EITHER OR.

[dadio]

Sutcliffe said he would bring her flowers,
O’Brien said he’d bring himself if she
Was lucky, Sonia doesn’t know whom

To trust, whom to pick. O’Brien will strut
His stuff, play the fool, act the goat, be
On at rivals, be at their throats. Sutcliffe

Doesn’t stand a chance, can’t recite
Shakespeare, can’t speak without stutter,
Can’t dance, so O’Brien reckons, thinking

Of Sonia with a mixture of love and lust,
Taking in her features from head to toes,
Thinking how best to get her to bed and

Well laid, as the saying goes. Sutcliffe will
Bring her flowers and a box of chocs and
A scribbled down poem from a poetry book

His sister lent, will get tongue-tied, stutter,
Push his nervous fingers through his blonde
Hair, blink his blue eyes. Sonia doesn’t know

Whom you meet and whom to leave outside
In the cold: Sutcliffe, who seems quite nice,
But a bit weak or O’Brien too brassy and bold.

She pulls petals off the rose that Sutcliffe
Brought last time, each petal a yes or no
And with whom to go. The last petal held

Between finger and thumb selects Sutcliffe
For her date with his flowers and box of chocs
And not O’Brien too brassy and bold; he must

Find some other girl to lust or love the whole
Night through or wait outside in the cold.

[snowman]

like the choice by petal method
enjoyed reading thanks
always
snowman

[happytrails]

I have no idea what her problem was. To me the choice was easy. But then, I've always been a sucker for the shy guys and, of course chocolates.

[dadio]

Thank you, snowman & happytrails.