The Light Eater
Two weeks after the first day
at school, I hadn’t spoken –
didn’t know how to talk to girls.
Did I pick her? The one that was
most like a boy – lean, athletic,
cropped hair. I remember
the swagger and laugh of a film star,
twitchy mouth – more talk
than the teachers preferred.
That first image and this one;
her on our three-seater, standing –
my brothers shining a torch
on the wall behind the sofa –
her jumping to catch the light-beam –
a silhouette on a stage set.
The codec in the curve of lip, arc of wrist
snap of neck to the next spot,
a splay of fingers on leatherette.
First published in "The Alchemy Spoon - The Body Issue", Aug 2021