Gary Allen
The picnic
Outstretched on an old tartan rug
commandeered from the child’s cot
she is lying flat-out
her legs straight and slightly parted
arms full length by her sides
belly protruding higher than her pointed bra
upper arms bare, covered in dimpled flesh
eyes closed.
He lies on the other side of her
in shirt sleeves
one arm across his eyes, a leg raised
the top button of his trousers undone
to release his beer-belly
neck falling into mottled brown skin
groaning in his half sleep.
The child between them
small, pink and fat, jointless
yellowed floppy sunhat tied around his chin
the brim falling over his eyes
a large ribboned dummy-teat
between his lips.
The ground around the wicker basket
littered with loaf-wrappers
egg-shells, pastry-holders
a bottle of lemonade stands tilted
bees hovering around the sticky top -
summer silence among
the sixteenth century castle ruins.
Page(s) 20
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