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John Mole

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Farewell, my lovely

a noir ballad

I was yours and you were mine
Round the block, straight down the line,
But, honey, it’s just too close to call
Now that the writing’s on the wall.

I’ve split and thrown away the key,
Undoubled our indemnity.
What we had was once white hot
But passion cools in a tight spot.

The friendly cop who just dropped by
To chew the fat and apple pie
Had something other on his mind.
Both of us know what he could find.

The beach house where we spent that night
Sleeps in the moon’s adulterous light.
Guilty, shameless, unafraid,
We laid our plans and then got laid.

Tomorrow is another day
And I’m a thousand miles away.
Distance fixes a broken heart.
Death is the car that will not start.

There were thoughts we dared not think
When we fixed your husband’s drink –
So that’s my story, more or less,
Though you’ll be telling yours, I guess.

You knew I was a heel. I am.
Together we fixed the insurance scam,
Both of us in it for the ride,
But our goose is cooked, the fish are fried.

The phonograph plays Tangerine.
Life is an empty coke machine.
Your ankle bracelet haunts me still.
If that can’t save us nothing will.

Outline of a house at night

John Mole’s latest collection is Counting the Chimes: New and Selected Poems, 1975–2003 (Peterloo). For many years he ran The Mandeville Press with Peter Scupham. Currently he is resident poet to the City of London. He has received Gregory, Cholmondeley and Signal (for children’s poetry) Awards.

Page(s) 49

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