Okay, I promised a poem for Valentine's Day, so here we go -- I wrote this one in 2001 or so, I think, though I occasionally return to it and modify it slightly. "Railroad Spike" is based, in part, on the events of a flashback in the Buffy episode "Fool for Love", which aired during the fifth season, and it takes its title from the quote of one of the persons who, upon hearing Spike's poetry (before Spike became a vampire), remarked, "I'd rather have a railroad spike through my head than listen to that awful stuff!" (After being made a vampire, we can imagine that Spike did just that, for William, as he was known in life, earned the nickname "Spike" by torturing his victims with railroad spikes.)
Much of the poem also, sadly, reflects my own experience with members of the opposite sex -- just about every crush I've had has ended like this, one way or another. Taken at face value, it's not one of my better poems, but then you should never take anything that I write "at face value", should you? 😉
Railroad Spike
"Woman, please hear me out;
do not leave, I implore you --
if I must, I will shout
about what I feel for you."Let me sing of your beauty!
I shall start with your hair."
Then she sighed and said to me,
"Please do not; stop right there."I do not wish to hear
of the love you profess;
please assault not my ear
for your words are worthless.""I'm sorry, my dear,
did I say something wrong?
For I must have, I fear,
if you'll not hear my song."I paused for a minute;
she had nothing to say.
I supposed if she'd meant it,
she'd have just walked away."Aha," I said then,
"you were making a joke!"
So again I began,
though nervously I spoke."Your beautiful hair,"
I declared as I knelt,
"is the softest -- I swear --
thing that I've ever felt.""Hold it, please! Say no more, then,
may your words be forgotten!
Your verses -- I abhor them --
your poetry's truly rotten."That she could be so mean
I had never suspected.
Such a side I'd not seen;
this was so unexpected.I cried, "My ears deceive me!
Oh what's wrong, love? Do tell."
"Damnit! Get away from me!
I hate you! Go to Hell!"At this my eyes went wide --
so painful was her curse!
My heart shattered inside;
I had never felt worse."I know not what I've done
to deserve such a fate.
Why should I be the one
whom you so deeply hate?"Do not leave my love spurned,
come to me, or I'm dead!"
Our eyes met, then she turned."You're beneath me," she said.
Thank you, thank you. Comments, criticisms, etc., are welcome -- just click my name to send me e-mail, making sure to replace "-at-" with "@". 🙂 And wish me luck on this blasted story... I'll be back with a valentine for everyone tomorrow. In the meantime, happy Friday the 13th!