Growing Pain
the boy was barely five years old
we sent him to the little school
and left him there to learn the names
of flowers in jam jars on the sill
and learn to do as he was told
***
he seemed quite happy there until
three weeks afterwards at night
the darkness whimpered in his room
I went upstairs switched on his light
and found him wide awake distraught
sheets mangled and his eiderdown
untidy carpet on the floor
I said why can't you sleep?a pain
he snuffled gave a little moan
and then he spoke a single word:
jessica.the sound was blurred
jessica
what do you mean?
a girl at school called jessica
she hurts - he touched himself between the heart and stomach - she has been
aching here and I can see her
nothing I had read or heard
instructed me in what to do
I covered him and stroked his head
the pain will go in time , I said
"vernon scannel