The Guilt Trip

The storm outside was abating, or

He thought that it was, at first,

He’d only gone to the pub with Joe

To slake a raging thirst.

They’d both been out on the landfill

And it was humid through the day,

So Joe said, ‘Bet I can race you there

And put two pints away!’

 

But the storm had built as they drank in there

And the rain came down in sheets,

Then hailstones peppered the windows and

Joe said, ‘It’s turned to sleet!

I think we’re not going anywhere

‘Til the storm has passed and gone,

We might as well have another..

And it’s your shout,’ he said to John.

 

They’d known each other forever, and

Had married two sisters, late,

They’d both been into their thirties,

Sister Jean and sister Kate.

While one of them was a loving match,

The other one was mean,

And Joe said, ‘would you consider a swap,

My Kate for her sister, Jean?’

 

So John had laughed, but he looked away

For he knew that Joe was sore,

For Kate was never the bargain that

His mate was looking for.

Her tongue was sharp, though he knew her bark

Was worse that her fabled bite,

For John was meeting Kate in the dark

When they both were alone at night.

 

He’d kick himself, for he knew that Jean

Was the love match of the pair,

But she tended to work at night so much

That she often wasn’t there,

And Joe would stay at the pub so late

That they had to throw him out,

He didn’t have cause to go back home

So he stayed until last shout.

 

The storm continued to rage outside

So they both got worse for drink,

And the talk died down as they sat and frowned,

They both had time to think.

‘We’re always going to be mates,’ said John,

‘I hope that you think so too.’

‘We’re side by side where we both belong

No matter what we might do.’

 

But the booze brought on a maudlin state

And it seemed to get to John,

‘It may be time to confess,’ he thought,

‘This deception can’t go on.’

‘I’ve something I have to tell you, Joe,

It’s time I was coming clean.’

But Joe stayed him, and he said, ‘Me first!

Old mate, I’ve been seeing Jean!’

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[ANTO]

"To slake a raging thirst." - WOW - what words man!
I'd have said "mary-jane and sister Kate" Dewi - it sounded like two nuns on the first read - thats probably my Catholic background being brought to bear though

LOL - the ending was classic D L P - brilliant !!

[MomzillaNC]

Moral turpitude by all around… I wouldn't want any one of the four of them for friends! Another very humorous tale of relationship foibles.

[Sindu]

Hahh!! They just had it all wrong with the pairing process. Both are doing the right thing in a wrong way ;)
Nice one here! Love how you draw a picture and your vocabulary.