Rosary Fingering 1963 Poem by Terry Collett

Rosary
fingering
Martha sits

in the church
eyeing up
the young priest

who's just come
tall and thin
and dark haired

in the front
pew praying
she watches

no longer
fingering
the dark beads

getting up
from her pew
she walks down

to the priest
kneeling there
taps his black

cloth shoulder
excuse me
Father Bede

(she'd heard his
name mentioned
in the school)

the young priest
opens his eyes
stares at her

(he's nice eyes
she muses)
what is it

my young child?
the priest asks
sitting back

on the seat
Martha sits
beside him

do you know
just how tall
the Christ was?

she asks him
the tall priest
looks at her

looking for
a punchline
some meaning

no idea
probably
6 foot so

he tells her
quite tall then
she mutters

tall as me
no taller
he informs

her priestly
and had beard
and moustache?

she asks him
he studies
her two eyes

soul's mirrors
he's been told
probably

black and long
he tells her
why'd you ask?

he asks her
I'm to be
when older

one of his
many brides
Martha says

I love Him
think of Him
all the time

Father Bede
lends a smile
o that's good

(wondering
to himself
if the girl's

the full pack)
but do I
if some prat

of a boy
asks for sex
tell him to

go feck off?
she utters
sincerely

Father Bede
blushes so
puts the word

from his ears
best he can
remain pure

for Our Lord
as His bride
he informs

red in face
so I will
Martha says

and walks off
swaying hips
the thin priest

watches her
walk away
red faced still.