Flawed Fidelity

‘Life is a great disappointment,’ mused

The sailor on the quay,

And he sighed again, and frowned, and then

Looked sadly out to sea,

‘We start by thinking it wonderful

With a whole wide world out there,

But the world is thin, and it hems you in

If you have no love to share!’

 

The man he’d met on the promenade

Stood silent by his side,

The sun dipped into the ocean on

Its slow but stately ride,

The Moon, the queen of the evening rose

To light the Milky Way,

‘I shouldn’t have gone to sea, but then

She’d have left me anyway!’

 

The man in the cheap and shoddy suit

Had nodded in the gloom,

His thoughts were locked in the high rise block,

That he’d left that afternoon,

She’d pushed him out on the balcony

Still dressed in her negligée,

‘You’d better not come around again,

He’s coming home today!’

 

‘I thought I could go and roam, while she

Sat patient, waited here,

The love in her eyes had gone, when I

Came back, the following year,

We muddled along for two more years,

She couldn’t look in my eyes,

When I asked her who she was seeing

All I got was a pack of lies!’

 

The man in the cheap and shoddy suit

Thought of his wife at home,

He’d told her about some meeting, but

He’d wandered the streets alone,

Hoping she’d keep their rendezvous

Continue their brief affair,

And he thought of her long and shapely legs

And the fragrance of her hair.

 

‘Marriage can be a terrible bind,

We think it will last for life,’

He said to the sailor, dredging up

Some thoughts of his faithful wife,

‘But wives get dull with the passing years

And they lose that vital spark,

So a man must find a lover…’

They both nodded, in the dark.

 

‘I said that I’d meet her here, at six,’

He checked his watch again,

‘She said to stay, she would get away

If she could, by half past seven.’

‘Mine should be any moment now,

Her man has gone for the night,

She says that she’s dull and bored at home,

But she’s feisty, and she’s bright!’

 

They parted then at the quay, each walked

Some way, then stood in the glow,

Of a dimly lit street standard

Lighting the sombre street below,

Then a woman walked up to the sailor,

Gave him kisses, long and deep,

While the man in the cheap and shoddy suit

Went pale, and began to weep!

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Patricia B. Hepler]

Excellent plot, written in a rythmic musical voice, captured me from the first line.
The ending was unexpected and deliciously perfect, based on human frailities in marital boredom and betrayal.

'...Then a woman walked up to the sailor, Gave him kisses, long and deep, While the man in the cheap and shoddy suit Went pale, and began to weep!'

Or, be careful what you ask for since you just might get it...

A wonderful read, full of twists-love your style immensely, sir.
~pat

[Shelley Holt-Lowrey]

Well a departure for you, but I must say I loved it! Saw her coming from a few kilometers away, but that didn't diminish the impact at all. Love this writing and how it shows a glimpse of the same woman standing under two different lights.

Que the applause please!

[John Alexander McFadyen]

As usual an epic tale told with brilliance and intellegent and well observed weaves of human behaviour. A really good read!

[Lena M. P.]

The grass is always greener in someone elses backyard. Very good poem of love lost, and love betrayed.

[Extant]

*Laughs* I really can't say much on this, since I'm not married. On the other, many of the marriages of my family have been long and happy . . . Though, I think in the past years marriage has lost some of it's merit, I don't believe in it's value anymore. Maybe it is better to have a distant love, then a ball and chain wife.

[Dr. Wood ?]

tremendous story told with your usual perfectly paced rhyme..brilliant!

[Rob Santana]

excellent story!!! For me your writings come to life,like a movie such detail. " the sun dipped into the ocean,the moon,the queen of the eveving rose to light the milky way" I really like your choice of words,great discription.

[TL Boehm]

Wow. This is a highly visual piece. I can see the poor fellow standing there in his cheap suit..Brilliantly penned

[Barbara Walker]

Touche'!! A well-deserved ending! And you write it so well! Don't you just love those exclamation points?

[Heather]

Interesting how both men are talking about this woman that has such spark who is not their wife. The sailor's mistress was the man's wife yes? Perhaps that is how I read it. The search for the excitement in a dull life. Good story in this poem, thank you for sharing

[Valentine]

What a sad but believable tale.. So many marriages are broken up before they even begin..Cheating is just one of the excuses they give for deceit..but there are hundreds more..This one was told extremely well..and I almost could feel the mans pain..I am losing my love with dementia...some of the time he does not know where he is..it breaks my heart to see him..yet losing him to another woman would have been much worse..Great job on this one mte..love and God bless Lyn and you..Kathie