Bought.
She looked bold as brass, hair bleached
almost to ashen and
piled very high above black-liner eyes.
Pale face was slashed
ruby-red at lips held in pouting fashion.
A figure still shapely and slender at hips
blousily slouched with
an almost worn-out look as she shifted
again out of the rain.
Her watch having stopped she fought
off tears and swore at life\'s
meanness, chilled with wait she thought
it time to throw him aside.
The stage-door had long become closed
and cast dispersed
and streets felt so lonely in winter cold
so she searched for her purse.
The show was playing to poorer houses
and less than half-filled
that night\'s audience applause drowned
before it died willingly.
Performance geared itself to known facts
and truth faced she cursed
fate for lying sailors and their Captains
were sometimes the worst.
She thought taxis, at that time of night
would cost her a fortune
so she shrugged then seductively tried
the job known to be bought.
Top buttons unfastened she lit a smoke
and hitched up her skirt
to thumb a quick lift with the first bloke
whose car reversed.