determined
scarlatti had pointed out, some weeks ago now, that she'd never heard me sing -- and I had promised her then that I would repair that omission when I came to visit. It happened today.I sang "Fandom is One", previously published in
peteyoung's fanzine "Zoo Nation. I sang "Old Dominion", which appeared in these pages not very long ago.And then I sang "Seduction", a poem detailing the events surrounding my proposal of marriage to Anne at a convention in May 1996.
scarlatti has described it as one of my best, and I'm inclined to agree. It seemed like a natural choice of poem to sing. I sang the first three verses well, and then fumbled for the opening of verse four. I paused for a moment, fighting to assemble the lines in my head, and then started to sing the fourth and final verse.And promptly collapsed. There's a reason why you forget these things -- it's called self-defense.
And realised as I lay,
Her everlasting charms
Had stole my heart away
And made me her eternal friend:
I wished the night would never end.
It ended, of course it did, and life for those of us who are left has to carry on. It's two years now, two years tomorrow, and I should be ready to move on.
I am, I will.
