Fate or Daylight Savings:

He led a simple life

Farm boy with an ancient family line

Worth his weight in gold

She wanted everything she never had

Her father’s most precious child

Coal miners daughter born before ruble

They met on a sunny evening

Daylight savings just begun

More hours to work, harder boy, steady now

Produce more fruit

Provide for this family

Said the father to his son.

He had three weeks left

Until his shipping papers showed up

Never till now had he rethought signing his soul

She was walking home from church

Never bothered to learn the roads

Got lost, and here she ended up

Lutheran girls marry off first

A strong man darling, this one is no good

Said the father to his daughter.

Dismissive as a goat, She use to think

If he knew what was best

Why didn’t he pick one out for me?

She stopped to take off her sweater

Father wouldn’t approve

Their fight left her uncaring–momentarily–

He saw her first upon his stone stoop

Bare shoulder blades white as snow

Strong stride, like an ox he thought

Don’t engage, keep to your chores

Keep your head down till she’s gone

Thought the man to his desires.

She kicked a rock up with her foot

Caught it with her hand

Hoping to catch his fancy

Sly glace over in his direction

He was no longer looking

She had to change that

Tossing the rock a few times

She was drawing closer to him

Kept her eyes steady with his,

She approached fate

‘Hey’ She said, still tossing her rock

She smiled as he looked up

He smiled back, courageously said ‘Ma’am’

With a tilt of his head

She was hooked

The wedding was set for May

When he would be home on leave

Her father was not pleased

He promised her the world

Travels galore

She didn’t need to hear more

The way he looked at her

Made her stomach jump

Palms grow wet, and heart race

She never wanted anything more

She would settle down

Strong and slow

Raise a family

Start a life

As an Engineers Wife

His kisses were enough, made her legs go weak

She didn’t need the world; no longer saw the point

Just his hand on hers until she was eighty-three

Her father didn’t approve

It made it all the more exciting

He shipped off as a Marine,

And she proud as can be

Landed on Peleliu, bloodiest war he’d ever seen

But one thing he knew

She’d be waiting when he got home

Bare white shoulder blades sitting on his stoop

Daisies molded into her hair, a smile and that band around her finger

The very imagination was worth its weight in gold.