My Credit With You

 

My Credit With You

 

We've had lovers who defended slippery ground,

planted flags; built their motte and bailey there -

constructed from touch without sound,

and lash-lowered looks, all flicks of unkempt hair-

we let down the drawbridge to broach the moat.

Take me as I am, they sang, and forget her,

like in Dionne Warwick’s ‘Wives and Lovers’

and maybe we both came to regret our affair.

We thought we'd definitely secured the boat,

backchecked clues, mouthed not quite lies, alibis,

yet it seems once our Rubicon’s crossed,

all we thought was ours was lost,

and looking forwards, how can each of us trust

in slick sidepieces that have already cheated?

Now let’s candidly demand further escorts,

once more unto the breach, protecting thoughts -

but our credit now stands on such slippery ground

that in one of two sad ways we are perceived:

either cowards or flatterers that always deceive.