In defence of the reject

Someone has to answer
all those personals:
33Taurus, no DEPs, seeking DTE lady;
ND, NS, looking for LTR;
seeking NZ lady 4 VLTLR,
am NS, ED, GSOH, PROF -
but never find true love.
Someone has to wile away
reams of spare time
writing poetry, stories, novels
never published, never read.
Someone has to scour
car-boot sales and curio-shops
hunting down undiscovered
Goldie and Hunebelle,
only to come away
empty-handed.
Today, I awoke to another
missive from a publisher,
Not for us; antique stores
gave up copies,
forgeries and fakes;
and as darkness drew in,
I sat in a restaurant,
wearing a rose in my lapel
and reading Anne Sexton's
The Ballad of the Lonely Masturbator
till it was time to go home.
Before drifting into dreams,
I reminded myself
that I am not alone
so long as I have my work,
my hobbies, good food, fine books
and an on-going search
for my soul-mate.

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(c) Siobhan Harvey. All rights reserved.

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