I was searching through the charity shops,
Last Saturday afternoon,
Looking through the clothes rails,
The Bric-A-Brac and shoes,

When i found a leather jacket,
At a price I could afford,
And in very good condition,
In fact, hardly worn at all,

Though the zip on it was broken,
It could easily be replaced,
So I paid what they were asking,
With a smile upon my face.

While walking home I wore the coat,
To fend off the winter chill,
My hands deep in its pockets
As I ambled up the hills,

When a piece of folded paper,
Brushed my fingertip,
Which I took to be the coats receipt,
And stopped to look at it.

But this was not the coats receipt,
It was a hastily written note,
Which I assumed to have been written,
By the last owner of this coat.

It began, “Tell Lucy that I’m sorry,
But I cannot carry on,
I know she thinks I’m guilty,
And I can’t convince her that she’s wrong.

She says that I was at the Palms Motel,
And that much, I can’t dispute,
But I was there on business,
Not with some prostitute.

And I don’t know who said they saw me,
Because she won’t tell me their name,
But I swear to God they’re lying,
Or playing some stupid game.

But who could be so callous?
Yet close enough that she’d believe,
Who would want to break us up?
So much to lie to make her leave,

For God’s sake, she knows me better,
Or at least I thought she did,
But two months ago she left me,
Took all her things and both the kids.

Since then, I’ve begged and cried and pleaded,
But she won’t believe a word,
So what’s the point in living?
If I can’t be with her.

I may as well just do the thing,
I’ve been threatening for months.
Though last time I did, she laughed and said,
That I didn’t have the guts.

How surprised she’s going to be,
When they tell her that I’m gone,
I wonder if it’ll still be me,
She puts the blame upon.

Please tell her, anything I leave behind,
She can do with as she’d wish,
She can burn it all for all I care,
Or save it for the kids.

Anything more valuable,
Can be sold, exchanged or swapped,
And the rest put in suitcases,
And taken to the charity shop.


By
S.E.Ralph

3-4-2018