“I saw the lovely smile on your face
A memory I always embrace
Silently through the bars of that door
I would watch you all so more
Dreaming to be a part of your life
Propose with a rose, make you my wife
And I think how I would?
Though not on the knee, on a wheelchair I could.
I can love you more than anybody
If at all you can see
Beyond my physical inefficiency
If my soul you fancy
Instead of my broken vessel
I will win over all hassle
Only for your love my love
Only if you are with me my dove
How do I tell the fears my flaws bring?
My inabilities from summer to spring
But not a burden on your being
I will love you as my queen
For once come fall in love with my soul”
She heard what he uttered as a whole
Kissed him on his lips
“I love you no matter the broken ship”
Smiled and later married the two
Love stories are many, rare a few.  
                                       © Dr. Prerna Singla, 27 MAY, 2015

I feel like song lyrics could write our story;
Three words forming the world’s shortest synopsis-

*You should’ve stayed.

First it was the walk,
the way you came strolling into my life,
like it was casual,
the part of your story mentioned but not really needed.

Then it was the talk,
the things you said were so honest,
like you wanted to understand me,
the way you showed interest started plucking at my heart.

Now it is the actions
the use of your hands to show me you care
because words are no longer enough,
the time before now; a beautiful accident in the making...

(The captain of the pirates and one of them were in the cabin of that stranger having dogs while talking about him.)



''In Athens, he hired us to help him take the gold, '' said the captain.
''How could he take it as long as the messenger was alive? ''
The captain laughed, '' Maybe he has waited an accident to happen.
He caught the ship; before the sunset, wanted there to arrive.''




''He had nice dogs! '' '' Yes, the dogs would help him find the messenger
To **** him and to take the documents; he understood this
While he was hiding to hear those men talking, '' ''He was an avenger.''
''He didn't know the messenger, but he knew the gold's bliss.''




''He heard that a ship carrying five hundred and twenty bars
Having one kilo of gold each one would have to anchor
Near the Prinylas' shore, '' said the captain while lightning two cigars.
The other one started to smoke, '' I've satisfied my hanker.''



''The messenger should wait that ship to take the gold after
Presenting the documents; then, he should go to help a nun.''
''Those men should meet again to make arrangements thereafter.
One of them is on this ship; he goes silent until all is done.''




The stranger heard only a part of the dialog between
Ivan and the messenger's servant, who had been sent to Athens
To meet him; then, this stranger hired the pirates- around sixteen.
'' Follow me; I must embark on that ship to watch what happens, ''



(...He had told the pirates after killing the servant of the messenger; then, he intended to **** Ivan.)



He didn't know that Ivan should give the map to the messenger
To see the description of the road to the monastery,
The sketch and some details; Ivan didn't sense the danger.
The servant had to go to meet someone else; ''Let's be merry, ''



(...Said Ivan. They should meet again after three hours to go together to the messenger. The stranger did not know this secret.)



The meeting never took place 'cause the connection man had been killed.
Fortunately, he had told Ivan where this village was placed.
Ivan had caused that square sail's damage, but his heart hadn't been stilled.
Freddy needed time in Athens, when with this problem he was faced.




This way, Ivan forced Freddy to stay longer than he intended
To be in Athens; Ivan needed time to bring the map
To the destination; because the servant's life had ended
And the repair had been made quickly, Ivan fell into the trap.



(Ivan didn't have time to understand why the servant had died. He was prompted to divert the ship to the known place of Corfu, in order to land ashore. Then, Ivan would search for the messenger.)




The stranger was the one who paid attention to all those
Movements on that ship in order to grab the gold while thinking
That the pirate ship was behind him; he couldn't suppose
That the pirates had run ashore while using fast horses settling




In Prinylas before the Frederick's arrival; they
Killed the messenger and captured the vessel containing
The gold bars; they also killed all those sailors; on that day,
They attacked the carrack to find out who had lost that meeting.



The pirates wanted to **** that man, whereof the stranger
Had told them, and to remove the traces leading to the gold.
For this reason, they were willing to put them all in danger,
But the fire caused by Ivan their eyes started to behold.



(Ivan wanted to give Erica a chance to take the map and go ashore to search the messenger. The captain of the pirates took all the documents, the treasure and the seal belonging to the stranger and jumped overboard into a boat, apparently and inexplicably abandoning his companions. After an hour, the army began to fight with the pirates' crew.)


(..To be continued.)

Poem by Marieta Maglas

Every night was tortellini
when were roommates.

I complained about my chapped feet;
you bought me the wrong socks.
Black, mens, I clarified,
but you kept buying the women's.
Then one day you got it right,
only they were for you
because black is a warmer color than white,
and the socks of a man felt like cherubs.

I complained about my chapped feet,
you the heart of the world,
its cold silence.
But we remained "alright".
You bought new pajamas every night
and painted a beauty mark on your face
to match.

Years of x-marked places on our bodies
which no one saw because
we were cynics,
I the most.
No roses at our mat--we grew our own bushes,
ordered the ones with the extra thorns.
I charmed that snake,
you bit me on its behalf.
That I'd do such a thing
was shameful.

We were girlfriends in a can of salt,
tears in our eyes, mouths and ears.
We drank wine in bubble baths in our clothes
for three days straight,
or even four,
after that guy dumped you.

From then on
every night was tortellini,
La Dolce Vita, and--

and the freckle below your ear,
the horns growing from my forehead,
the way your falsies touched your cheeks,
late nights looking brighter
than they should,
than they normally would.
Pretending to be goddesses awaiting their gods--

while I awaited you.

Then you felt them too,
touched my head as though it were a fever.
I always knew you hated the suburbs,
and I did listen
when you complained about the gray rooftops
and the saturated green lawns--
"Give them a chance, please.
Then we'll get away--"
I begged, I relented--

The wine, finally, fermented.
You remember what I said next,
because after that you broke my heart.
I never doubted it was a bad idea
to say it



but I said it
and you left.