The Duet
It’s a blustery evening that meets our man
As he rushes to catch his train
It’s been a fruitless and tiresome day at work
And it’s lashing down with rain
Drenched and disheveled, he tumbles aboard
And is met with a sea of frowns
“There’s as much joy in here as a hospital ward!”
He thinks as he goes to sit down
He approaches the end of the carriage where lies
The last potential free seat
He squeezes past the passenger there
And treads on one of her feet!
“I’m so sorry madam! Forgive me,” he pleads
“But mine are the feet of a clown”
She chuckles and says “no problem it’s fine”
As she gestures for him to sit down
He gazes into her soft Spanish eyes
As they gently seep into his soul
Her spellbinding beauty, if just for a moment
Has left him devoid of control
He gathers himself and awkwardly sits
Melting under her glow
She smiles and says, “a hard day at work?”
Wet through, he replies, “does it show?”
As the train cuts a path through the bustling city
Laughter and stories are shared
It’s plain to see the enchanting connection
Forged by the unlikely pair
Not blessed with good looks, he’s no movie star
But she cares not for shallow cosmetics
She already feels like she’s known him for years
Her attraction to him is magnetic
Each day after that, they meet on the train
Their feelings grow evermore stronger
It’s so hard to part when it’s time to get off
They both wish the journey was longer
Two spirits entwined, their hearts both aligned
Adoring each other so much
Their bond goes beyond, the physical realm
They are touched having never once touched
He finally summons the courage to ask
“Would you care to have dinner with me?”
She’s longed for this moment, and warmly replies:
“Of course! That would make me so happy!”
But on the eve of their date, he enters the train
To find her in heated debate
There’s a man sitting by her, holding her hands
Appearing to remonstrate
“Hey let her go!” He orders the man
Defending the love of his life
The handsome invader retorts “do you mind? "
“I’m trying to speak with my wife!”
Dumbfounded, his eyes turn directly to hers
He cries, “this cannot be true!”
She nods in the absence of explanatory words
“Yes, I was going to tell you…”
Shaking, he makes for the exit doors
“Come back!” Her pleads are in vain
With tears in his eyes, he runs into the night
As she’s carried away by the train
Now as for her story, she’s married it’s true
But her husband mistreated her so
His controlling behaviour grew evermore cruel
So she opted to pack up and go
Of course he’s pursued her! Control has been lost!
But there’s no chance of reconciliation
Her only concern is seeing her love
To convey her delayed explanation
But he never sets foot on that train again
For his pain must have been too great
For months, she cried and prayed he’d appear
She’d have died to have gone on that date!
Two years go by and life has moved on
Since that night when their love lost its way
She’s succeeding in life and is popular too
She “has it all” I’m sure many would say
But she still has this empty feeling inside
Like a book missing some of its pages
However, one day a voice calls her name
She looks around and everything changes!
It is him! Their eyes finally meet once again
Like lights guiding souls home from sea
But what happened next, to our troubled duet?
After such a turbulent journey
Did she ever explain, that night on the train?
Or did they simply part ways?
Forgive me, but if I divulge any more
I’ll be late for their wedding today!
About this poem
I initially wrote this poem for anyone who has ever felt the way the two main characters feel about one another (despite them not spending too much time together). After that, I just let the story take its own path.
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Written on September 25, 2023
Submitted by adam.gutteridge on September 25, 2023
- 3:29 min read
- 761 Views
Quick analysis:
| Scheme | ABCB DXDE FGHG XEXE FIXI XJCJ KXLH XXXX BMXM NXXX XKFK BOXD APNP XQXQ XBXB QJXJ XLXL ROXO XSQS XTXT RKXK BXXS |
|---|---|
| Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
| Characters | 3,615 |
| Words | 699 |
| Stanzas | 22 |
| Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"The Duet" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/170859/the-duet>.
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