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High Tables
In a circle of polished shoes, skirted knees,
trousered legs, like in the ring at a circus,
voices like insects, jackals, birds,
spinning round. And then -
'Where's he gone now?' The bigtop
flap of the tablecloth opens, a face like a moon,
'Oh, there you are.'
Caught. Me. Like I should grow up
and know better. And so I did
and the boy slipped inside me, silently
pleading: 'Please may I get down now?',
meaning to
slide feet-first
under the crisp tablecloth
to be cross-legged and quiet,
and for the voices of the damned
to drone from above.
'No. You can't get down.' Not now.
Not while I'm with these red-faced
philosophers slashing out with shiny knives,
slurping from sparkling goblets. Not when she's
here with her mascara-lined eyes
slicing into me, forking chunks into her
blood-rimmed mouth, dripping
grease, and laughing.
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