MS-UoR-1477-7

[0039] stock still side by side in the sun then sink and vanish
without your having stirred any more than the two knobs
on a dumbbell except the lip^ds and every now and then the
lips to vow and all around too all x^still all sides wherever
it might be no stir or sound only faintly the leaves in the
little wood behind or the ears or the bent or the reeds as
the case might be of man no sight ^{of man or beast beast no sight} or sound

[0040] always winter then always raining always slipping in some-
where when no one would be looking in off the street out
of the cold and rain in the old green holeproof coat your
father left you places you hadn't to pay to get in like the
Public Library that was another great thing ^boon free culture in
foul weather far from home that or the Post Office that was
another ^{another place} another time

[0041] huddled on the doorstep in the old green greatcoat in the pale
sun with the nightbag needlessx on your knees not knowing where
you were little by little not knowing where you were or when
you were or what for place might have been deserted ^uninhabited for all
you knew like that time on the stone where none ever came

[0045] or alone in the same the same scenes making it up that way to
keep going keep it goinx^g keep it out on the stone ^{(eyes close)} alone on the
end of the stone with the wheat and blue or the towpath alone
on the towpath with the ghosts of the mules the drowned rat or
bird or whatever it was floating off into the sunset till you
could see it no more nothing stirring only the water and the
sun going down till it went down and you vanished all vanished

[0046] none ever came but the child on the stone among the giant nettles
with the light coming in where the wall had crumbled away poring
on his book well on into the night some moods the moonlight and
they all out on the roads looking for him or making up talk
breaking up two or more talking to himself that way being together
that way where none ever came

[0047] always winter then endless winter year after year as if it couldn't
end g^the old year never end like time could go no further that time
in the Post L^Office all bustle Christman^s bustle in off the street
when no one was looking out of the cold and rain pushed open the
door like anyone else and straight for the table neither right
nor left with all the forms and the pens on their chains sat down
on first vacant seat and were taking a look round for a change
before drowsing away

[0048] or that time alone on your back in the sand and no vows to break
the peace when was that an earlier time a later time before she came
after she went or both before she came after she was h^gone and you
back in the old scene wherever it might be might have been the same
old scene before as then then as after with the rat or the wheat
the yellowing ears or that time in the sand the glider passing
og^ver that time you went back soon after long after

[0049] eleven or twelve in the ruin on the flat stone among the nettles
in the dark or moonlight muttering away now one voice now another
there was childhood for you till there on the step in the pale sun
you heard yourself at it again not a curse for the passers pausing
to gape at the scandal huddled there in the sun where it had no
warrant clutching the nightbag drooling away out loud eyes closed
and the white hair pouring out down from under the hat and so at
sat on in that pale sun forgetting it all