The CavalierA Poem by David Lewis PagetHe’d
wandered into the party through The
French Doors, facing the lake, Was
vague, and missing a bob or two, Perhaps
he’d made a mistake? Taken
a left at the crossroads where The
kids had hidden the sign, Instead
of a right to the Graham’s house, I’d
ask him, given the time. The
party was getting out of hand The
punch was spiked with gin, And
vodka and tequila and… God
knows what else was in! For
Jane was down to her underwear While
Pat fell down in a heap, And
Margaret danced on the table while Her
kids were sound asleep. The
clock in the hall struck midnight then And
I was getting tired, I
went on the hunt for Carolyn, I
thought that she’d expired, But
there she was, in the corner with The
stranger in the hat, A
funny thing with a feather in And
fancy dress, at that. I
thought that I’d introduce myself, I’d
not seen him before, Perhaps
he worked at the agency, I’d
ask, she’d know the score, But
Carolyn acted nervous when I
tried to hold her hand, ‘What
gentleman is this, I pray?’ He
asked of Carolyn. ‘Oh
Phil, he’s simply a husband,’ She
replied, she was sublime, I
note she mentioned ‘a husband’ but No
mention that ‘He’s mine!’ ‘And
what are these folk that prate, disport And
act themselves remiss, Is
he from the Long Parliament? God
help him, if he is!’ I
knew the punch had been tampered with But
he hadn’t been there long, Maybe
he’d savoured something else, Who
knew what he was on! But
Carolyn gave me that funny look And
I edged back into the room, Leaving
the two of them talking there In
the corner, in the gloom. We’d
always had an arrangement, she Had
friends, and I had mine, We
never questioned each other, and We
found that it worked out fine, She’d
spend a night on the town or so And
fix me up a tray, While
I’d go visiting Annabel For
a tumble in the hay. We’d
purchased the house at Kineton, When
she’d said: ‘It has such charm!’ And
I was content to be out there In
the country, near a farm, They
said the place was historic Dating
back to the civil war, But
not ‘til the night of the party Did
I give it a second thought. By
one, the following morning, when The
party was winding down, I
found that Carolyn disappeared With
the stranger to the town, She
sent me a mobile message, ‘Will You
come and get me, Phil? I’m
right in the heart of a skirmish Down
the slope, just by Edgehill!’ I
drove to the ancient battlefield In
the dark, on a Moonless night, But
nothing stirred in the field out there In
the beam of the car’s headlight, My
phone lit up with another call And
her voice came drifting through, ‘My
God, I’m stuck in a battle, Phil, In
1642!’ She’d
taken off with the Cavalier, I
knew what he was by now, A
straggler caught in the folds of time That
had fetched up here, somehow, And
Carolyn faded into the past As
she’d made it more than clear, I’m
the only man with a wife that ran Away
with a Cavalier! David
Lewis Paget © 2012 David Lewis PagetFeatured Review
Reviews
|
Stats
1084 Views
19 Reviews Shelved in 1 Library
Added on August 25, 2012Last Updated on August 25, 2012 Tags: party, punch, parliament, Edgehill Author
Related WritingPeople who liked this story also liked..
|