The Street

The street seemed so much smaller now

The grime and the smell were still the same though

Engrained like the people who lived there

It was the only thing that never left him

She stayed at twenty three

One tough girl

Christ, he still remembers the day she knocked him out

Slightly concussed, he proposed to her

Not bad for a twelve year old

She couldn’t stop laughing

She wasn’t marrying no wimp that day

In fact, her daily ritual was knocking him down

Mum, is love painful

If it’s true love, it can be

It was, his head was testament to that

He just kept going back for more

To give her, her due, she was happy to give it to him

One day he told her straight. I don’t care how many times you knock me down. I’m going to be your boyfriend. He waited for the punch

She kissed him

He fell down again

She starting laughing

It felt like the greatest feeling ever

They became inseparable after that

Young love had conquered

One day she told him she was going away

I’m going with you

It’s not that kind of going away

Is there another kind

It’s the dying kind of going away

Yes, but you won't die for a long time

A year the doctors said

That didn’t make sense to him

We’ll just have to make the most of it, she said

Make the most of it

The most precious year of his young life

She died the way she lived.

Demanding he did the best he could with his life

There were times when he really struggled

Times he thought of joining her

The pain in his head always changed that

Even in death she got to him

The years passed by

He made good

She would be proud of him

The street seemed so much smaller now

The grime and the smell were still the same though

Engrained like the people who lived there

It was good to be home...

Reviews

[barleygirl]

This is very brilliant & touching. Given your penchant for shenanigans, I was kinda expecting this to go another way. The childhood scrapping is so well detailed, building that sense of deep-down devotion. I love the way you portrayed going thru someone else's death as being an impetus for living a better life. It's true-to-life & reminds me of when my best friend died 3 years ago . . . I'll never be a whiner again! *sigh!* This is a precious piece of imagination so full of reality & humanity (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Paul Bell]

We just like moaning, Margie. It's our god given right.
Life does have a way of getting the best out of us.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i just love this one---yes, even in death, she pushed him to do his best---love survives all kinds of punches and knock downs, if we are champions of it.

[Paul Bell]

Love does it all. Must be the greatest emotion of all.
Certainly demands the best of you.

[Ardra]

Even in death she got to him

Paul... such a moving piece...
if love is true it is painful....and this made my heart go aww... the way he went back to her.. :)

and made me feel sad too for his loss...

thanks for sharing this one with us :)

[Paul Bell]

Thanks Galadriel. How you doing.

[Ardra]

am doing fine, thanks for asking :)
hope all well with you

[Paul Bell]

Strangely entough. Just watching Stef Reid. The paralympian. Wasn't up for a run this morning. But now I am. lol. You enjoy your day.

[Ardra]

:) go run in the freezing weather :P
all the best hehe....