I’ll not get over George,
Alice said, not manage
to get him out of my skin
or memory. Her psychiatrist
said she might. ****. Her
word. Heard it someplace.
Not sure where. No, George
she misses. Known him for
years, ever since the work
house closed and they were
dumped in some home for
homeless. He was partially
blind, saw badly, spoke in
a jumble of words. But she
was drawn to him; first out
of pity, then deeper out of
love. Possible, her psychiatrist
said, love may help whatever
it is. ****. Her word. Heard
it somewhere, not sure where.
She kissed George first; then
he kissed her. Each carried the
work house haunting with them.
Young staff at the home for the
homeless, smirked, spoke behind
their hands. George seeing her
poorly imagined her better maybe,
she didn’t care, at least he was
kissing her and he was right there.
Once they almost did it, but
George fumbled and they lost
concentration. And they gave
that up as a bad job. Best not to,
her psychiatrist said. ****. Her word.
Heard it someplace, not sure where.
Then George died; stiff in bed, his not
hers, heart gave out, the doctor said,
poor Alice, loved mostly, cared much,
all gone, not wed, she alone, missing
George, in her single noisy spring bed.