Midnight On The Mansion Hill Poem by jim hogg

No rings or vows, no settling down,
Not on the cheating side of town
We took that short and winding road
Up through the trees where no-one goes

No veils or lace, no wedding cake
And no thought for the hearts we'd break
No, not until we'd had our fill
‘bout midnight on the mansion hill


No roses, cards, or kids to raise
Just forty nights and forty days
It had to end and we both knew
The very moment we broke through

No walking out, no worn out shoes
No long ascent, no coy refuse,
Just sudden crush and overspill
‘bout midnight on the mansion hill


Mid-summer long by stars or moon
By breaking dawn that broke too soon
We pushed the limits of the light
And kept the real world out of sight

‘til one night in the afterglow
The silent tears began to flow
and years of love began to chill
that midnight on the mansion hill


No sadness darling, no regret
The die was cast, the course was set
Though you were worth the two of us
The rules say one should be enough

And I'm the last one to pretend
I wouldn't do the same again
No holding back, no ritual
‘bout midnight on the mansion hill


And oh my friend I won't ask why
You rolled the dice - you can't deny -
I failed the test and all was changed
I threw away the years we'd shared

Her beauty was my sole defence
For trading in my innocence
For more than momentary thrill
‘bout midnight on the mansion hill



10 12 11