Naaman As Before 1962 Poem by Terry Collett

Shoshana took me aside
in the corridor
of the school.

She whispered
that her sister
was pregnant.

How comes?
I said.

She said her sister
had been with some boy
and her father was angry
and her sister was crying
so much.

I looked around us
as other kids
walked past.

So what now?
I said.

She said she didn't know
and that the house
was not the same now.

Her mother seemed
to be the one person
who was calm
and trying
to get things sorted.

I was just about to ask
her a question
about us
when a prefect
came along
and told us
to move on to class
as the bell
was about to go
for lessons.

She looked at me
and kissed my cheek
and went off
up the corridor.

I watched her go
fired up about her
as before.