Your mother had given you <br />a few coins to buy sweets <br /> <br />and on the way you met Fay <br />and you said <br /> <br />do you want to come <br />and buy some sweets? <br /> <br />and she said <br />I haven't any money <br /> <br />and you said <br />you can share mine <br /> <br />if you tell me what you like <br />but she said <br /> <br />my father wouldn't like it <br />if I had sweets he says <br /> <br />they rot your teeth <br />but she walked to the shop with you <br /> <br />thinking silently to herself <br />and outside the shop <br /> <br />you said <br />are you sure? <br /> <br />she nodded and stood outside <br />while you went in <br /> <br />and bought sweets <br />when you came out <br /> <br />she was waiting there <br />her eyes gazing at you <br /> <br />her tongue running over <br />her lips <br /> <br />you showed her <br />what you'd bought <br /> <br />and her eyes widened <br />here take one <br /> <br />you said <br />your dad won't know <br /> <br />if you don't tell him <br />she hesitated <br /> <br />her fingers lingering <br />over the bag of sweets <br /> <br />but what if he sees me <br />or smells them <br /> <br />on my breath? <br />she said fear entering her eyes <br /> <br />her hands falling at her sides <br />you put out a hand <br /> <br />and touched hers <br />it's only a sweet <br /> <br />it's not as if <br />you're having a drag of a smoke <br /> <br />or sipping beer <br />she nodded and smiled a little <br /> <br />best not <br />she said <br /> <br />if he finds out <br />he'll get angry with me <br /> <br />for eating sweets and lying <br />and you remembered <br /> <br />the bruises you'd seen <br />on her arms and thighs <br /> <br />that time <br />and you sighed thinking <br /> <br />as if eating sweets <br />was a big deal or a crime.<br /><br />Terry Collett<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/as-if-it-was-a-crime/
