her father scraped his way across
the wooden floor
hauling his dead weight of rages
and cursing the libel that landed him here
he paused labouring his breath
like a dying steamtrain running on empty
and shuffled on when his labours ceased
his furry coat knotted with the tangles of his mind

she followed him carrying his bowl
of shapeless meats and shifting rices
a cold meal for his hard hands
and as he sat down to break that bread
he commenced to wailing at the rising of the sun
and the falling of the stars
spitting around mouthfuls he catalogued the woes
as she waited there by the shoulder of his
heavy mule skin jacket
with her eyes nailed to the floor

later while he slept
out back by the rain barrel
she and i did romance in quiet whispered tones
she in her best blue dress
me in my finest spanish leathers
we talked and held hands while the stars gave condolences
we kissed like two virgins tentative and shy
she with her golden hair and fancy lace
me with my dark eyes and mystic words

as dawn came she slipped away
with murmurs of regrets like soft kisses
each one so close to the last they came together as a single tear
and let slip of my hand like a farewell
as inside we could hear her father climbing
up out of his pale slumbers
like the driver of deaths carriage whipping
the grey horse's of doom
drive on drive on you fools lest you be found lacking

we each bid her father good morning
and his return was cheerful delights
as he saddled his ponderous thoughts on his mare
and set off to the seaside
in search of his galleons wreck
spend his day picking coins from the sand
and choking back tears for his labours
she will sit with me in the palms shades
and swing me a sweet song
with a melody like rain
and lyrics about the sun
we are a strange sight to see i'm sure
but the only vision we have is of eachother
and its a warm palace full of joys
among the towers and fabled roads of fiveashes

(the part of her father was played by our cat 'lizard')