.It seemed such fun      under a tropical sky
this motorboat carving sea into puffcakes of soft ice-cream

rum punch on the foredeck      bull’s blood for the seasick
four cabin s with not quite real life-size double beds

good money said the skipper      cocking an eye
and I saw he was wild for Louise

with the plush bosom I envied      the wordless need
the swaying barefoot walk

(I must have looked like the flatirons thrown in with Lot 42)

give her a chance she said      as the skipper frowned at me
in my chaste one-colour one-piece bathing suit

I was longing for escape      from being good
from forever games of pool in corrugated iron shacks

rust-stained Coca Cola posters
the twitching curtains of the respectable

it’ll be a wild night he said
rich bastard Yanks on
their Easter break

no worries we said      but it was Louise he took.