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me.
     
    The story makes Mama laugh:
    ‘I told you that habit was disgusting.
    But you never listen to Mama!’

Talking
     
    Kanoro listens without saying,
              Just ignore it (which I can’t),
               Or, They’re jealous (which isn’t true).
    Instead he nods and says:
    ‘There is no hyena without a friend.’
    And then: ‘What will you do?’
     
    I like this question. He believes
    I can do
    Something.
     
    So I tell him about my empty plan
    To get revenge
    On the hyena.
     
    Kanoro looks sad and says:
    ‘Happiness should be your revenge, Kasienka.
    Happiness.’
     
    And though he is right,
    It makes me feel worse
    Because I do not know
    How to be happy.

Gummy Bears
     
    When he tries to kiss me
    I do not open my mouth at all
    And neither does he.
     
    We kiss,
               Dry lips on dry lips,
                               And it is nice.
     
    But it is not enough
    And I feel my mouth open
               And his too.
    And something that is not my mouth
               Is inside my mouth.
     
    And it is easy:
    Kissing William is like
    having a Haribo
     
    In my mouth.
    It is easy.
     
    Kissing William
    is just like sucking on a gummy bear.

Partners
     
    William corrects my English.
    Gently.
    And smiles when I mispronounce things
    Because he thinks the mistakes are cute.
    And for the first time
    Ever
    I can be wrong
    And it’s OK.
    Better than that –
    It’s cute.
     
    And he thinks I’m clever too,
    And asks for help with his
    Simultaneous equations.
    And when he gets something muddled
    I smile
    Because it’s cute.
     
    And so it’s perfect.
    We’re partners.
    Me on numbers.
    Him on words.

Love is a Large W
     
    Love is watching
    Love is waiting
    Love is wanting
    Love is worrying
    Love is wishing
    Love is willing
     
    Love is whispers
    Love is wet
    Love is wordless
     
    Love is Him
    Love is Me
    Love is We
    Love is . . .
    Love is . . .
     
    Ah.
     
    William.

Kenilworth Castle
     
    We went on a school trip to Warwick Castle
    But I couldn’t believe in that place –
    So symmetrical,
    So perfectly preserved,
    So clean
    It reminded me of Disney Land –
    What I imagine Disney Land would look like.
     
    I could make no sense of its shine.
     
    When I tell William he agrees.
    We both think castles should be crumbling
    After all those years,
    To prove they’ve seen
    Real history.
    And history is struggle
    And war,
    We think.
     
    So he takes me to Kenilworth
    On the bus with him.
    To see the ruins in the rain.
     
    Elizabeth
    Kept her favourite here,
    In Kenilworth.
     
    And Time stood still when she came:
    The Great Clock Tower
    Stopped
    For her
    And they feasted and frolicked,
    Elizabeth and her favourite –
    Right here.
     
    And it is the most romantic place I’ve ever seen:
    Kenilworth Castle continuing to
    Crumble, as it should,
              in the rain.

Lottery
     
    Kanoro slumps on the stone steps
    Of our old building
    Clasping a piece of paper
    In his fist
    Like it’s a losing lottery ticket.
     
    He pats the step
    Inviting me to sit too.
     
    We watch the traffic,
               The women pushing prams and
                     The gangs in hoods.
    I can tell from his silence that
    Kanoro holds a heavy confession.
     
    I think he wants to reveal the terrible tale,
    The one he told Mama,
    The horrible one I can’t know.
     
    But it’s worse than that.
     
    It’s Tata.
     
     
    ‘Your father’s address,’ he says,
    Slipping me the paper
    He’s been holding.
     
    I take it,
    Afraid to look,
    Though I don’t know why.
     
    ‘Go alone, Kasienka.
    Don’t take Mama Ola.’
     
    ‘Is Tata alive?’ I ask.
    Kanoro nods and shakes his head.
    Which might mean
    Tata’s half dead,
    Or should be.

Ending the Odyssey
     
    The driver won’t reopen the doors
    Once they’re closed,
    Even when a man runs
    To catch up
    And raps on the glass
    Begging to be admitted.
     
    The driver doesn’t even look
    Across at the man,
    At the closed door.
    He acts