Poem 382 – The Priests and the Girl

She
waltzes, she
dances, she
Sees him through the
door, she
stops and he
smiles and with-
-out a word he
joins in her
dancing that
dog-collared
man, for-
-gets all his
vows as she
takes his
hand, and
now they are
waltzing, he
chooses to
sin, why
should he not
love if love
is what he’s
in? Well
nearby a-
-nother dreams,
Dreams of her,
Confesses,
Pleads with his
God, the
God that he
Shares with the
Waltzing
man. He
leaves, goes to
find her, and
there sees his
friend be-
-tray his high
office, no
chance to a-
-mend, the
true priest is
angry, he
raises a
crozier, he
beats his friend
who wished to
leave for
fear his
God would de-
-spise him for
loving in
twain, both
woman and
divine – is
that such a
strain? The
true priest be-
-lieved so; the
floor was
stained by
blood that was
holy un-
-til the re-
-frain of
waltzes and
beauty took
chastity a-
-way. Now
she who was
waltzing, she
raises her
hand, and
strikes down the
true priest who
could not
stand the
love of her
life being
but a
man, she
stamps and she
kicks and she
tears at his
eyes until
madness con-
-sumes her; her
eyes tell her
lies; that her
lover’s still
living and
so for her
crimes she
waltzes a-
-lone, a-
-lone she will
die, for
men can have
one love, their
God or their
wife, for
so it is
written of the
holy life.

***

Dear readers,

This poem is the first time I have attempted to write a work in waltz-time in a long while, although I distantly recall doing so some time ago. It is the climax of a story I imagined while listening to the beautiful third movement of Schubert’s Mass in E Flat. The combination of sacred music with a waltz-like feel, to me, somehow conjured this story up. It is longer in my head, but this is by far the best scene – the young lady dancing with a young man, who has been told not to love, and is then killed by a jealous rival who cannot face betraying his vows. I do not think either is in the wrong – in the early church, priests could marry, and I hope that, should the Catholic church continue on its current programme of reform, they will be able to again.

Kind regards,

The Hapless Neo-Romantic

Poem 365 – You Want Me to Laugh

You want me to laugh, to entertain,
But this, my dear, is my refrain –
To make you laugh I’ll tell you lies,
Whether I want to live or dream to die,
And I will ne’er tell the truth again,
Whether you be kin, or lover, or friend.

***

And on that happy note we finally reach the stage where you could read one poem of mine every day and not be finished before the year.

Kind regards,

The Hapless Neo-Romantic

Poem 352 – You Are Far Away

You are far away when I think of you;
No nearer for my thoughts –
That’s obvious, the universe
Is not traversed by friendship,
Except if some desperate poet calls gravity a form of love,
Which I will not.
You remain far, and I miss you –
I think of you every day,
But know too well the reverse is not true,
You have other things, other lives, better things to do
So alone I think of us, and when I next see you,
Still you’ll be the one I trust the most, for such is friendship’s due.

***

Dear readers,

Just a sweet poem about friendship today – I hope you enjoy it.

Kind regards,

The Hapless Neo-Romantic

Poem 321 – If Only You Had Understood

If only you had understood
That sometimes evil looks like good
Then maybe I could say today
It’s good to see you look so gay.
But, alas, you did not heed
The warnings in their every deed
So now I’m forced to watch you weep
And hold you close as you go to sleep.

***

Dear readers,

So much poetry is about the author’s love, or the object of the author’s love. I think I will write more about this though – the loves of the author’s friends. It says something I find less selfish.

Kind regards,

The Hapless Neo-Romantic

Poem 307 – If I Could Ask For Anything

If I could ask for anything –
Anything at all –
I’d not ask you to fall in love with me,
For a dance, or a kiss, or your warmth.
I’d ask for you to be happy in life,
Whether alone or in someone else’s arms
And hope that if you were happy,
You’d not forget me.

***

Dear readers,

A noble hope, I hope you agree.

Kind regards,

The Hapless Neo-Romantic