AFTER BARTOK 1972

A MAN AND WOMAN ON HOLIDAY IN 1972

Abela managed
to get back from
the concert

(Bartók’s string
quartets 1 &2)
without imbibing

too much booze
but she had had enough
to make her merry

and coming along
the corridor of our hotel
she begin singing

her favourite Mozart aria
I walked beside her smiling
but wishing to hell

she'd keep her voice down
a door opened up
behind us

and a man said
please keep your voice down
it is getting late

and my wife and I
are trying to sleep
I nodded and said

sorry just getting
my girlfriend to our room
Abela stopped singing

and looked back
at the man
whose head

was sticking out
from a doorway
go back to your darn wife

and give her some
that should
get her to sleep

Abela said
swaying side to side
I took her arm

come on Honey
I said
to bed with you

she pulled her arm away
and said
it's a free country Bud

even if Tito runs it
with that she walked
swaying along to our room

and  went in
I shrugged to the man
and followed her

into our room
I don't know
what the guy did

to his wife
or if they went to sleep
but Abela and I

got undressed
(she singing that
Mozart aria again)

and got in bed
(she forgot
the foreplay)

and cuddling up to me
talked about our day.