Sheila's Dribs 'n Drabs

A hundred lines he’s penned for her A hundred poems sent to her A hundred dreams attending her But sad, he isn’t meant for her.

He gave his true love a dream but she was asleep and didn’t seem to hear it till she woke up and then she screamed.

He gave his true love a poem, said he’d written it himself but she checked the internet and it wasn’t true. Neither was his love.

“Would you like some desert?” “No, I’m okay.” “Warm chocolate sauce? Cold ice-cream?” “I could go for that.” “I’ll check emails while you make it.”

He loves me He loves me not He loves The petals fall He brings her flowers Loves me not She strokes the silken petals Evermore.

It’s snowing in the mountains they say. Don’t take the car. Don’t travel far. But Mandy turns the key and drives. It’s snowing in her heart. “You can’t expect me to do everything while you just sit around.” Does he know what he says? Mandy’s nothing, plus kids, drives away.

You don’t bring me flowers anymore You don’t bring me daisies, white’n pure You don’t bring me roses, red with love You don’t bring me daffodils that smile from heaven above Like clouds You don’t bring me flowers Nothing scents the air You don’t bring me nothing But you care.

She spins; the wheels go round and round. She rides the merry-go-round, till skies keep turning like memory’s broken sound. There’s no-one there. She doesn’t care. And sunset’s gray turns cold. Time to pretend, she tells herself, game over, secrets ended; he was never her friend. Spinning alone, broken sound.

Hair like a waterfall. Eyes like emeralds. Cheeks like roses. Lips like red-currants. Scent like apples. Taste like honey. Dressed like flowers. Skin soft as petals. Feet fleet as beetles. Hey, what d’you think I am? A miracle of nature? Why? I think I’m gonna hire you to cut grass.

Not an old-fashioned guy, wouldn’t make her stay home, wouldn’t tie her to kitchen and kids. Not a new diaper-carrying super-dad either. Just being himself, told his wife go to work, help the housekeeping bills, leave the life she’d devised on the shelf, wondered why she just left him instead.