Coleen had a list
21 qualities she wants in her man
Very particular, she was
Hundreds of boys came and went
…
Joe was abandoned when born
Was naive, wild and free
Never went to school
But had learned to laugh at every misery
…
She was promised she’d be happy
He has still kept the vow
He didn’t tick any of the boxes
Happily married for 21 years now
Mrs. Jones keeps herself busy all day
But there is a sadness her eyes do show
Sometimes, she just drops everything
And for hours, stares out of the window
Picks up a photo from a shelf
Of her and Mr. Jones
Wipes the dust which isn’t there
And reaffirms her bones
…
When Mr. Jones left for war
There was a sense of pride in her eyes
He promised her that he would be back
Before her diamond tears dries
…
It’s been more than 25 years
Since the day that he was gone
All the anniversaries have been missed
But no curtains have been drawn
…
He always keeps his promises
Never once did he break her heart
His memory always accompanies her
Though they may be a thousand miles apart
…
And so, Mrs. Jones still believes
He would keep this promise as well
Come back just as he had left
But with a million stories to tell
…
She only has herself to blame
She really doesn’t know why
She couldn’t stop her eyes from crying
Her tears just refuse to die
Mrs. Dawson is a farmer
She ploughs the field all day
Sometimes even in the night
She has a debt to repay
The angel walked up to her
Looked at her for a while
“There is something I’d like to know,”
She spoke so with a smile
“I see you in the fields all day
I see you fry bacon in your pan
I even see a ring on your finger
But I do not see your man”
“My husband,” said Mrs. Dawson
“Is off on a lonely trip
He has found his destination” she said
As she bit her lower lip
“He is in my heart and in my soul
He is in my dreams
He may be gone to never come back
But that’s not how it seems
It was a long time ago
But I clearly remember the day
I never knew a man could be slaughtered
For a debt he can’t repay
They dragged him in this very field
And kicked him in the gut
I saw his blood mix with the soil
I saw him badly hurt
They chopped his head and dropped him dead
In a manner just so cruel
But not before he looked at me
And said – Life is beautiful
I still owe those men a debt
But I owe my man much more
I will repay them one day
But I can’t repay him anymore
Now if you’d excuse me
I have a field to tend to
My work has not even started
And it is nearly two”
The angel blessed and thanked her
Walked away and left her behind
Looked up again at the skies above
With divine thoughts crossing her mind
All sorts of debts you can requite
But love just can’t be repaid
She learnt a lesson of true love
The first few rungs were laid
Once upon a time, in a tiny village
An angel fell from the sky
A mortal may have died with rage
But she got up without a sigh
And though the folks stared at her
Like a bug stares at a butterfly
She kept staring into the distance
Into the open, blue sky
There was no golden stairway
No tall ladder to climb
Just the castles in the air
With traces of her crime
How she wished there was a ladder
To climb her way to home
Where her friends are in waiting
Seven fairies and a gnome
Soon, the day turned to dark
The dark turned to dawn
She stood still in the fields
Not a single shoulder to cry on
She could not even cry for help
There were no ears to hear
No hands to tuck her in her bed
The message was very clear
If she wanted to be back home
If she wanted to be back above
She must build the ladder herself
She must build it with love
Frank Solanki 