Match Met

Tom Smithson was corrupted
By his life of organised storage
It was no surprise that in Desiree’s words
He saw so much of his own mis-spent youth

He had not always been tidy
In fact he had missed
The end of his own education through
The mistake of misapplication

Tom’s sympathy then, for Desiree
Was not simply brought on by parental blindness
He took that thought with him
As he set off to meet the Dean and Joe

Tom, I am in a very difficult position

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Emergence

Scraps
The lines we skipped
At the start of Desiree’s poem
These then are now Joe’s words

Desiree suspects
No, she knows
That Joe could easily
Reconstruct the whole poem

And he could publish it in her name
She would little be able to dispute it
After all, certain snippets
Were already in the public domain

And to publish at a later date
Could only be construed as a wilful act
A deliberate act against her father...

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Shopkeepers

Joe’s village corner shop now rents videos
Aswan also sells six-pack lagers
And bottles of Bacardi Breezer

The freezers are full of TV dinners
In the corner by the till is confectionery
At the side of the cigs there’s a lottery machine

Gone are the fresh vegetables
The wallpaper paste
The newspaper delivery boys

No longer the bookie's runner
Nor the post office counter...

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Defence

James continued
Desiree’s father had denied
Any suggestion of impropriety
He categorically stated
That their family had been completely cleared
Of anything other than parental fondling
Even after the unfortunate episode with his wife

But the Dean was even more resolute
Behind his staff to the hilt
Frankly he was amazed
That Tom Smithson
Was letting his daughter
Write such pervasive muck

The Dean wanted Desiree to leave
Her father threatened to withdraw his funds
A peacemaker was needed
Joe had a quiet, unheard, sigh of relief...

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Intrusions

Joe heard the knock on the door
It was unusual for anyone to call at this time
He opened the door with a little apprehension
Surely no one knew yet of his planned surveillance

Desiree and James stood there together
Under the glare of the sodium streetlight
The tension was obvious
Briskly Joe brought them inside

Are you with us Joe
Asked James
Are you ready for some action

Joe looked towards Desiree
He saw that same sparkle in her eyes...

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