APPLE ORCHARD 1962

Yehudit and I sat
in the small apple orchard
of my parent's garden
it was Sunday

a warm afternoon
and she'd been invited
for tea
as we sat alone

on the grass
cool in the shade
of the trees
she said

you've a big garden
to keep up
do you help your dad?
yes a bit when I can

I say
I studied her
sitting there
with her brown hair

and bright eyes
in a green flowery dress
I wore jeans
and open neck

white shirt
and how often can you?
often as I can
I replied

good
she said
she was silent
a few moments

then she said
if your mum hadn't
invited me to tea
I don't think

my mum would have
let me come
Yehudit said
why?

she shrugged
her shoulders
she didn't say as such
in so many words

but it was implied
in her answer
doesn't she like me?
I asked

you're a boy and that
is as bad as bad
as it gets in her eyes
-she had sons

but maybe they
were special ones-
glad you're here anyway
I said

she looked towards
the cottage windows
and then turned to me
and said

if this was my garden
my mother would be
gazing at us through
the net curtains

seeing what we
were doing
what would she expect us
to be doing?

I said
whatever she thinks
we might be up to
I guess

my mum doesn't spy
she trusts us and besides
we just sitting here
in the orchard

not doing anything
I said
so far
she said smiling

she pulled me down
backward on to the grass
and we lay there
facing each other

eyes to eyes
we kissed
then I placed
my hand

on her thigh
then we gazed
at each other
eye to eye.