MS-UoR-1477-8

[0019] was your mother ah for God's sake 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 to hell out of there and on to the next not a
living soul in the place only yourself and the odd
attendant drowsing around in his felt shufflers not a
sound to be heard only every now and then a shuffle
of felt drawing near then dying away

[0020] all still just the leaves and ears and you too still
on the stone in a daze no sound not a word only every
now and then to vow you loved each other just a murmur
one thing could ever bring tears till they dried up al-
together that thought when it came up among the others
floated up that scene

[0021] Foley was it Foley's Folly bit of a tower still stand-
ing all the rest rubble and nettles where did you sleep
no friend all the homes gone was it that kip on the front
where you no she was with you then still with you then
just the one night in any case off the ferry one morning
and back on her the next to look was the ruin still there ^{where none
ever came}
where you hid as a child slip off when no one was looking
and hide there all day long on a stone among the nettles
with your picture-book

[0022] till you hoisted your head and there n^before your eyes
when they opened a vast oil black with age and dirt
someone famous in his time some famous man or woman or
even child such as a young prince or princess some young
prince or princess of the blood black with age behind
the glass where gradually as you peered trying to make
it out gradually of all things a face appeared had you
swivel on the slab to see who it was there at your elbow

[0023] on the stone in the sun gazing at the wheat or the sky
or the eyes closed nothing to be seen but the wheat turn-
ing yellow and the blue sky vowing every now and then you
loved each other just a murmur tears without fail till
they dried up altogether suddenly there in whatever
thoughts you might be having whatever scenes perhaps way
back in childhood or the womb worst of all or that old
Chinaman long before Christ born with long white hair

[0024] never the same after that never quite the same but that
was nothing new if it wasn't this it was that common
occurrence something you could never be the same after
crawling about year after year sunk in your lifelong mess
muttering to yourself who else you'll never be the same
after this you were never the same after that