An Old School Friend Called Lisa

An Old School Friend Called Lisa

i remember a girl in my year
always had over the top earings
never just wore gold sleepers
i saw her the other day
and old school friend called Lisa
she was waiting to catch a train
she seemed to be waiting patiently
i walked right past and looked at her
she did not recognise me
and i did not really care
she was just an old school friend
not even a friend really
just someone i knew
in those mid teenage crisis years
when we grew,
amongst the pressure of our peers
she was just a pretty girl
in our year
she could afford to choose
we were young and though we were strange
i didn’t mind getting used
she really is not that clever
in retrospect it would have been easy
to beat her, and to get above her
she caught her train and went for good
and old school friend called Lisa
someone who reminded me of a different time



James Garratt – July 1995