I Think I Know You
| I was sitting on a park bench T'was a lovely autumn day When a soft faced, grey haired lady Chanced to pass my way She asked for my forgiveness For intruding on my space Then she sat down right beside me And stared into my face She made me so uneasy That I made to walk away But with trembling hand she grasped my arm And begged of me to stay She assured me that she knew me I was someone from her past And she said that she'd remember The time she'd seen me last She confessed her memory faltered And sometimes it caused her hell But she insisted that she knew me And that she knew me real damn well I could see that she was struggling And I felt I was to blame So I asked if it would help her If I simply gave my name But she waved away my offer Though she said that it was kind But she used these rare occasions To exercise her mind She again said that she knew me And insisted she was right For she'd recognised my features From first I'd came in sight She said I looked like Peter Hawkins Then she sadly shook her head "You can't be old man Hawkins, 'Cause the poor old soul is dead." "And you can't be old man Bromley You don't look a bit like him. For you haven't got his stature And you haven't got his chin." "And you can't be Billy Skewthorpe. Then she pursed her lips and frowned. "The fool fell in the river And 'cause he couldn't swim; he drowned." "You look like Mrs. Buckley; Booze put her on the skids. But you can't belong to that old tart; She didn't have no kids." "And your name's not Teddy Smithers You don't look like him at all. For he was full of muscles, And yours are way too small." "And you're not one of the 'Plunkets', They were a strange lot, don't you know. "They went hiking in the mountains And got smothered in the snow." "And you don't resemble Bernie; He was such a dashing male. "I was going to marry Bernie But the bugger died in jail." Then her hands began to tremble And she brushed a tear aside. "All the men I knew about your age, Have all got sick and died." Then my body sort of stiffened And as silly as it sounds. I thought the old 'grim reaper' May have missed me on his rounds. Just then her patience vanished And she cursed me for my gall. "You're pretending to be someone else; I don't know you at all." Her face was masked with fury And she wore the darkest frown Then her tongue lashed out with venom And she really dressed me down. "Pretending to be someone else Will never take you far. Don't try to fool old ladies; Be content with who you are." "Why, if I had on my Sunday hat, I'd stick you with my pin. "You should never tease old ladies; It's the lowest kind of sin." "It's a sorry world for old folk, And what are they to do? When we're simply walking through the park, And meet the likes of you." Then she stood and glared down on me While I shuddered in dismay Then she wrapped her shawl around her And briskly strode away I was trembling something awful For she'd gave me such a fright That I wasn't game to move an inch 'til she was out of sight And since that day I've made a pledge This pledge I'll gladly tell You should never talk to strangers --- Unless you know them well K.D. Abbott © 2007 |
| NOTE: You are invited to make copies of any poem on this site for your personal and private use providing the details of copyright are included. The poems are not to be used for commercial purposes or displayed on any website. |
All poems and short stories on this site are protected and
Copyrighted to K. D Abbott 2007. © All rights reserved.
