~The Poisonous Flower

Don't you just hate women sometimes? Factual account; when girlfriends get possessive. PS. Robert Browning is my saviour!

She parades you before me as if you were a prize cow,

She has no common sense, no know-how,

The other path was just as clear

But she just had to draw me near.

 

Just one look across the room,

And in that moment she seems to assume

That I am jealous or suchlike:

She doesn't seem to realise that we had a close friendship before this psyche.

 

Yet I cannot intervene,

It is not my place upon the scene,

And somehow you are oblivious to these goings-on;

She's got you under a spell or a song.

 

I feel that I can't be near you when she's there;

All she'll do is cling to you and stare

Like she did in December when I broke down and cried,

Afraid this would happen; you said it shouldn't change anything - I think you lied.

 

I do not want to go out and watch her eat your face;

For that kind of thing there's another time and place,

Is it so selfish of me to want my friend back?

Because right now I can't help but notice the social lack.

 

The only word you said to me last night

Was "hello" as you were leaving; you both walked past me, your left in her right,

She's a poisonous flower, though I can't see her beauty, determined to bury me when I fall,

However, I get the feeling (that) that's not all.

Author's Note

6th stanza, 2nd line = I didn't want to include the word 'hand' because that would be a straightforward meaning; I didn't think it would fit well amongst the confusion and twists in the poem.

Reviews

[R J Askew]

Hi Ali. It's a very well observed piece and you capture the feeling of being the third party in the manage perfectly. The poor 'him' seems outside the real sphere of combat. I like this bit very much 'and watch her eat your face;' and also very much 'The only word you said to me last night Was "hello" as you were leaving' which sounds like a line from a lyric. And you are right many flowers are poisonous. Ach, not good! But you have good a great read out of it.

[Clyde du Coeur]

Aww thank you. It was all based on last night's events, a night down the pub, haha. But it's the same every night when I go out and they're there. The guy in the poem is a close friend of mine and the poisonous flower is his girlfriend; she's the metaphor - I would've put more but in case this comes up in any searches, I haven't!! Although I am considering submitting it to the uni creative magazine...
I must say that Robert Browning is one of my favourite poets, and not long ago I bought a book of his works [published in 1882!] which was a real thrill. One of my faves by him is "The Laboratory" which, in retrospect, could well relate to the content of this poem, except I don't plan on killing her. Yet. ;)