Oh God! Where is She?!
Oh GOD!!
Where is she?
I know we argued
But I thought we’d made up
this morning on the phone
and I said I was sorry
I didn’t mean it
And she said she was sorry
And we both laughed
And we’d meet here
at Hotel Belclaire
for dinner tonight. …
breathless, anxious
Oh God!
She’s had second thoughts!
I just know it.
What do I do?
How do I convince her I love her?
How can I make her feel
like I see her
My Princess?
What do I do with these flowers?
For a fleeting moment
My heart raced with joy
as the flower seller handed them to me
and winked …
Now?
Now I've lost all…
All… …
with glee, despair strides the pavement, unseen, circling him
Oh God!
This is terrible…
despair fast exits, regretting dalliance
‘Is it?’
A gentle squeeze of the elbow,
A lightness of touch
A touch not there!
Who said that?
'Have a look across the street'
Oh God!
Trembling,
The quiet unseen embrace,
Reassuring, fortifying … …
Oh my darling
You waited!
I was so worried!
I couldn’t call you…
In my dash to get to you
I left my phone on the table
And then we had this
awful snowdrift!
Darling?
Darling – why are you crying?
That’s not like you!
Come on…brace up… …
Like you always tell me
a nervous giggle
Are those for me?!?
Ha! my sweet!
You always choose
the most delicate for me…
Oh!
And Lily of the Valley too!
How can a woman ever pass you by
My darling!
Come on!
Let’s go in.
It’s cold out here
And this gown is not really suited
To winter, hey.
Now come on…stop mumbling!!
You must be strong …
Best foot forward. …
Come on, stop that chin wobbling ...
There we are!
I've kissed it better !!
Oh my darling
You waited!
I was so worried!
I couldn’t call you…
… and we had this AWFUL snowdrift
Unseen, the emissary
Slipped a hand away,
As she took his elbow in turn,
The start of a new life.
And soon the snows of winter
will be gone,
and Spring will be here again.
Ian Bradley Marshall
9 September 2024
All Rights Reserved
LIVERPOOL
© 2014 Ian Bradley Marshall © 2024 Kenneth Thomas Webb
Composed on 7 September 2014, and received its first of many readings in Liverpool venues later that month and through to Spring 2015 and last published on 31 October 2022
Author Note
I have much to thank one person for developing my writing style whilst in Liverpool. He started reading my work through social media and, without my request, would send images that came to his mind and because of his work, imagery that he would be reminded of by something I had written.
A good friendship followed - we called it an Era of Enlightenment for us both. In time, images would be sent for me to consider writing about, the object being to apply what he viewed as a very individual, intimate and personal writing style, which should not be hidden.
Hotel Bellclaire is one such image.
All good things come to an end when social media is involved. Jealously and Envy go hand in hand on public platforms.
I came off Facebook in 2015, and he was driven off, but the last I heard, he is now very happily married, and soon there will be the pitter-patter of tiny feet in their apartment in Paris.
