Franklyn's Tale - Autumn

First part of Franklyns tale.

It was Illisa,

she was the broad what had done it.

Change'd ol' Frankie - beaten down,

street scum Frankie - into Franklyn,

high class gentleman,

a man about town.

He'd gone right up to her,

(for bold as brass was ol' Frankie)

in that gin soaked bar,

an establishment where dreams came

to forget their own futility.

Offered her his heart, he did.

"M'am", he said, "I'm bein' Frank

about my love for you."

An' he chuckled at his own joke,

as if he knew.

She looked back, diamonds in her eyes,

ruby red lips. Deadliest wolf he ever did see,

though see it too late.

Frankie, she said, 

in a voice that sparkled like them pretty diamond eyes.

A voice as cold and cruel and cheery -

and that smile! a laughin', mockin' smile that made him -

Made him what!?

...

But nevermind. That's all gone now.

Long story short, she did reject him.

Said a man common as him didn't deserve her.

An' she left ol' Frankie, broken.

But he didn't give up, oh no.

What he felt was too strong for that.

Frankie turned it all round,

built himself a life. He was, he told himself,

a glorious phoenix! 

(which was a bird he learned about, 

whilst getting himself an education).

Classes, that's what he was about,

for years, all about class.

Till he made his fortune and did emerge,

not yet thirty, as Franklyn.

Self-made man.

This time Illisa didn't reject him,

she couldn't reject him, oh no. And he told her,

told her! as he had his way with her,

that she'd done this, she was the reason.

Her diamond eyes sparkled just as beautifully afterwards.

But it wasn't enough. No! It wasn't! it wasn't!

He could feel himself slippin',

slippin' back into ol' Frankie.

He needed another one.

And then came Annabelle.

They went dancing, that night,

out under the moon, 

glowing bright on her pale skin

reflecting the light of his heart.

He loved again, and again he had her.

Eyes like diamonds, doll-like skin - 

it wasn't enough to save him.

And again, he needed more.

His heart would surely break,

but again, he needed more.

Terisa, Charlotte, Tiffany...

laid out in a line, all his conquests,

his loves. Pale and delicate,

and beautiful. but he's slipping...

I'm slipping...

And then came Winter...