Prelude (to Rockaby, Rockaby)

There in the shadows of the afternoon sun I stood
Waiting to catch my breath, and a bus
And you smiled from across the street
Straight on, without prelude, protocol or fuss

Twenty minutes and a coffee later
As only the very young can , we fell
Head and heels, body and soul
lacing fingers together, we said hey- what the hell?

We heard the autumn leaves crumble as we walked
We let the last rays of warmth get into our skin
and languid nights strong and sweet
were spent in what some may call sin

And then without warning or word
The days got shorter, the nights cooled
And if I hadn't known you better *
You would have probably had me fooled

But seasons change, as they must
Who can you accuse, who can you blame
We loved, you did, I was , we were
Sometimes, losing is just as much a part of the game

But like all things that ebb and flow
What goes around comes around
This may well be my winter of discontent
But what once was lost will soon be found

Abby

*
Interpretation

Somewhere within your loving look I sense,
Without the least intention to deceive,
Without suspicion, without evidence,
Somewhere within your heart the heart to leave.

Vikram Seth