MS-UoR-1477-6

[0015] that time you went back that last time to look was
the ruin still there where you hid as a child when
was that (eyes close) ^{dull grey day} took the eleven to the end of
the line and ^on from there no no trams then all gone
long ago that time you went back to look was the
ruin still there where you hid as a child not a tram
left in the place only the old rails when was that

[0016] when you went in out of the rain always winter then
always raining that time in the Portrait Gallery in
off the street out of the cold and wet ^rain slipped in when
no one was looking and through the rooms ^[halls] all shivering
and dripping till you found a seat marble slab and sat
down to s^rest and dry off and on out to hell out of there
when was that

[0017] B^on the stone sitting together in the sun on the stone
at the edge of the little wood and as far as eyes could
see the wheat turning yellow vowing every now and again
you loved each other ^{just a murmur} not touching or anything of that
nature yl^ou one end of the stone she the other long low
stone like millstone no looks just sitting there ^together on the
stone in the sun with the little wood behind you gazing
at the wheat or eyes closed no sign of life not a soul
abroad ^{no sound}

[0019] C^was your mother still ah for God's sake all dust the lot
of them long ago ^{all gone long ago all dust the lot} you the last huddled up on the slab in
the old green greatcoat with your arms round you whose
else hugging you for a bit of warmth to dry off and on
out to hell out of there and on to the next not a living
soul in the place only [a] yourself and a few attendants
drowsing around in their felt pantofles ^{galoshes shufflers} not a sound to
be heard only every now and again a shuffle of felt draw-
ing near then dying away

[0018] straight off the ferry and up with the nightbag to the
main ^high street neither right nor left not a curse for the
old scenes the old faces ^names straight o^up the rise from the
wharf to the main ^high street and there not a wire to be seen
only the old rails all rust when was that was your motg^her
still ah for God's sake not ^at all all gone long ago that
time you went back to look was the ruin still there where
you hid as a child someone's folly