I Chose The Wrong Eye

I chose the wrong eye
When I looked in the face
Of my one true love
Dressed up in black lace

We were mourning the loss
Of her husband, my friend
The man I betrayed
For my own selfish end

We stood there solemn
At the cemetery gates
Contemplating our deeds
Deciding our fates

Her husband had died
In a monstrous crash
A speed boat, some rocks,
And a fiery flash

It put paid to a career
That paid very well
For high-finance skills
And ability to sell

And it ended a life
For so many so dear
Which brightened their lives
With good deeds and good cheer

The first time I met him
Just two years ago
Was a point in my life
You could say was low

He gave me a job
At a time of great need
Gave me hope for the future
And the will to succeed

He was like that, you see
Generous and fair
Which just makes what happened
Even harder to bear

We became great friends
The best in my life
But that was until
I met his wife

The first time I saw her
Well, I wanted from the start
For our two souls
To never be apart

And the better I knew her
The better did I know
That my love for her
Would grow and grow

But I suppressed those feelings
And did not tell
For the sake of my friend
And so all was well

I was sure she knew
What was in my head
What was in my heart
But couldn’t be said

Her eyes said “To tell
Would be so unkind”
Her sorrowful smile
Said “Never mind”

And then they came
At first one or two
Bad thoughts of dark plots
Of grave things to do

They decided the boat crashed
Due to a steering fault
Some rod had come free
From a loosened bolt

But the boat had been serviced
The previous day
And deemed sea-worthy
And ready for play

The police, of course, asked me
Where I was the prior night
They suspected foul play
And had me in their sight

Why, I said I was home
Saw a film on TV
A story of a painter
With one eye that could see

The accident was blamed
On the mechanic who
Last serviced the boat
And there was quite a to-do

The mechanic protested
In court, under oath
That he clearly remembered
The bolt and rod both

He swore they were sound
And no-one who tried
Could prove either way
If the mechanic had lied

At the cemetery we stood
What a terrible mess
Joined in tragedy
Sorrow and distress

She mentioned the film
I had seen on that night
It was one of her favourites
Such a delight

She asked me to remind her
Which eye was it, now,
Of the painter’s was blind
She was sure I would know

I replied without pause
That the eye with no sight
The eye that was blind
Was the painter’s right

She knew at once
And stared hard and long
For right in this case
Was actually wrong

With a look on her face
Of chilling disdain
I knew I would never
See her again

As she walked away
My heart gave a cry
I had lost my true love
I chose the wrong eye

Carl G Thomas