[editor:bb]
A Love for Leading Ladies
"A friend in need is a friend indeed"
"Hello Rob", (a soul mate) here
(Time to get yourself out of there).
Theatre remedial of inner woe
Lovely actresses there to know.
Don't ask him to tell
About "Me and My Gal"
He was lost in oblivion
In the spell of the heroine.
On encountering her eyes
His heart goes and flies
Right there beside her
For this first encounter
What was left in the seat
Was not all that neat
Hope presented an actress
To a dodgy old suspect.
Enlightened of performance
Entranced by magnificence
Was reality portrayed
In parts herein played?
T'was the final night shout.
He was soon to find out.
Had occasion to meet her
And also her partner.
First impressions ---
Drawn to an imagine an actress as lioness
Kill, tempt or nuture, and all in a dress.
But what of her nature, what of her rage
When in reality trapped in a cage?
The best actors I know, like the chamelion
Don hat and coat and play most anything
And then little men who need elation
Welcome the stage for their elevation.
What need have I to be an actor?
All the world is my benefactor.
Played that bold stage to the hilt
Came crashing down to a wife's jilt.
Beguiled ? ----
Come along handsome fellow
(Bald, grey and too mellow)
"Watch a rehearsal, of my new show"
(To be cast therein, you're not to know.)
I took the bait and swallowed the hook.
(A fish out of water, my place in this book)
For on second rehearsal, learning the art
In comes my heroine and with her my heart.
She sang to me sweetly
And oh so discreetly
Releasing a passion
All time to cash in on.
Inspiration -----
Would he choose to be an actor?
No. Fate was the liberating factor.
"Pistache" in character, is his mentor
"Henri" himself; is it his true nature?.
To be "Court President" Henri Marceau"
(caught short on talent and full of woe)
Just a lamb to the slaughter
To impress his three daughters.
The heroine perceives ? ----
Now I see why in scene three
He was stood behind me - he for me?"
So true to the my song "---give nothing away--"
Feast on inspiration coming your way!
What fool would believe I needed him say
With a postcard (apt) that came in that day
"Your eyes say it all (or so he believes)
To sing in a whisper, your voice be relieved"
The postcard from France, his Michelle there
(An uncanny coincidence; photo - me here)
Yet we passed in the wings like ships in the night
His need on his sleeve to beat his stage fright.
The last scene was magic as I danced the CanCan
Always fixing his eyes, kicking high for the man.
Old "Henri", now confident, out of of the wings
And inside, as Rob, feeling all sorts of things.
"You taught me the secret of what love can be
Your brilliant portrayal in Can Can for me
Love is not selfish, need not have us caged in
It's a choice we make of whom we believe in"
Wild poppies greet me, now and again
With Daffodils too, hand gathered in
Montmartre coasters in Latrec setting!
"I have a partner" is my kind reminding.
But oh, what a truly wonderful show
All cast tender to my radiant glow.
Sadly, this pantomine had run its time
So I locked it in with a kiss of mine.
After show blues ------
The nightmare now, no shoot on back
Yet pulled up in time, back on track
It's a call to action, the dream of death
Wake and move and draw more breath.
After the show closed, a kiss like that,
Daylight dreaming and chewing the fat
Philosophy raging, why this should be
And asking God "Is this just me"
Show inspiration, that passionate thing
Not to be wasted on this human being.
Red wine at hand to conquer depression
Nightmares now dreams of exquisite expression.
New thoughts now e'er so close to heart
To revert to reality and make a new start
Rekindle that emotion born of that show
Open and honest for any who would know.
With heroine now is my heart's desire
And passion hot like the raging fire
Destroy that myth of thespian lore!
Life in the theatre is but life in the raw.
But "ha", a surprise, and out of the blue
The director has a roles at a "cameo" do
(To operate a curtain in the townhall)
And there is "Pistache" complete with shawl.
Show done, shivering for food from the kitchen
(There's bureaucrats here in need of bitchin')
Patience exhausted but morale running high
To my bar and grill where I play "eye spy"
I duck in first and prepare for the worst
Pull up some tables and order for a thirst
Butter up the chef to continue his duty
And gallantly seat myself next to my beauty.
While squeased in there, to say the least
For this shy face a chat and a feast
Would be to discover her inner delight
Alas, love struck, my wits are in flight.
Heart in mouth, competes for a feed
Stomach deprived and threatening to bleed
Her expresson of need "I do love my food"
Is etched in my mind with her generous mood.
Old fellow thespians carried the day
Covered my floundering for things to say
Picked up on problems with her new show
This a call to gallantry - little did we know.
Directly I'm asked "It's red wine, true,
That I'll bring for you to your barbecue?"
(Rollers and nighty, and books along too)
My thoughts just contained - "yes,please do."
In mind the proposal. "Please marry me"
But ask in return what her drink would be
And as her reply was to do with the Bourbon
That, I insisted, would be my contribution.
Then she leaves, just like that. Devastation!
Now alone reflecting my obvious obsession,
Nursing my hurt at the table of the elders
"Unrequited love" I blurt out, and an ego in tatters.
Behold! At the door, more beautiful than ever
Redressed, welcomed in, " well I never!"
Now my time to back off, and dance with another
Defuse this shyness, each shy of each other.
Back at the table, the departure has started
The director, soul mate, and now unpartnered
Requests my help to release her body
From a dress with a zipper all too shoddy.
This the call of a man in another dilemna
His new love found, compromised by another.
His love, his heroine, now saves his day
Volunteers her scissors, to save face this way.
Our green room is the scene of this chaperoned action
Who has what role makes for contentious confusion
Is this "Falstaff" with mistresses "Page" and "Ford"
The "Merry Wives of Windsor" to expose this fraud?
Together we departed, you first in your car
Our eyes meeting then; soul search from afar.
If only I knew what they said to me then
We might well have skipped to another night's end.
Anticipation --- the barbeque no show.
Well possessed of desire, basic and all
Conjecture carressing a back from the small
Was "the nerve in the back" a symbolic call
A cancellation ultimatum from a partnership call?
They all had a ball at my barbeque
Except for me and my missing you
For the bonfire died to dull redish glow
As I stirred the embers of your no show
Your eyes reflected the sparks in the fire
Now sparkling and dancing all o'ver the pyre
The wind blew your hair all over my head
And locked in those thoughts that I took to bed.
Faint heart never won fair lady
In the cage of passion where is the reason?
Heart burning, love boiling, real action!
To the Spotlight Theatre, the end of season
And a recalled conversation churning my yearning.
At the door a welcome for me
"Strapping men we like to see -
T'is Rob, he calls upon our lady."
Someone tell Sweet Charity.
In the meantime, in the waiting,
"Come with me, do some watching.
Come with me, we need your type
To fill our ranks and older hype."
So dutifully I turn my focus
See for myself the hocus pocus.
Meet new people here, attractive too.
"Is this a show you'd like to do?"
Behind my back in this fine welcome
My Teddy Bear awaits his outcome
Nestled on the floor behind me
Out of sight. Where the hell is she?
Lovingly - suddenly, brushing in
Offering me her welcome grin
My lips are buried in her hair
She knows, she knows, no fear.
I'm overcome with strange emotion
The "Protector" now in utter devotion
This is the taste of the kiss of bliss
My life well lived awaiting this.
But this is in the Lion's den
These people all her kith and kin
I'll not invade her mana here
Thank God, "Here, my the Teddy Bear"
That Teddy Bear delivered the missive
"This is my love, please be my missus.
But I'll not mess with what your bliss is
Till that changes, tennacity attends this."
Her written reply, a precious possession.
Living with it, without it, with indiscretion.
"All's fair" they say "in love and war"
The wounds of unrequited love are raw.
And so ----
How do you cut a long story short?
You put down pen: go out for a snort.
We've set the scene, but will it unfold?
"Be bold, be bold, but not too bold"
