Why have cotton when you can have silk?

Silk

My gown was rich and smooth
Like cappucino he said
Edged with chantilly lace
On which he laid his head
The slender straps he traced
With tender fingertip
As gently off my shoulders
They began to slip
His strong firm hands
Caressed my neck once more
My silken gown fell
Crumpled on the floor
And as we slipped
Into that waiting bed
My body was soft and smooth
Like silk he said

©Marian Barker

A Table for One

Dining Alone

A table for one please waiter
For I'm here on my own
If I'd known he wasn't coming
I would have stayed at home

A table by the window
Yes that would be just fine
One knife, one fork, one spoon
And just one glass of wine

A table in the corner
Would be a better place
Then nobody would notice
Tears rolling down my face
©Marian Barker

Love Tokens

Love Tokens

Some things in life are precious
And you simply cannot buy
A word, a deed, a feeling
A glance from a lover’s eye

Some words cannot be spoken
Some words cannot be said
They simply stay forever
Locked deep inside your head

My love gave me a token
It didn’t need a speech
In my hand he placed a treasure
A pebble from the beach

That simple gift said volumes
Though not a word was spoken
You see that little pebble
It was a true love token

©Marian Barker

Never judge a book by its cover

Left on the Shelf

He went into the bookshop
He had just one thing on his mind
Just a very slim new volume
He knew it was just his kind
He flicked through the fine pages
Devoured each little word
But nothing really grabbed him
He thought it quite absurd

Perhaps something a bit more rounded
And covered with pretty flowers
He could gaze at every morning
And wile away the hours
He looked at several copies
But found them much the same
Perhaps an illustrated version
Wasn’t really why he came

And then as he was leaving
He spied behind the door
A shelf of second hand reading
He’d never seen before
So as the day was rainy
He didn’t walk straight by
But took his time to linger
Well it was really worth a try

He found a chunky volume
Beneath a layer of dust
And gently brushed the cobwebs
He felt as though he must
He turned the fragile pages
That had seen some better days
And very soon he realised
The error of his ways

He was delighted with the contents
Thought they were so divine
He’d found himself a treasure
And said “this one is mine”
The moral’s very simple
When you’re searching for a lover
Just like looking for a good book
Never judge one by its cover

©Marian Barker

Stairway to Heaven

My Stairway to Heaven

He took my hand and I was led
Up sun-bleached steps with flowers red
As perfume freely filled the air
From blossoms tumbling on each stair
A wooden door swung open wide
He glanced at me, we stepped inside
To candlelight which warmed the room
To music soft and more perfume
He gently stroked my hair and face
And held me in his strong embrace
He took my hand and I was lead
Across the room to a feather bed
What followed next was pure delight
Our passions reigned throughout the night
Emotions spent we slept as one
When I awoke my love had gone
And I was there alone in bed
A dream perhaps inside my head
But something strange and yet profound
Those deep red petals on the ground
Their perfume heavy on the air
I wonder was he really there?

©Marian Barker

Something to Think About

Think About It

How would you feel?
Imagining
Someone sharing time with me
How would you feel?
Imagining
The two of us taking tea
That we’d be sitting here
So warm and cosily
How would you feel?

How would you feel?
Waiting
For the phone to ring
How would you feel?
Waiting
And silently wondering
What would the future bring?
Not knowing anything
How would you feel?

How would you feel?
Knowing
Someone else was sleeping next to me
How would you feel?
Knowing
Another’s face would be the first I’d see
That I’d awake with someone
Lying next to me
How would you feel?

©Marian Barker

The End of The Road

Terminus

We had an adventure that’s all
We shared a secret or two
We knew it would come to an end
That the dream would never come true

We laughed at the wind and the rain
We basked in the warmth of the sun
We talked to the end of the day
But we knew it was nothing but fun

We hugged as we said our goodbyes
We both knew we were more than a friend
We wanted the moments to last
We cried when we knew it must end

We’ve come to the end of the road
We know we must go our own way
But each will keep memories dear
In our mind till the end of our day

©Marian Barker

Caress

Caress

I shiver as a warm gentle breeze
Softly runs through my hair
I sigh as it touches my neck
And I feel you are there
Yes I’m here all alone
But this moment I know
That you’re thinking of me
That caress tells me so

©Marian Barker

Unspoken Thoughts

Unspoken Thoughts

I never told you that I loved you
The moment never seemed quite right
I never said how much I needed you
To hold me close and tight
I never told you that my heart leaps
Whenever I hear your voice
I know I should have said these things
I know I had the choice

I should have told you that I loved you
I should have “seized the day”
I should have said how much I needed you
To hold me tight that way
I should have said how much heart leapt
Each time you spoke my name
But I thought that once these words were spoken
Things would have never been quite the same

Our lives were very busy, so many things left unsaid
Those things I never told you, she told you them instead

©Marian Barker

Out of Bounds

Out of Bounds

Don’t even go there
I heard myself cry
It’s really not worth it
Let sleeping dogs lie

I ignored all the warnings
I knew I was a fool
To enter the minefield
I broke my own rule

I courted with danger
Got burned by the flame
I learnt a hard lesson
I accepted the blame

It’s all crystal clear
In the cold light of day
That someone would get hurt
That’s the price we must pay

I was fooling myself
That all would be well
In my own bit of heaven
That turned into hell

I should have resisted
Right from the start
Taken heed of my head
Instead of my heart

©Marian Barker

No Turning Back

No Turning Back

I turned and walked away
I couldn’t tell you why
I knew I had to leave
I knew that I would cry

I turned and walked away
You had to let me go
I knew that it would pain
Because you loved me so

I turned and walked away
I knew that you’d be sad
I knew that you’d be hurt
I knew that I’d feel bad

I turned and walked away
I knew that it was right
Knowing if I faltered
You’d be there to hold me tight

I turned and walked away
Without a backwards glance
Too scared because I knew
You’d want a second chance

I turned and walked away
I heard you call my name
There wasn’t any anger
There wasn’t any blame

I turned and walked away
I cried a little cry
And as I wiped the tears
I said a soft "goodbye"

©Marian Barker