Colin Stewart Jones

Reflections

in the window
my light bulb's reflection—
I face the day

There is an old boy—must be about seventy—who lives in the next block. No matter the weather he constantly works on his car; a Volkswagen. Today is dull and grey with a slight drizzle. We make our usual exchanges. I nod "Hello manny." "Fit like, ma loon?" He says back, returning to fit his new rear passenger side wheel. I walk on towards the shop where I get a grunt of acknowledgement as I pay for my tobacco.

Jimmy collars me outside the shop, "Hey min, see those three lassies over there skipping school, one just asked me if Ah thought her mate's arse was big. Ah said, aye it is and so is yours. Then the mate shouts, ye're a peedo! Looking at ma arse?" I laugh, "kids nowadays, eh Jimmy, see ya later!" "Aye, s'later!" It is starting to rain full-on now. I decide to take a shortcut through the underpass between the flats. There are a group of lads sheltering from the rain. "Gotta light mate?" "Nah, sorry boys Ah dinna smoke."

a rooks calls
from its bare nest...
autumn deepens

Notes:

manny: a man

fit like: how are you (what like)

ma : my

loon: young lad

min : man

peedo : paedophile

dinna : don't