Her name meant life

Her name meant life
and she lived on the outskirts
of a dismal little town
with a view of the dark river.
She wore dresses
and white socks, and shoes with worn soles
and took the dusty roads
leading into town.

The men she knew
were secondhand to those few
she dreamed of in the dark movie house.
They wanted to pin a blue ribbon on her
and take
her home as a prize
but the promises
were nothing more than courting lies.

There she lived, knowing she'd die
and after a life of sighs
she took it in stride:
what's a dream worth in trade?
Tomorrow can't buy a pound of coffee, anyway.
She took it well,
denied the pain
and pretended that life
was only a set of closing credits
and nothing more.

^

Biography

D.L. Shiloh attended the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference at Middlebury College and has worked as a newspaperman and proofreader. He lives near Chicago, Illinois (USA) with his wife and two sons.