#195 Kevin Brophy 'Merciful'

#195 ‘Merciful’

A boy lying on his back

in the sun

on the oval

his friends watch him

from the shade

pull his green top

up over his head

a passing man leans over the boy

and says something

the boy shakes his head

and pulls the collar

of the green top

further over his head

the man who leans over

now leans even closer

and insists

the boy sits up

shakes his head

pulls his top down

stands up

and goes across to his friends

in the shade

they play ball together

for the next hour

as if they have learned

something about

being merciful to each other

just by watching a man

lean over a boy

sulking on the ground

under a ruthless sun

and a departing day

and the boy finally sitting up

and the man walking on his way