To My Sisters of a Certain Age

[indar]

We believed the silver-screen lies
that could get you killed.
Believed mature sophistication
involved a feather boa, silky dress, opera gloves,
a casual lean against the highly polished
mahogany bar in some sultry far off.

The stranger offers a drink, no more said,
enough the exchange of meaningful glances
to begin the romance Grace Kelly style.
High drama aboard the ship, the long build up
to that first kiss. And then what? We are never told.

I watch those crime shows on TV: You know:
like Dateline, where a slick-talking fellow
promises romance, has his way with you,
drags your body into a dark woods, leaves your car
in some distant parking lot to be discovered
months later by incompetent cops.
That's the truth.

[Gyppo]

I like this, even if it does paint a dark and unduly cynical picture.  Very nicely put together and with a neat mood switch.

I'm sure that statistically the dark ending is about as rare as the perfect happy ever version, although it did work out right for Grace Kelly.

Although I did, many years ago, write about a perfectly groomed blue-eyed blonde fellow on his way into town on a Saturday night.  Everything about that man screamed predator to me.  I remember thinking, quite instinctively, that he ever approached either of my daughters I'd pre-emptively cut his throat.

He was probably just following all the guidelines  and folk wisdom about how to be irresistible to women.  But...

Gyppo

[indar]

Thanks Gyppo. I posted this one on "Poetry Circle" as well and find that I must find a way to be more clear about my intention. My point is that we are fed images over and over until we think they are true (the same can be said of conspiracy theories repeated over and over on certain outlets and online) There were no happily ever afters-and no woman should fear to venture out because a predator lurks around every corner. But so much of TV entertainment is "true crime" stuff and news media reports the worst of the worst one could start to believe one should collect arms and hole up inside a house fitted out as a fortress.