Lovers Spat

She turned up here on my doorstep

Completely out of the blue,

She didn’t say where she was coming from

Or where she was going to,

She carried a single paperback

And I think it carried his name,

I tried to see, but she held it back,

The book had a title, ‘Shame!’

I should have been warned by that single word

And barred the girl at the door,

She didn’t say, or I never heard

Just what she was looking for,

She stepped inside, and pushed me away

And walked with a silent tread,

Along the hall where the stairway lay

And muttered just one word, ‘Bed’.

She found the room on the upper floor

That saw the occasional guest,

With a single bed and a counterpane

And a walnut, inlaid chest.

She went to bed and she fell asleep

Nor even kicked off a shoe,

I stood perplexed on the landing there

Not knowing what I should do.

I waited for her till she awoke

Then headed her off at the stairs,

‘What did you mean by coming here

Our guests are often in pairs.’

‘I meant to challenge your friend, my ex,

He left me mired in pain,

You well should know him, his name is Rex,

He wrote this novel called ‘Shame!’

Then Rex had entered and faced the stair

And she rushed into his arms,

If I’d known better, or been aware

I might have raised the alarm.

The book flew open, revealed a knife

Secreted into its pages,

And she had stabbed him, not once, but twice

Revealing one of her rages.

Rex was lying so still, and cold

We held her down on the floor there,

‘Are you quite crazy,’ I tried to scold,

But she had cut her own throat there.

A pool of blood spread across the floor

And mingled there from the lovers,

I swore right then I would bolt my door

Deny all entry to others.

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[A Soap Mess Stories]

Wow! Didn't expect that twist! I thought it would be just an argument, but your ending blew me away.

[Coyote Poetry]

A surprise ending to this tale in the poem my friend. I liked the set-up and the honest ending. Thank you David for sharing the amazing poetry and tale.
Coyote

[No one]

This is amazing; can"t find right words to describe it. I lived the scene with every part. amazing!

[zunie frost]

i love it !!
i was just kept reading it till the end
it's fantastic my friend

[Robert Haigh]

Another dark tale of passion, intrigue and sudden violence! Your inventive, storyteller's brain continually comes up with new tales to entertain us with! It's not just the tales themselves, but also the measured, dramatic delivery that enthrals us!

[Valentine]

Gee whiz. I thought he had been with her the night before and was too drunk or high to remember. I hear those one night stands can be very dangerous.. Seriously, a well written write. Valentine

[Lydia Shutter]

OH MY....the visual here is so powerful! A murder/suicide...shame.....what that one word can do to so many lives. The rhyme scheme in this poem is wonderful. The words flowed easily and I was hoping it would go on for more stanzas. Lydi**