I looked over at your beloved

Perched at the bar of a bawdy boozer

As tales were told

Of your past infatuation

A jovial atmosphere it was

Nurturing the love of sociability to be true

But too much of a slight, too degrading a narrative

An embarrassment if you but knew

He sat there unfazed and indifferent

At the thought of your past plight

Unappreciative of the sacrifices taken

And of the devotion committed

Nonetheless I imagined you envied me

Petty jealousies ripening in the pit of your stomach

As I glanced in his direction

And assessed the chances of this situation

But the memory of another beloved

Did create the sense of empathy

Did confirm he was gazed at elsewhere

By too many unrelenting and meaningless eyes

So I relate, I can sympathise

And join you in the shadows

Wearing this beloved-less guise.

Natasha Haidar © 2004