1983

The room is dark and cold.

No light here:

Only pain -

Someone has been decorating:

The walls inscribed with pain -

Maps, charts, photographs of pain:

Photographs of little girls -

Pale skin, fair hair, white wings.

Across the maps, the charts, and the photographs -

Swastikas and sixes;

Across every surface -

Six six sixes.

You step inside – You try the light switch again -

No light here:

Only pain and darkness.

You step further inside:

Shattered furniture, splintered wood -

The base of the double bed pulled out into the centre of the room -

On the base of the bed, a portable tape recorder -

A cassette case marked:

On care to be had for the Dead.

You walk towards the bed -

You walk towards the bed and then you see her -

See her -

See her feet first -

Her tiny, tiny feet -

Her -

On the floor, between the bed and the wall -

Between the bed and the wall, on her face -

Her -

Hazel Atkins.

You look -

You look away.

You look -

You look down.

You kneel upon the base of the double bed. You lean against the wall.

You reach down. You turn her over -

In pen upon her chest:

6 LUV .

You collapse on the base of the bed and the portable tape recorder -

‘The only thing you learn in school is ABC -

But all I want to know about is you and me -’

You switch it off.

Silence -

The weeping the only sound;

Sat among the silent sixes, weeping on the base of the double bed -

Staring up through your tears at the photographs and the sixes -

The silent sixes, waiting -

Six six sixes.

The silence -

The long silence until you hear car tyres on the car park -

Puddles of rain water and motor oil under their wheels.

Doors banging, slamming -

Car doors slamming.

Boots across the car park -

Puddles of rain water and motor oil underfoot.

You look down at the baby on the floor -

You look away;

Sat among the silent sixes, on the base of the bed -

Your wings, huge and rotting things -

Big black raven things that weigh you down, heavy -

That stop you standing -

Leave you sitting on the base of the double bed -

Staring through your tears at the photographs and the sixes -

The silent sixes, waiting -

Six six sixes.

They come to the door -

This door banging in the wind, in the rain.

They stop before the door:

Room 27.

They open the door -

Two figures in the doorway.

They step inside:

Maurice Jobson and another man.

They look at the walls -

The photographs and the sixes.

They look at the floor -

The girl on the floor.

They look at you -

The fat man on the double bed -

His wings, huge and rotting things -

Big black raven things that -

That weigh him down, heavy and burnt -

That stop him standing.

Maurice Jobson walks across the room -

He stands before you.

He reaches out to your face -

His cold fingers touch your damp cheek.

You bob your head forward -

You lean into him.

He holds you -

Holds you and strokes your hair.

You raise your hands -

You clasp your hands around his.

You squeeze his hand with yours -

His bruised hand in your bruised hand.