Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Poetry Library Southbank Centre - The Poetry Library housing the Arts Council Collection at Southbank Centre

« Previous item
Contents of this issue
Next item »

Emma Lee

print this page

Containers

You threw a building block towards Rebecca
who wanted to make houses
out of your red tower.
I distracted you with toy cars
sending you in circuits of the hall,
so you didn’t bulldoze Rebecca’s homes.

When you fell over
there were no tears, but a shriek
from untuned vocal cords.
I kept talking to your silence,
washed and put a plaster on your cut knee.
You zoomed back to climb inside a fort
blockading yourself behind a high wall.

“He’s affectionate, really.
Intelligent for a five-year-old.”
Your mother held your hand as she spoke.
Behind her back, the playscheme leader shook
                                                     his head.
A sudden pull
and you sprinted towards me.

After that I got used to a tug on my arm,
a directional pointer.
The palm-slap on table top
that meant agitation.
A hug for reward.

You learnt “Yes”, “Let me finish this first”,
“No, it’s lunch time”,
where you’d show me
the food your mother had packed
before bolting it down and running back
to the people-empty, toy-filled hall.

 

Page(s) 135

Back to top