BY THE POND IN SHADE.

A BOY AND GIRL BY A POND IN 1962

She sat down with you

by the pond

the summer heat

 

and dragonflies

skimming across

the water’s skin

 

and the odd duck or so

setting down there

and she said

 

I want to have kids one day

and be a good mother

and make my kids happy

 

and meet their needs

and not be a moaning mum

like my own

 

and you looked at her

taking your eyes off

the ducks and dragonflies

 

and letting them rest

upon her face

and wondered how Rubens

 

would catch her

or maybe Renoir

and you said

 

I’m sure you will some day

and they’ll be lucky kids

and maybe you won’t moan

 

or chide too much

and then silence

as you swam over

 

her features

her eyes

her nose

 

her rose kissed cheeks

the way she sat

her elbows on her knees

 

the summer skirt

showing a little thigh

and she said

 

pointing to the water

we used to swim in there

when we were young

 

before mother caught us

with that Barber boy

but it was fun

 

and innocent

but she never saw things

that way

 

and then she smiled at you

and you said

wish we could go swim there

 

like that today

while the sun’s out

and the dragonflies

 

are skimming

and the ducks are here

but she just shook her head

 

and laughed

and ducks flew off

but dragonflies stayed

 

where you sat with her

by the pond

in cool of shade.