Coupling with Jane Austen
Even so. You would be surprised,
although perhaps you had surmised,
to hear how often I watched you,
sometimes I was positive you knew
how often I was on the point of falling
down on your bed and crawling
in with you. I have entered many a shop,
bought veils, even sun-glasses at the co-op,
to avoid your sight, as the carriage drove by.
I truly believed you were a good guy.
Lodging as I did in Bond Street,
two doors between faith and cheat,
there was hardly a day
I spied your wife. The way
in which I did not catch a glimpse
of her is mockery to me, makes chimps
of one or other of you; and nothing
can feel the shame to which I cling
but the most constant watchfulness
to curb my lust and contain distress
on my side, a most invariably prevailing,
aggravating situation: this trailing
desire to keep out of your sight
has vexed me and only her right
could have separated us so long.
Why is loving you so wrong?
Sue Spiers has a poem in Paper Swan’s Press The Pocket Poetry Book of Cricket and has six times been published on IS&T now. For other news Sue tweets @spiropoetry.
Note: Words taken from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen P198 (Wordsworth Editions The Complete Novels of Jane Austen)