The Yellow Bag

They’d arranged to meet on Charter Street

At the point that midnight chimed,

She was to come with a yellow bag,

And he with a book of rhyme,

The ad had run in the Daily Mail

And had said, and here I quote:

‘Wanted: A gentleman for fun

With a high speed motor boat.’

 

Then he’d replied that he had the boat

Could she bring along the fun,

And she wrote back, ‘Nice to meet you, Jack,

I have fun for everyone.’

He saw her in front of the Gaumont

That had played ‘The Cruel Sea’,

Standing there with a yellow bag

And thought, ‘That’s the one for me!’

 

He wandered up and he waved the book

With the title ‘Nonsense Rhyme’,

She gave him a cool, appraising look

Like a laid back Valentine.

‘It’s much too late for the boating lake,’

He said, ‘Would you like a drink?’

And she stood there with a vacant stare

But replied, ‘What do you think?’

 

He led her down to the Castle Club

Where he had a private booth,

Then sat her down till the drinks came round

And remarked upon her youth.

She raised a brow when he asked her how

She had come to advertise,

She said, ‘It’s something I have to do

If I need to meet new guys.’

 

They drank their drinks and they talked a bit

About nothing much, per se,

And then he asked her about the fun

But she said he’d have to pay.

‘I thought a ride in my motor boat

Would be payment,’ he began,

To which she said, ‘I’m not free to ride,

I’m a working courtesan.’

 

While back in the heart of Charter Street

Where the leaves blew from the trees,

A girl stood there in a party dress

And the wind blew round her knees,

She’d been in watching ‘The Cruel Sea’

For the time had seemed to lag,

But now stood out on an empty street

Holding her yellow bag.

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Willard Wells]

I am sure it would have been worth the price of a ride. Very fun piece. Ending appears a little soft for you, but then again maybe I am missing something. I want to add that I liked it a great deal. I think I was looking for a head in the bag or something in the end. I guess I am thinking darker thoughts tonight.

[Confuser]

David; Great poem, and the Yellow Bag sounds familiar, don't know why - anyway, I loved the poem, it has great flow and your poem always tell a great tale. I could visualize a lot, and I'm laughing, thinking of the motor boat, don't know if that's a metaphor or not, but the other way, sure would be a site to see. I thought, in the ending; should would be holding a soaked yellow bag for certain. Anyway, fun read and I thank you so very much. Dale