The Cast-Off

She saw her friend on the Monday,

At the fountain, by the square,

Her skin had seemed to be glowing

With the sunlight on her hair.

She said, ‘What’s happened to you, my girl,

There’s an incandescent glow

That emanates from your features,’

And her friend said, ‘You should know!’

 

They met again on the Tuesday,

At a Café near the Strand,

Her friend sat next to a pale-faced guy

Who reached to hold her hand.

‘So this is your little secret,

You’re a deep one, aren’t you, Eve?

You could at least introduce us then!’

She said, ‘Oh, this is Steve!’

 

She missed her train on the Wednesday,

But she heard from near and far,

‘Eve has got her another guy

And he writes, and plays guitar.

We wonder how long this one will last

For she’s not been true before,

Eve likes a bit of variety,

She’s sure to show him the door.’

 

They passed in the street on Thursday,

And stopped for a bit of chat,

‘He says he’s writing me summer skies,’

And Steve was this, and that.

‘Everything seems to be brighter now

There’s bluebirds up in the sky,

I feel that I’m tripping on a cloud,

I never felt so high.’

 

She noticed the breeze on Friday,

Was as soft as featherdown,

When Eve had texted her love for him

From the other side of town.

‘Whatever he writes for me is done

In the twinking of an eye,

But I’m starting to feel so restless, for

At best, he’s a boring guy.’

 

She happened to see, on Saturday,

Her friend at the local ball,

And looked for the poet Steve, but he

Didn’t appear at all.

Though Eve was dancing with someone new

While thunder rolled in the west,

‘I cast him off, but he’s there for you

If you want him, be my guest!’

 

The lightning flashed on the Sunday,

And Eve was soaked to the skin,

She beat on the door of Janet’s place,

‘For God’s sake, let me in!’

Her hair was hanging in rats tails and

She cried, ‘I’m really scared.

Steve is writing a storm for me

For he said, he’d really cared.’

 

The storm had gone on the Monday,

The clouds were fluffy and white,

As Janet walked to the corner store

And Eve came into sight.

Eve said, ‘What’s happened to you, my girl,

There’s an incandescent glow

That emanates from your features,’

And her friend said, ‘You should know!’

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[TL Boehm]

Definitely not the calm before the storm, eh? Another fine tale - Eve got off with a warning. That doesn't always happen under the magic of your pen.

[Valentine]

Sounds like a lot of people I used to know. How many relationships last these days, take what you want, then press on. Kathie

[TPK Stories]

this tale flowed like a sing-song voice. . .looks like Eve got what was coming. . .great tale. . .

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

A telling piece that reads well and has a descriptive nature, well done, good read.

[R Smith]

like the turn full circle of this, i think steve has the magic touch with his pen, another write from you David of great charm and quality well done :)

[Jennie Baron]

Brilliant! A complete story but with precise organization and poetic flow, and I like the karmic ending. I'm amazed and this is truly a fine write.

[Avinash]

Enough is not enough for many girls. They just want more. Little do they realize that they are cooking up their own disaster. You can not escape your Karma.

[Marie]

I agree with MomzillaNC. Steve might have written a hurricane for Eve and blown her away entirely.
She should have stuck with him; I don't see how he could have been borning...

[Deborah Brooks-Langford]

what a story... wow.... I love how you constructed this poem... outstanding as usual.. David.. I don't expect any less from you.. I want to thank you for participating in the contest on the Poetry Corner and sharing your wonderful poetry with us...

[MomzillaNC]

Well, Eve sure set him up for something better with Janet, didn't she? I'm glad you let Eve off with a simple storm, else Steve might've been lost to Janet! :D