One-Sided Conversation

We should never take things for granted...

 

She sat, head bent,

In her old, grey chair,

The blinds were pulled and drawn,

The shadows caught

In the gathering gloom,

But she moved not at all;

Her husband, stood by the old oak door

He'd cleared his throat to speak,

'You wanted to see me, then,' he said,

A pallor upon his cheek.

 

She knew, he thought,

She knew full well

His cheating, shiftless ways,

He'd married her more for her money

Than for her wit, her charm or grace.

She'd warned him once

She'd warned him twice,

She'd said that he made her sick,

Now he was the one who was feeling ill

As she still refused to speak.

 

'I 'spect you want

Me gone,' he said,

And waited for some response,

She sat, head bent in her favourite chair

As he stood there, like a dunce.

'I need some money,

A thousand pounds,

Will get me out of a fix.'

The way she sat, and stared at the floor

Meant: 'No, I'll give you nix.'

 

He mopped his forehead

With trembling hands,

The sharks were closing in,

If she didn't come to his rescue, well,

He'd seen what they'd do to him…

'I beg you,

Think of your own good name,'

But she wasn't listening then,

Her face was grim, she stared at the floor,

With nothing left for him.

 

He went to a drawer

And took a gun,

Then held it up to his head,

'I'd never have thought you could be so cruel

To the man who shares your bed.'

The air grew chill

In the silent room

As he let out a plaintive cry,

The shot rang out, but she didn't move

As he fell to the floor, and died.

 

The doctor came,

And the police, of course,

But the wife still sat and stared,

The husband lay on the bloodstained rug

As if she'd never cared.

'It's very odd,'

Said the sergeant then,

But the Doctor suppressed a laugh,

'He's only been dead for an hour,' he said,

'She's been dead for an hour and a half.'

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Kara Emily Krantz]

excellenttttttttttt jobbbbb :) i love this; it's quite fantastic :) i sort of suspected the ending, but only just enough to keep me half-giddy throughout the piece. i greatly enjoyed this read

"Her face was grim, she stared at the floor,With nothing left for him."

that's really a fantastic line.
this was unique, and such a great story... and really well presented.

yay for you :)

[Damian Alan Gray]

Nice job, David. I have to say that the end was somewhat predictable, but overall the poem was right in line with your usual greatness.

[James Takeo Panton]

2Very dark, and abit of a departure to your usual flow with words, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Chad Wesley Allbrett]

Great story! And unlike Kara, I did not see it coming.

[J. James Reider]

wow, didn't see that coming... I personally thought it was going to be some sort of sanity thing! lol... great work... I admire the way you were able to tell such a great story in poetice form... and the utter suspensefulness to it was outstanding! great poem!

[Norma J. Jessee]

An excellant read David, with tension that permeates the entire poem, and ends with a surprise twist ending.

Loved it.