The Three Friends
1
Phoenix, Jade and Maisie, best friends
since Year One, stick together
in their voyage through the Infants.
Phoenix and Jade are in Mrs Clarkson’s
‘Special Class’. Maisie is a mermaid
who swims between the rocks of their desks
while Mrs Clarkson teaches Copy Writing.
Mrs Clarkson takes no notice of the blue sea
washing under her classroom door.
Phoenix and Jade take turns to ride on Maisie’s back
or do her hair with a comb they found
in the Lost Property cupboard.
Phoenix puts a parting on the left,
Jade on the right. They make ringlets
with wetted finger and thumb,
weave seaweed into a tiara.
All this happens while Mrs Clarkson is writing
on the board and the waves are getting higher.
2
Phoenix and Jade build a stable
in the woods behind their school.
Although they look like little girls,
inside they are made of ponies and can gallop
faster than the wind can blow. Today’s the day
that Phoenix doesn’t see an overhanging branch.
She falls, a bone comes through her skin
and though it isn’t fair, the huntsman has to shoot her
because everyone knows that’s what you do with horses.
3
Jade’s dad has gone away again, she doesn’t know where.
He writes her funny postcards
but she can’t write back even on his birthday.
She wants to tell him that the pip he planted
in her yoghurt pot is growing, that she’ll soon be in Year Two.
Jade’s mum says he’s not worth the price of a stamp.
4
Maisie’s tail fell off during the night.
She’s growing legs like a tadpole.
Phoenix and Jade give Maisie medicine
but her tadpole legs cling on,
and her tail, once shimmering emerald,
grows back stumpy black.
Maisie cries but Mrs Clarkson doesn’t hear –
she is using her Swordfish pencil sharpener
which no one else is allowed to touch.
5
The Accident Book is kept in the Office.
Phoenix and Jade are in it!
They’d made an ice-slide, were slithering
towards each other when they crashed.
Michael Graham said he saw their knickers.
Phoenix and Jade like Michael Graham.
He is in Year Three and has blond floppy hair.
Phoenix and Jade are glad he has noticed them
and that they are in the Accident Book.
Mucky McKenna isn’t in the Accident Book
because she walked into a door at home.
Phoenix and Jade saw red marks on her chest
when they wear getting changed for PE.
They told Mrs Clarkson and Mucky went to hospital
in Mrs Clarkson’s car.
6
Ten years on, the friends are seventeen.
Phoenix works at Nippy Scissors.
Jade is on a Nail Technician’s course.
Michael Graham went to Afghanistan and got killed.
This Friday is his funeral.
Phoenix and Jade will sit with Mrs Clarkson and cry,
remembering Michael’s floppy hair.
They’ll end up in the pub.
Maisie’s ghost will swim between the tables,
flip her stumpy tail to Nothing Compares 2 U.
Jennifer Copley lives in Cumbria. She has published four pamphlet and three full collections: ‘Unsafe Monuments’ (Arrowhead 2006), ‘Beans in Snow’ (Smokestack 2009) and ‘Sisters’ (Smokestack 2013). She has been placed in many competitions including the Bridport and the Cardiff and shortlisted twice for the Strokestown. She has been published in The Rialto, The North, The Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Telegraph and her work has been included in GCSE revision papers.