarette
in the corner
of her mouth

a blue scarf
about her blonde hair
the old guy
sitting in the corner

giving Janice
the eye
holding a mug of tea
and a self-rolled cigarette

in his mouth
smoke rising upwards
his yellowy fingers
wrapped around

the mug handle
he sitting there
taking in
Janice's knees

under the table
you giving him
the stare
and she unaware

of it all
with her blue eyes
and red beret
on her fair hair.