Selected Poems of Thomas Albert Fox
Volume fourIntercourse
tapping
the screen questioned
answers were tapped
clickety click
quickety quickand upon the hourglass i
waitedthe sand appearing to run
while it bided
exploring the whole earth
drawing refreshments
sipping my patience
until there appeared before me
"your mothers maiden name"what mistake am i making now
tap tap"your mothers maiden name"
tap tap tap tap tap tap tap atp
christ
tap tap
"your mothers maiden name"it is asking me for her maiden name
my heart shrank,
how could i tell it something like that
it would know too much
it would know
hermy grandmother
her name it was
she took it from him
that man we never knew at all
taken by the Great War
leaving her
and the little maids
mum and my aunties
with his name
tap tap
"your mothers maiden name"what did it matter
tap tap tap tap
the letters flowered over the screen*****
it had been
i realised then that it had almost gone,
but for this asking.the code
was unbreakable
who knew it but me
tapping
and that name appearing
distant
tapped out
and an hourglass waitingdry
biding
and i watched
spellbound
how the letters coming together
held me held me held me
help me
help me
help
help
i am trying to tap
help
tap tap
taptap
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