The office party
Was in full swing
From a Radio
Music played
Too loud for my taste
And overly jolly
For my mood.
Wine was consumed
In copious quantities
As eagerly
As the temps
Who imbibed it
And the more it flowed
The more inappropriate
The behaviour became
It was noisy
Raucous and unseemly
And I had seen enough
So I drained my glass
And prepared to leave
Which was when I saw
her
Standing alone
In a quiet corner
Gazing into space
An untouched drink
In her hand
And sadness in her
eyes.
She seemed oblivious
To events unfolding
In the office, It was
like
She was elsewhere
I hoped wherever it
was
Was a happier place
She looked so sad.
I was drawn to her
Though not out of
sympathy
It was in equal
measure
Recognition of a
kindred spirit
And a kind of
curiosity
To determine the
reason
For such great sadness
Amidst the jollity
Of another Christmas
Had she too lost
The object of her
affections?
“Hello” I said
“Not enjoying it?”
She shook her head
“Let’s leave then”
I suggested
She smiled weakly
And nodded her accent
And we slipped away
When she smiled
She was much prettier
From that moment
I took it upon myself
To ensure she would
Never be sad again
That was forty years
ago
And we’re still happy
