I Stood By the Side of the Road
I stood by the side of the road, the sunlight glinting in the trees.
I saw a woman walking alone, and on the verge of tears.
I stopped and asked what was the matter.
“Just men. They’re all bastards.” She said, nearly crying.
I walked with her and she confessed that she was getting a divorce.
She’d found her husband in bed with his secretary.
I had been carrying an old and battered copy of a book.
“I think this is for you.” I said, and gave it to her.
“I love this one.” She said. “Mr. Darcy is a real gentleman.”
I agreed, and stopped. I asked her if she’d ever wished to meet him.
She admitted yes, but regretted that no such men were in the world.
And then I made my offer.
Her eyes went wide with disbelief, at first.
But she eventually said yes,
and was gone.
I put the book away, and waited for someone else to come up the road.
I still had stories full of heroes and true love,
and soon enough someone else would come along.
I saw a woman walking alone, and on the verge of tears.
I stopped and asked what was the matter.
“Just men. They’re all bastards.” She said, nearly crying.
I walked with her and she confessed that she was getting a divorce.
She’d found her husband in bed with his secretary.
I had been carrying an old and battered copy of a book.
“I think this is for you.” I said, and gave it to her.
“I love this one.” She said. “Mr. Darcy is a real gentleman.”
I agreed, and stopped. I asked her if she’d ever wished to meet him.
She admitted yes, but regretted that no such men were in the world.
And then I made my offer.
Her eyes went wide with disbelief, at first.
But she eventually said yes,
and was gone.
I put the book away, and waited for someone else to come up the road.
I still had stories full of heroes and true love,
and soon enough someone else would come along.