Zanzibar!

She lay so pale, under a veil

On the hard mortician’s tray,

A tube ran down from her artery

And her blood was seeping away,

I’d never seen her so still and white,

So cold, and her eyes so glazed,

I shook my head when they said, ‘She’s dead!’

More than a little dazed.

 

It had only been just a week ago

That I’d gone to call on Jan,

And there, right under the portico

I’d met her sister, Anne.

I’d heard about her before, of course,

The mysterious older Sis,

Who’d travelled far, was in Zanzibar,

Hong Kong and the Middle East.

 

I’d wondered how she could pay her way

When I heard the awesome tales,

This woman trekking the Russian Steppes

And ending up in Wales.

Now here she was in a Sydney Street

Not a hair was out of place,

Her eyes were shining to greet and meet,

Deep set in her suntanned face.

 

I must admit that she stirred me then

So I had to drop my eyes,

I’d been with Jan since I don’t know when

So I thought it more than wise,

A jealous woman is worse than hell

And I’d rather stick with bliss,

So reached for Jan and I held her hand

As she introduced her Sis.

 

She’d come to stay for a month, she said,

Then had to be on her way,

She had to meet with a Turkish man

In a market in Cathay,

But Jan was not even curious,

Though the questions crossed my mind,

Most of them would be spurious

But I wondered what I’d find?

 

What was her line of work, I thought,

How did she make it pay?

Was she some rich man’s paid consort

In a Persian alleyway?

Was she smuggling drugs or guns

With secrets tucked in her bra,

Or was she a spy for love, or funds

From a man in Zanzibar?

 

She settled in to a set routine

In the house, it was absurd,

She always seemed to be normal, not

The hellfire that I’d heard,

We’d sit up late by a blazing grate

Play cards, and drink and rave,

Then Jan went off for her monthly trip,

And she said, ‘You two behave!’

 

She laughed at us as she left, and said

That she’d be back in a week,

It was always some promotional tour

But of what, she wouldn’t speak.

For both these sisters were secretive

Tight lipped on the things they’d do,

But when she’d gone, Anne came on strong,

And said, ‘I’m looking at you!’

 

Jan crept back in about midnight, and

She caught us both in bed,

She screamed and ranted about the room,

Went quite right off her head,

She pulled a knife and she went for her,

The startled sister, Anne,

‘You’ve always stolen the one I loved,

And you! You’re never my man.’

 

The body lay on the silver tray

As they walked me in, then out,

Identifying the corpse, they said

So there wasn’t any doubt.

They placed me cuffed in a Candy Car

On a charge of Murder One,

While Anne was headed for Zanzibar

As I said goodbye to Jan!

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Barbz]

He was quite confused, as he viewed the body dead. Thoughts of both the sisters, going thru his head. Each of them were different, his lover told him so. Saying that her sister was always on the go. He thought she seemed so normal, as they spent the day, but looked at him with wanting eyes,when his girlfriend went away. She came home in a week, and much to her surprise, the view of them, both in bed, the vision in her eyes.Crazed and filled with ire, the sharpened knife in hand, as Jan said she rued the sister who always stole her man. He was charged the murder, Ann went off afar, it must have been that she again was off to Zanzibar................Thank You, DL Paget,my mentor....much appreciation on my part!!

[D Connolly]

Cool story! Too bad you got stuck doing the time, and then Anne went on her way and poor Jan got killed! Right after catching her man with her own sister! Now that is a rotten day LOL

[VALORMORE DE PLUME]

I love that your writes are an adventure of the mind, with as many perspectives as there are readers. Always enjoyable for each.

[Marie]

If he'd used his mind to think with instead of his...
This never would have happened.
Of course, Jan shouldn't have gone off and left him with Anne.
I was once married to the steadiest, most faithful man in the world, and I wouldn't have done it.

You can't trust a 13-year old boy and an 80-year old nun together for long...

[MomzillaNC]

I must say, it's rather unfair to him to be left holding the bag, and still with no clue what either of them were up to! But, all it would have taken to continue his blissful state would have been to say "No" and remove himself from temptation. Any man should know, by the time he's reached any age at all, that coming between sisters is just plain dumb! Always entertaining, whatever scenarios you weave for us!

[Bright Ocean Star]

Wow, this poor fellow. I'm not even going to try to rhyme and rhythm this one. Such a fantastic story told with great wit. Loved it, like I loved all the others.

[Valkyrie Warrior]

As always you poems don't cease to impress!!! I love your work David! Thank you so much for sharing the excellent poetry!!!!!!

[wordman]

damn man you was in the wrong place i guess
i loved the story