Love out of time
Every day he’s waits outside the post office in town
If anybody speaks he just greets them with a frown
Looks as though he’s waiting for someone who never shows
He waits there all day until the evening then goes.
One day I got the courage to ask if he’s ok
He just looked right through me until I turned away
Then I heard him speak quietly as I made to leave
He reached out and stopped me by grabbing at my sleeve
He asked me if I’d seen her, he says she’s very late
That he’d arranged to meet her here, so he has to wait
She said she’d be here for him but she’s never there
He begs me to tell her, to make sure she aware
I said I’m sorry, I don’t know who you are waiting for
There’s no-one else I’ve seen, hanging around this store
Are you sure it’s here your meeting, is this the place to go
Who is it your waiting for, is it someone that I know?
He pulled out a sepia photo, the sort our grandpa had
But it looked like it was older, like when grandpa was a lad
You could see that she was lovely, thought the print was faded and torn
One thing was certain, she would have been old before I was born
I realised his clothes were from a bygone age
When cravats and cummerbunds would have been all the rage
He was dressed to go a-courting in a century or more now gone
Somehow lost in time, he waited, to a return to “when” he was from
I promised I would wait, he said. Forever if I must
A promise I must not break, I owe her love and trust
So walk on by, my friend, and wish me well if you can
So I left him that day, a lonely but determined man
And as the years went by, the post office became a store
Then a private house, then a couple of flats or more
But always I would tip my hat at the man waiting there still
And I would marvel at the love that could inspire such strength of will
Then one day he was not there, I stopped and looked around
I realised he was gone and he was nowhere to be found
Perhaps I wondered if time had claimed him and returned him to his own
I prayed he was safe and well, I felt somehow left alone
That night I heard a voice calling out as I slept
My friend he said, my promise has been kept
All these years of waiting, finally I am free
my love, my love, has finally come to be with me
In my sleep I smiled, for even old men like me can care
The sepia lady in a photograph now was real and standing there
Then they waved goodbye and left me, back to their own time and place
And I woke up this morning with a smile upon my face
Tallisman
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Author:
Tallisman (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: August 3rd, 2022 00:26
- Comment from author about the poem: Second last of the older poems. I did wonder about reinstating this, it’s a bit long, but you know what? I like it…as always, apologies if you read it the first time around, I don’t mean to make you suffer twice!
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 31
- Users favorite of this poem: Goldfinch60, GenXer Shamrocker ☘️, Accidental Poet
Offline)
Comments7
What a wonderful write tallisman, I do not say this often but this will go into my favourites.
Love is so very strong in many lives.
Andy
Thanks Andy, appreciate that!
Good reinstatement. Sometimes they need to be pulled out of circulation and at a suitable time be reinstated. Well done on this one!
Hi cryptichard, thanks!
What a delight my friend, As I was reading it was like I was also watching a movie. So well written and descriptive!!!
Hi Raven, I am glad you enjoyed it!
Very much indeed, I look forward to reading your writes..
What a beautiful story, poignant and so engaging, I really enjoyed this piece, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for commenting and reading! Much appreciated!
Love is powerful Tallisman. My first time reading and I will read it again and again! Never will it get old. Beautiful !
Thanks Shamrocker, wonderful comment!
This is such a sweet and tender poem of love that is never lost. You have given me a smile for the whole day. Beautiful write!
Than you Bella, a smile is worth a thousand words! Glad you liked it!
A story I can well appreciate tallisman. Very well penned. 👍
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