And We Entwined

And We Entwined

dateless

jp melville

shirley did not have an affair

shirley is a good cook believe it or not

i said to her that i was obliged to believe

because she affirmed her ability far too often to pass the idea off as a boast

shirley thought maybe  she would have her hair tied back in a neat bun when she was fifty years

teaching at university and have the students come back to her place

single

she never envisioned men in her future

i’ve a secret five year plan which starts in june

her fortune recently told by tarot card

indicates that she is going to be burgeoning with confidence soon

that this will attract men to her like flies to honey

we agreed that happy people have an attractive quality

i said powerful women instil fear in most men

yes

all part of a long sejour with shirley tonight

she mentioned her friend carol-anne several times

and carol-anne's illness

without saying just what that illness is

i don't ask because if it were important surely shirley would tell me

she did tell me about church though

after we’d balled till swimming in the sheets

shirley attends st. andrew's presbyterian

regularly

doesn't miss a beat so to speak

she tried the local salvation army but found them all too uptight

she hasn't been baptized

when she was a kid she worried that she would burn in hell

if she wasn't splashed with water

so she goes to church

because she says her sister goes

because of a weakness

i said well

but shirley did not say

what the weakness was

i said

in my long winded way

drawing on a cigarette

given that you've put the weakness word in my mouth

one way of looking at weakness

and recognizing your weakness

an humble acknowledgement

for after all to be humble is not bad

perhaps i added

drawing again smoke to my lungs

to go to church is an act of celebration

a simple celebration for sure

but life is best in its simplicity

i smoked

i paused

i said to shirley that i was christian

its all about love

i said

that this afternoon in the cool autumn sunlight

digging potatoes and carrots in the garden

my act of communion with god

so we lay there in silence a bit

her hips with sweat pressed close to mine

her lips ruby damp against my shoulder

shirley had come by today hoping to get some eggs

she left a note on the door

i left a note back

told her to go ahead and take a dozen eggs whether i was there or not

she came back

i came back from the fields

shirley was there waiting anyway

she talked about the eden mills/erin baseball team

vicious woman accused her of deliberate maliciousness in sexual competition for some man

denied shirley said

a too much certain element of cliquishness to the baseball team crowd

which she didn't like

so she is not going to their end of season party on friday night

instead to octoberfest in kitchener with a friend of hers from mississauga

and she wonders

am i just the friend who is invited because i don't drink and can therefore drive the car

shirley reviews her status in relationships as the underdog

consistently so

i kiss the nape of her thigh

oh

she twisted

come to my parties she encouraged

i said no

but i am so funny and entertaining

you're enough as you are shirley

she cracks a joke sly joke at her expense her lips curl in on themselves

a soft purse and her voice hums

lifted into a question

me?

shirley found out this morning at seven o'clock that she will not have the job at mount alice

some bitch from queen's got the job

geography i'll bet

we newfies never win

someone screwed me around

but well their loss

bitch

i thank shirley for lying with me

brush her ear with my finger tip

she said she might have ice cream and cookies for dinner

or toast and peanut butter

and we entwined.