When first we kissed
And our lips came
together
In that long languid
embrace
Time seemed to stand
still
I wished it would last
forever
But I knew that it
couldn’t
I never wanted it to
end
But I knew that it
must
Because one perfect
kiss
Had to end
Before the next
Magical kiss
Could begin
The first nervous kiss,
When tentative
And hesitant lips
Lacking confidence
Lacking conviction
Miss their mark
And teeth collide
When did acquaintance
Turn into friendship?
When did friendship
become affection?
When did affection
change to love?
There were no obvious
signs
That I can recall
No waves crashing on
the rocks
No rockets in the sky
No bells and whistles
No brass band playing
No symbols crashing
But it has happened
anyway
Was it when I saw you
enter the room?
Or when I first heard
you speak
Was it when I heard
you laugh?
Or when you first
spoke to me
Was it when I saw you
smile?
Or when I made you
blush
Was it when we danced?
Or when we first held
hands
Was it when I stared
deeply in to your eyes?
And saw into you soul
Perhaps it was while
we kissed
Or when we made love
There was no obvious
cause
It was not any one of
the above
Yet it was all of them
and more
Do you remember?
When first we met
When we were set up
By our so called
friends
Tony and Gwen,
Who quickly abandoned
us?
A quick introduction
Then they were gone
Leaving us with each
other
How awkward was that?
Being left with a
complete stranger
You would never have
chosen me
In a million years
And you were not my
perfect choice
I had someone different
in mind altogether
But their we were
Having to make small
talk
With an unsuitable
partner
Making do for the
moment
While planning an
escape
Then the music started
And I asked you to
dance
You reluctantly agreed
I wasn’t bothered
either way
I thought just one dance
Then I could desert
you
With a clear
conscience
Then just as we
walked, hesitantly,
Onto the dance floor
The up tempo number
ended abruptly
And for a moment there
was nothing
Just the two of us
feeling foolish
And wondering just how
We could leave the
dance floor with our dignity
Then the music began
again
And Harry Nilsson
started to sing
We looked at each
other briefly
And resigned ourselves
to our fate
There was an awkward
coming together
I gingerly put my arms
around you
And we shuffled along
to the music
Hoping that time would
speed up
And the experience be
over quickly
But as we danced along
to Harry
The gap between us
slowly decreased
Inch by inch until we
were as one
And at that moment I
felt at home
All thought of escape
melted away
I never wanted to
leave again
And now I wanted time
to stand still
So the dance would
never end
We hardly left the
dance floor all evening
And when we did it was
brief
So eager were we to
return to our embrace
“Without you” was the
song
That we first danced
to
And I have not been
without you since
The very first look,
Little more than a
glance really,
Is almost cursory in
nature
Yet seems to be one of
recognition
But you are a stranger
to me.
So why if that is the
case,
When our eyes meet,
Do the hairs stand up?
On the back of my neck
Now my skin is
tingling
Like I’m full of
electricity
My mouth is dry
And I think I’m
actually blushing
I see confusion on
your face
Is this the same for
you?
Do you feel it too?
Why does a stranger
affect me so?
What is this feeling?
What’s happening?
Who are you?
Now you are smiling
You do feel it too
Well, smiling stranger
Is this love at first
sight?
Or is it déjà vu
Now she sleeps,
Her head on a white
silk pillow
Her soft brunette
curls
Framing her pretty
face
Now relaxed and at
peace
A soft glow still on
her cheek
Contentment around her
eyes
A subtle smile about
her lips
If I had only known
It would be the last
time
I'd see you fall asleep
I would have stayed
A little longer and
Lingered at your
bedside
Holding your hand
As you slipped
Silently away
To be at peace
It happened on the beach
One afternoon in the
sun
It happened in the
shower
When the day was done
It happened in the car
Parked in the
multistory
It happened on the
sofa
Watching Toy Story
It happened on a bench
One night in the park
It happened at the
pictures
On the back row in the
dark
It happened on an
airplane
I’m sure it will again
It happened in a bus
shelter
One night in the rain
It happened in a taxi
On the way to waterloo
I got that empty
feeling
Because I’m missing you
I’ve had my eyes tested
And I am 20/20
I am not short sighted
Nor long sighted
My eyes are healthy
There is no glaucoma
No floaters
Nor cataracts
My sight is perfect
So why is it
When I look at you
I see an angel
When you are anything
but
I asked the optician
Why, with such perfect
vision,
Can I not see
betrayal?
He told me
That I have perfect
vision
Its just rose tinted
How I look back with regret
At that summer long
ago
A sultry sensual
summer
A time of sexual
awakening
When I was on the
threshold,
The blossoming of
womanhood
And how I curse the
time
I wasted on you
All those hours in
your room
Listening to your
music,
Your creative juices
at work
Your incessant toe
tapping
And finger clicking
To your tuneless
efforts
Played on the out of
tune guitar
That accompanied your
juvenile
Angst ridden ramblings
“The music of your
soul”
Was what you called it
God you were
pretentious
Even for a teenager it
was extreme
You were self
obsessed,
Self regarding, self
centred
Self absorbed, self
deluded
Egocentric and
narcissistic
In fact if the word
“Narcissism” hadn’t
existed
They would have had to
Invent it just for you
If only you had
realised
I wanted to make music
with you
Raw unscripted
passionate music
An ardent duet,
Fervently reprised
I had creative juices
I had creative juices
to spare
I had a song of
teenage want
About a frustrated
nymphet
In lust with a
pretentious musician
Who would rather
finger his fret!!
Well I had urges
And I was left
unsatisfied
By your excruciating
folk
And your mournful
dirges,
You called me your
muse
Like I should be
flattered
I didn’t want to be
your muse
I wanted to be your
groupie
I panted at you in
desire
I dressed
provocatively
I hinted at my lusty
inclinations
I suggested you play
my body
Like an instrument
But the sexual
connotation,
Like everything else,
was lost on you
And I remained
unsullied
That sultry sensual
summer long ago
When I reflect back
On our time together
People were amazed
By my patience
And my quiet resolve
To maintain,
The status quo.
Such forbearance
And fortitude
In the face
Of her constant
betrayals
My endurance
And boundless
tolerance
Astounded everyone
But to claim any
virtue
Would be dishonest
Because it was so
calculated
I was not blind
To her indiscretions.
And to our friends
My capacity for forgiveness
Seemed to far exceed
Her ability to shame
me
But it was I
Who was the dishonest
one
I maintained an air
Of cool dispassion
In an effort
To give her space
And freedom
So as not to drive her
away
I wore the mask
Of the patient husband
But my noble efforts
Were in vain
As I appeared to her,
Merely indifferent
And I drove her away
anyway
I should have been
honest
True to my feelings
I should have
discarded
All pretence
And removed the mask
Ahla was very cute and sweet
And she worked at the sweetshop
An appropriate occupation
For such a confection
I asked her out one
day
And too my surprise
she said yes
But on our first date
I found
She was not so cute
and sweet
But was rather
deliciously sinful
And she gave me a
proper treat
But I wasn’t the first
to dip his liquorice
In that particular
fountain
Every lad with a sweet
tooth
Had sampled her pick
and mix
Even the oldies with a
taste for soft centres
Had tried her Turkish
delight
But I didn’t mind
sharing
After all a bag of
candy goes a long way
But I had to draw the
line
When I heard about
Bertie Bassett
With whom she did
Allsorts
Dear lost and found
Can you please assist?
Lost – one heart
In poor general
condition
Broken repeatedly
Repaired shoddily
(Too many times to
count)
It is a good heart
Generous in proportion
True and steady
Not of fickle
disposition
A trusting heart
A heart given freely
Last possessed by
Julie
Heart was last seen
Being trodden
underfoot
By previous keeper
You always feel like
A Sunflower amidst the
Daffodils
A Thistle among the
Tulips
Out of place,
unsightly
You see yourself
As the ugly duckling
But who never
transformed
Into the beautiful
swan
You feel ugly and at
odds
Ungainly and
ungraceful
How wrong you are
To me you are
perfection
You should feel like
You are a Rose amidst
Cabbages
An Orchid among Daises
In pride of place,
radiant
I see you as
The beautiful signet
Who was transformed
Into a beautiful
graceful swan
That’s how I see you
An angel from the host
A goddess among mortals
Whom I shall forever
worship
I was stranded and lonely with time to kill
And I was looking for
someone to cure my ill
They told me about the
only available “miss”
Who went by the unkind
name of ugly Agnes
“Left on the shelf,
and as plain as a pike staff”
“Facing the wall” he
said followed by a laugh
I figured she’d be
better than nothing at all
The girl left on the
shelf, facing the wall
They gave me some
direction to follow
Where I crept to and
peeked in the window
I spied her in the
candle lights flicker
Legs akimbo showing a
glimpse of knicker
This old maid, who’d
been left on the shelf
Was sat home alone
pleasuring herself
There was nothing
homely about this old maid
As she caressed
herself and erotically played
And as I watched her
deft self seduction
I was anxious to make
my introduction
Outside I banged hard
on the front door
Inside I banged her
hard on the floor
But the savage and
primeval union
Led to a more tender
sensual communion
What had begun as “any
old port in a storm”
Ended with me proud to
stay till the dawn
Now I often get
stranded with time to kill
And I know where to go
to cure my ill
The locals call her
Ugly Agnes or Plain Jane
But I go to love her
again and again
Was it destiny?
Or an act of
providence
That wove the threads
On the eternal
tapestry
What twist of fate?
What unseen hand
Rolled the fateful die
That moved us on our
paths
What unseen gamer
Steered my avatar to
yours
For what reason
Did the fates
conspire?
To cross our paths
To bind our souls
What great celestial
clock
Struck time
And brought us both to
this place
To this time
To each other
Who must we thank?
Love is…
Not fearing the quiet
Not doubting in the
silence
Not feeding your
insecurities
Not being jealous
Jealousy is not love
