The Line

After lengthy discussion

and fierce opposition

from Danny Reid

it was agreed:

a girl could be a blood brother.

Wiping his knife on the heather

Tom felt its keen with his thumb

then, sounding solemn,

said: ‘Give me your hand’

then he whispered: ‘It’ll only hurt for a second.’

We could have moved on

but for Danny

who kicked at the leaves on the forest floor

a thunderous stare

on his face, a murderous look.

Then he spoke

out of the blue:

‘We could rape you.’

Everything stopped:

heart, breath. Time crept

away and the air seemed to die.

We all seemed stunned - except Danny.

I should have knelt on his neck

and yelled, ‘What the fuck

do you know about anything.’

but I knew he was too strong,

that in a straight fight I’d be no match for him.

Next day when I called for Tom,

his mum said he was out.

From then on, he was never about.

I guess he thought I wasn’t that tough

after all, and hadn’t made the cut deep enough.