"speak to me. why do you never speak. speak.

"what are you thinking of? what thinking? what?

"i never know what you are thinking. think." 

i think we are in rats alley

where the dead men lost their bones. 

"what is that noise?"

the wind under the door.

"what is that noise now? what is the wind doing?"

nothing again nothing. 

"do

"you know nothing? do you see nothing? do you remember

"nothing?" 

i remember

those are pearls that were his eyes.

"are you alive, or not? is there nothing in your head?"

but

o o o o that shakespeherian rag -

its so elegant

so intelligent  

"what shall i do now? what shall i do?"

i shall rush out as i am, and walk the street

"with my hair down, so. what shall we do to-morrow?

"what shall we ever do?"

the hot water at ten.

and if it rains, a closed car at four.

and we shall play a game of chess,

pressing lidless eyes and waiting for a knock upon the door. 

when lils husband got demobbed, i said -

i didnt mince my words, i said to her myself,  

hurry up please its time

now alberts coming back, make yourself a bit smart.

hell want to know what you done with that money he gave you

to get yourself some teeth. he did, i was there.

you have them all out, lil, and get a nice set,

he said, i swear, i cant bear to look at you.

and no more cant i, i said, and think of poor albert,

hes been in the army four years, he wants a good time,

and if you dont give it him, theres others will, i said.

oh is there, she said. something o that, i said.   

then ill know who to thank, she said, and give me a straight look.

hurry up please its time

if you dont like it you can get on with it, i said.

others can pick and choose if you cant.

but if albert makes off, it wont be for lack of telling.

you ought to be ashamed, i said, to look so antique.

(and her only thirty-one.)

i cant help it, she said, pulling a long face,

its them pills i took, to bring it off, she said.

(shes had five already, and nearly died of young george.)