Romeo Still

You wore varicose veins beneath your dress
Lumped flesh, Rosaline, and a flowered silk.
Your hair, you garnished in a purple dye
Youth carried on, recycled for that time.

Together, you sat on a home-made stage
Piano played before out tea arrived.
We watched on, vacant all; ladies, urine stale
Gentlemen staring silence in staled suits.

I loved you, Rosaline, Romeo still
You were alive, though mirrored, shadowed so
And when your coarse voice had sung, it was me
My applause you heard, shuffled feet ignored.

Juliet rescued me, my Rosaline
Dressed in home-blue, perfumed in cigarette
Her gravelled voice rang loudly as we danced
Shuffling side to side, almost turned about

And when her pilgrim's touch did pass along
Kettles of sweet, milk tea, champagne tonight
It was soft words, forgotten Rosaline
That lifted my feet, found my sullied seat.

There, Rosaline, Romeo still, I sat
Staring long silence, as gentlemen must
Our brief romance was a forgotten, gone
Some pains of love, love-deeds passed to past thought