My Santiago

Her Smile (12/03/2018)

It was her smile that moved me, Quiet, tremulous, With faintest hints of timidity, laced with sensuous thrills; An intimation of infinite possibilities, lurking within. If it was her smile that drew me in, It was her life, That adult woman – life, that held me captive - and ready to make myself the fool, The utter fool. of being faithful, When she had every intention of faith - less - ness; “Seeing others” Remarkable euphemism designed to mislead, sidetrack and finally drop off at the side of the road, With no hope of getting back to civilisation. Creating falsehoods - Promises of no consequence -

And I played the fool, The utter fool, The clown,

Not knowing just how much she must have been laughing behind hand, held to face, As she listened gravely to my vapid angst - filled protestations.

And that night, When I called her mid-stream on a winter’s run, In a deserted night - street phone both in Adelaide, I knew, but could not stop my foolish words tumbling out,

Needing to believe her inadequate lies.