A Never-Ending Tease Poem by Herbert Nehrlich

Well, there was nothing else to do,
homework had been assigned
to late tomorrow, after lunch,
and this was just a day, too good
to stay inside and let the world go by.

I walked, which I would never do
without a cause, toward the edge
of our small town, where students
of the arts and sciences co-habited.

There was a pub, about two miles away,
it was the logic of the destination
which attracted me, a sunny day it was.
A rhythmic sound disturbed my mind,
it was created by a hoe between the stalks
of golden corn in a small garden by the road,
and God had seen to it, a maiden with red hair
had been commanded to be waiting just for me.

I struck, not being shy beyond my horniness
up a small talk which quickly led to conversation.
She had a smile that would have told the weeds
to seek their pleasures in the field, somewhere.
Strangely enough I never offered her my services,
but there was talk all afternoon until the night.

Turned out her dad had been the mayor of the town
for twenty years and he was tough with his two girls,
he was a gentleman and had a heart of gold,
but there were canons standing by at City Hall.

We were just children of a time that you will miss,
there was a sweetness to humanity to please
our expectations of a world that saw a kiss
as celebration of the never-ending tease.