ANNE'S BODY TALK.

Anne crutched her way

over the grass
from the nursng home
to the whte seats on the !awn
and sat down
n one of the chars
and threw her crutches
to the ground "esde her
# sat n a char
ne$t to her
she had on a "!ue s%rt
and whte "!ouse
her one !eg stuc% out
from the end
of her s%rt
the other %ds &!ayed
on the swngs and s!de
or wa!%ed around
avodng "eng
near Anne
# wonder
f the nuns have &erods'
She sad sudden!y
# don't %now
# sad
mght e$&!an
ther cra""ness some days
she sad
# nodded my head
unsure of the to&c
&erods of what'
# as%ed
she !oo%ed at me
stern!y for a moment
you don't %now'
# shoo% my head
ga(ng at her
t's menstruaton
n rea! terms
she sad
none the wser
# !oo%ed at her
har dar%
and a!most shny
where she)d
"rushed t so much
do you %now that'
no not heard of t
# sad
she sghed
and !oo%ed at me dee&!y
do your &arents te!!
you nothng'
not a"out
menstruaton anyway
# sad
my o!d to!d me
a"out the *!ague of London
n +,,-
and rats and stuff
fuc% the *!ague of +,,-
she sad
ths s rea! stuff
t may come handy
one day to %now
# dou"ted t
"ut sad nothng
# !oo%ed "ac%
at the nursng home
for rescue
do you %now anythng
a"out the fema!e cyc!e'
She sad
my frend's sster's cyc!e
ddn't have a cross "ar
# sad
remem"erng .m's sster
and the "cyc!e
# sometmes rode
no no Kd
not that %nd of cyc!e
her "ody cyc!e
# notced as she moved
on the char
her !eg stum&
"ecame vs"!e
when a fema!e
gets to a certan age
her "ody gets &re&ared
to &ut an egg
n a &!ace n her "ody
ready to "e fert!(ed
o%'
# saw the stum& c!ear!y
t !oo%ed !%e the end
of a &!um& e!"ow
Kd do you hear
what # am sayng'
Yes
# sad
good
now f the egg
doesn't get fert!(ed
"y a certan tme
her "ody gets rd of t
n a cyc!e
and she "!eeds
the who!e &ac%age out
rght'
#t ddn)t sound too good
"ut # nodded
what %nd of egg'
# as%ed
what do you mean
what %nd of egg'
A "!oody human egg
what do you thn%
a "!oody hens' egg'
She sghed dee&!y
and # wondered where
she "ought her one shoe
how o!d are you Kd'
+/ near!y ++ years o!d
# re&!ed
studyng her "!ac% shoe
and wonderng
what she dd
wth the other shoe
what's fert!(aton'
# as%ed
!oo%ng u& at her
sttng n the char
her eyes focused on me
go as% the nuns
they'!! %now
she sad sna&&!y
o%
# sad
# w!!
she reached for her crutches
and sad
rght Kd
!et's go to the "each
out of the eyes
of the "tches
and ther reach
and so # wa!%ed
"esde her
out the "ac% gate
and onto the &ath
that !ed
to the sand and sea
"!ue s%es
whte c!ouds
seagu!!s
and Anne and me.