Boy Friends

Christine Elkins said to me
Under the oak tree
In the Memorial Park –
‘I’ve got 2½ boyfriends.’
‘2½?’ I said. ‘2½?’
‘How do you work that out?’

‘You, Harrybo, Timmy and Rodge,’
She said.
I thought for a moment . . .
‘Me, Harrybo, Timmy and Rodge?
. . . 4!’
I was just about to say,
‘But that makes 4 – ‘
When suddenly I thought,
‘She has halves – HALF boyfriends! . . .
. . . 2 halves make one? No. 3 halves plus 1 . . . yes.
‘But, which ones are the halves?’ I thought . . .
‘and who’s The One –
THE One?’

I never dared ask her
So I never found out.

from Quick Let’s Get Out of Here! (Deutsch, 1983/ Puffin, 1985), © Michael Rosen 1983, used by permission of the author.

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