The Cavalier

He’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

Reviews

[Valentine]

Neat ending..I was wondering about the trading mates so casually and thought he was on his way to pick one up..instead..she was stuck in another century..How you think of all of these masterpieces amazes me..Great one David..love and God bless.Lyn and you..Kathie

[JM Russell]

Very cute.

[David Scott]

This was a neat twisting visit into history. Somethings just never change. You created a poem that grabs the attention and leads the mind around like a leashed pet. You have a unique imagination. I loved this poem.
Thank you for this one David.

[Extant]

I notice you have a thing for bringing histroy into the present. It's good see the humour in your writing.

[Rob Santana]

time travel how dangerous that would be if it existed. movie script here.

[Lisa Ring]

Well, that was quite easy for him. A text message then *poof*...whatever happened to Annabel? Delightfully entertaining once again. Thank you, David!

[Loner]

Awesome write i must say ...... loved it.

[Dayran]

Living on a bridge between two eras....the Indian would refer to that as being in touch with a former life. Someone with a message for you today in the life you live now. In working that into a poem one achieves a relation....where you might work that into a purana, you would have a legend. Almost there, David!

[Lena M. P.]

I liked how you mixed the old with the new. Especially her sending text messages from the past. It also sounded like they had a very open marriage to begin with. Nicely done again. Great story.

[Debbie_Philly]

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!
Good God your good.... you just make it all flow seamlessly.... love it !!

[Patricia B. Hepler]

My first impression:
OMG, this one's hilarous AND awesome!! (spoken aloud, then my husband asked, "What in the... are you laughing at?" ;)

Another masterpiece~ pat (not in a heap)