REACHED FOR THE SKY 1997.

AN IRISH WOMAN AND HER HUSBAND AND HER SECRET LOVER.

Nuala sat watching the TV
with her husband Brian,

Saturday afternoon,

football on, loud,

he talking of his team,
beer can in his hand,
cigarette in an ashtray
on the table,

she thinking of Una,
of what they'd done
the Saturday before
at her place in Dublin,

the winger's a bit of a prat
Brian said,

Nuala felt his thigh touch hers,
thought of Una's thigh,
wishing it was hers,

but the fecking goalie's
the best we've had in awhile, 
Brian went on,

she lifted her glass
of vodka and sipped
and wanted to feel
Una's fingers along
her thigh again,

my Da always said the team
will make it one day but still
they've not done so,
Brian said eyeing her
a sparkle in his eyes,

she smiled at him,
but inwardly Una was there
touching her,

poor Brian she shouldn't
be thinking of anyone else
but him but Una's there,

he sipped his beer
his eyes on the screen
large as life,
feck me, Brian said,
a near goal that if ever
there was one,

Una met her
at the company do
and Una said
how about a drink?  

Nuala had said
yes why not?
and one thing lead
to another thing,

when I played football
I'd not have missed
like that idjit  
Brian said,
Ireland is master
he added,

Nuala gazed at her husband,
at his lips, his nose,
she loved him,
had since they were kids
at school, but Una
had lit up something in her,
stirred her in a way
she'd not known before,

drink up Nuala
once the game's done
we can have a bit of a shag,
Brian said smiling,

she looked away,
sipped her drink,
thought of how Una
had undressed her
and had kissed her,

Brian gulped down the last
of his beer and reached
for another and undone
the can and sipped,

she gazed at him
his eyes glued to the TV
one hand holding
the beer can his other hand
on her thigh,

Una had touched her
an electric rush
went through her
and nigh on wet her wide,

GOAL Brian shouted
standing up
his hand off her thigh
reached to the sky.