Poem 135

I worked with Janey in private boxes … when my play Jism was on at BATS I got comps for her and a couple of other workmates none of whom had ever been to theatre … she in particular was entranced, she asked is it always like this? …

Janey

woke up vomiting this morning
with just enough time to get to work
I said with a stomach like hers
I'd be careful with the pills
        remember Jimi Hendrix …
she told me she didn't get to sleep until five
and how this girl she'd just met
   got into her bed
because she was afraid of Sonny
the guy who did fifteen years for murder
who's moved into the house without anyone
    exactly inviting him
and how the girl
crept right down under the blankets
and trembled when Sonny came in
            man it was like
            she was having a fit or something
and Sonny kept coming in
a stoned dog on the scent
until Janey told him to get downstairs
     to his own bed
and he asked Janey if she'd like to go over
                                                 those railings
meaning the balcony which is three flights up
and Chiefy was telling her to shut up
and Sonny said 
                  where's that pakeha girl?
and Janey in the quivering bed
said
     what pakeha girl?


she laughs
              man I was so blocked
              I forgot she was pakeha