East Enders Wives

We met by chance on the row riverside
our songfire danced as our tea leaves dried
she hatched our plans in the atmospheric tide
said lets give up sacrifice next lend

so as the pull on the bagpipes played
we kept cool in the parasol shade
your thumb on my page at my tender age
east enders wives

Then hidden in the box storm blind
We grew old as the foxtail pine
sheep in the fold gilding our gold
sipping our milk and water lines

she packed our bags some arbitrary time
then waved like a flag from the white star line
unmoored unwell though I seldom elegize
weve both been untrue but im still counting on you like an invisible rosary

And as the past and our plans are undone
slowly sank like a shipwrecked sun
bridges and boats turning them both
burned up the sky

choir sang as the black birch fell
sorrow rang like the church yard bells
an ax to the trees so for the bees
all our dads died