The ProposalA Poem by David Lewis PagetI paced the floor by the tavern door In the hopes she’d come my way, She didn’t know that I’d still be there For I hadn’t said I’d stay, We’d parted there on a bitter note On a dark and moonless night, I’d told her I wouldn’t marry her, But now, I thought, I might.
I’d filled my head with the pros and cons And the pros had come up short, I’d have to steady and settle down And that was my major thought. I’d been so free that it seemed to me I’d be hoist on a single hook, Why would I trade a library For the sake of a single book?
But then I began to doubt myself As her scent came wafting through, That scent of fire with the name ‘Desire’ That she’d said, ‘I wore for you!’ I’d pressed my lips to her silken throat And I’d felt my power surge, As she lay back and surrendered to Some overwhelming urge.
Where would I find her likes again, I paced, and bit at my lip, We’d courted then since I don’t know when, She’d said, ‘we’re joined at the hip.’ But then I’d panicked and almost ran I could see my freedoms gone, ‘If you don’t ask me, there’s them that will!’ Like a fool I said, ‘So long!’
I knew that she’d seen Montgomery, He’d eyed her off at the ball, And set up a wager, he to me, He’d be first to see her fall. She’d left that night in a coach and four With him riding close behind, While I’d returned to the tavern then And drank til my eyes were blind.
I heard he was going to propose that night And the thought had made me sick, I’d have to make a decision now And I’d have to make it quick. I saddled Sally, the old grey mare And I whipped her out the yard, For Cauter Hall was at Risdon Weir And I’d have to ride it hard.
We caught the coach at the meadow rise And we passed it on the fly, They must have seen a demon rider And horse against the sky, My cloak flew out as the wind blew up On the road at Walker’s Flat, And somewhere there in the cold night air I lost my only hat.
We skirted the ground at Risdon Weir And we splashed on through the Ford, The lights of the mansion grew more clear As we galloped to Cauter Hall, Her hooves a-clatter on cobblestones I leapt from the horse’s back, And beat on the ancient cedar door In a frontal, forced attack.
Montgomery stood in the passage there And he turned to her to shout, I raced on in with a sense of sin, With a punch, I laid him out. Catherine came from an ante-room And she said, ‘How dare you do…’ But I went down on my knees to her, ‘I’m here for marrying you!’
She seemed surprised, then her laughing eyes She tried to hide with a fan, ‘I knew that you’d come around one day If you saw me play with a man. I’ll take you dear, but I’ll make it clear That my guest was never the one, We never marry our cousins here…’ Then I knew that I’d been done!
David Lewis Paget © 2015 David Lewis PagetFeatured Review
Reviews
|
StatsAuthor
Related WritingPeople who liked this story also liked..
|
![[send message]](https://www.writerscafe.org/images/mail.png){kind=small}
![[befriend]](https://www.writerscafe.org/images/friend.png){kind=small}
first
prev
Share This
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Read Request
My Library
Flag Writing
