THE PRETTIEST GIRL IN MORRISONVILLE

"The prettiest girl in Morrisonville"

Pretty's not what she is today

Once, deeply, she loved a young sailor 

He'd promised he'd take her away 

She'd packed bags, and defied her own father

She was waiting; cast wisdom aside

She'd set sights on someplace exciting

When her love came to tell her goodbye 

"Go out that gate, gal, and I'll shoot you!"

Her father's words weren't a threat 

The sad thing was that, in her weak state

Rejection was much worse than death

Goodbye was too much to bear

She broke down; begged as if in great pain

Brokenhearted, she chased his car; screaming

Down home, she'd forever remain

That day, her mind was arrested

Though she married, and settled a while

Her heart only made room for her first love

And her favorite was her first child

She raised her baby, always doubting

Always fearful of saying, “She's yours"

Though they never agreed to reconcile

He lamented the shame she endured

As for her, she was strangely contented

Part of him was better than none

Freedom was all he desired

He made that clear to everyone

But he did have a bit of a conscience

Told himself that if ever he would

Impregnate another young woman

He'd do the right thing as he should 

"A child needs a mother and father"

His mother's words lived in his mind

He determined that he'd do the right thing

That meant leaving all others behind

She heard that he'd wed a young teacher 

From Addis he summoned his bride

Someone else would enjoy all she'd dreamed of

Someone else would be by his side

Forty-four years she waited

Forty-four years she tried

To pretend she loved another

To deny feelings she couldn't hide

She and the sailor are old now

Their respective spouses have died

Nothing keeps them apart now

For decades she'd kept hope alive

Except, he doesn't want to be bothered

Tells her he's not the man that he was

Callously, he calls her love "graveyard"

From her lips, he's well spoken of

Repeatedly, she still phones him

It's his voice she still wants to hear

As coldly as he greets her

It's enough, in her mind, it appears

As if they're still those teen lovers

As if, for them, there's still time

As if one day he'll come for her

As if there's still love left to find

When the phone rings, he hates it's her calling

He says she has nothing to say

He says it's a shame she still wants him

But he answers her calls anyway

He says he wishes she'd stop now

Why he won’t tell her, no one knows

Perhaps he still wants to be wanted

Even as his days come to a close

He remembers her screams to this day

"Please don't leave me!" seared into his mind

Pity almost made him turn back

A drink helped him leave her behind

His brother-in-law helped persuade him

"Man, what do you need with a wife?"

The high he was on helped convince him

Being tied down was not the good life

She wanted to be his bride

He had no thoughts or time for such things

Didn't want to be saddled with one girl

Had no care for what marriage would bring

And now, at this stage he's certain

He's too old, too feeble, too slow

It's not her wanting him that’s the trouble

It's his own failings he dare not show

He's not virile, not strong, not handsome

He's not smooth, not sharp, not erect

He's not flashy, not slick, not his old self

He's not what he thinks she'd expect

It's easier for him to reject her

Treat her badly so that she would end

Her persistent efforts to show him

They can be that young couple again

Friends want to tell her "stop calling"

They suppose it's just not their place

They ache for her each time she calls him

They can all see the hurt on her face

When she phones, all she gets are excuses

Undeterred, she phones anyway

Reluctantly, someone answers

She should know what they're going to say

"He's not here",

"He's asleep",

"Oh, he's eating"

"He can't talk now",

"He's busy",

"He's gone"

Truth is, he doesn't respect her

She's a pest now

He wonders how long

Will she keep hoping that he remembers

How pretty she once used to be

Overlook the woman she is now

Forget the old man that he sees

Each time he looks in the mirror

The decades he knows have gone by

The time he cannot redeem now

The fears and regrets in his eyes

The horrible way that he left her

The way it affected her life

Her forever, backward gaze longing

To be a young sailor's wife

She has no idea what she's teaching

The lesson her life is, indeed

For the prettier girls who replaced her

Her example has planted a seed

If a man truly wants you, you'll know it

If a man truly cares he won't leave

If a man is indifferent, just let go

What any man shows you, believe

If a man says he's done, you be done too

Take the hint, and don't be a fool

Don't waste time crying, hoping, and praying

While he's using, or pitying you

The prettiest girl in Morrisonville

Finally mustered the nerve

To let go of her fairy tale romance

Prompted by the words that she heard

“I’m sorry, but he isn’t here now

A few weeks ago, he passed away”

When she hung up, she paused and considered

All the years as they faded away;

Whether caring is ever wasted

Whether loving is just for the young

If the story of her devotion

Would live on when her life is done

VRWc2018