It was mid-morning when I left my door
I walked down the road leading to the corner store
I was hungry, I had some money
Enough for a beer and a bit of food.
I lit a fag and crossed the road
Then I saw more than I bargained for
The cutest girl I’d ever seen
The cutest girl by far.
She was sat on a bench
With a vacant mind
I stood back, prepared my act
Prepared my million dollar line:
“Excuse me please
Have you got the time?”
“Haven’t you got any?”
“I’ve got plenty, do you want some of mine?”
She just laughed and thought I was joking
“Quarter to ten and I don’t like smoking.”
I laughed too, what could I do?
I took a drag and dropped the fag…
“Are you happy now?
Can I sit down?”
She said nothing
And looked at the ground.
So I led beneath
And looked into her eyes
And said, “Come on!
What do you wanna do?”
“What’s it to you?”
“Depends what you say.”
“I wanna sit on my own.”
“Well I’ll continue to lay
Down here on the ground
If you don’t speak I won’t make a sound
I’ll just admire the view.”
I seemed I was wasting my time
I enjoyed the sight but couldn’t make her mine
I was still hungry and wanting a beer
So I dashed to a shop that was near.
I quickly bought some food
Skipped the beer and bought some juice
When I got back the bench was bare
I couldn’t see her anywhere.
I searched all around
Every corner of the town
In a moment I’d found a treasure
Then it slipped through my hands.
The day then dragged on
Forever it seemed
I wandered back home
Lost and alone.
Now she had gone
And left just a memory
The best girl I’d ever seen
But now I could only dream….
Before I knew it
I was back on the streets
Being pushed around by people
Running in all directions.
Chaos! And mainly women
Paying no attention to me at all
As if I wasn’t even there
And seemingly trying to walk right through me
But, instead, nearly knocking me over
And then shouting abuse at me
As if it was my fault for being in their way.
To avoid the stampeding crowds
I quickly headed across the road
Where I was able to sit down on a bench
And relax, and get my mind together.
Moments after I heard a gentle voice in my ear:
“Do you have the time?”
I looked up and couldn’t believe my eyes
And ears
Was this really the same girl
Who’d given me such a hard time earlier?
Yes, it was!
And yes! She was asking me if I ‘had the time’
“Well, er, the time…? I don’t know”
“But I thought you had plenty…”
“Well, yes but…”
She was using my lines
Playing my game
So after a pause for thought
I decided to play along and said:
“Ah, yes! I have plenty – haven’t you got any?”
And she said, “Your time is my time from now on.”
The crowds seemed to disappear during our conversation
And whole environment suddenly changed
Suddenly we were dining together
A candle-lit meal in a top class hotel
I now felt at ease and in complete control.
I poured the wine and we drank continuously
And, before I knew it, we were laughing and joking
Walking down palm-treed avenues
Then swimming in the sea
Travelling down country lanes
Into wide expanses of glorious countryside
In a Rolls-Royce Cabriolet
Then together in a field, lying naked
Without a care in the world
Fulfilling my wildest dreams and desires
One after the other.
My wishes were granted – only in my dreams
With beauty in my hands – only in my dreams
My wishes were granted – only in my dreams
If only she could see me as she saw me in my dreams.
© 1993 – Colin E. Pyle