Wendy Cope Poems

I took her for my kind of person
And it was something of a shock
When my new friend revealed
...

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.
...

My heart has made its mind up
And I'm afraid it's you.
Whatever you've got lined up,
My heart has made its mind up
...

There's not a Shakespeare sonnet
Or a Beethoven quartet
That's easier to like than you
Or harder to forget.
...

On the flyleaf
of my confirmation present:
'To Wendy with love
from Nanna. Psalm 98.'
...

Today we are obliged to be romantic
And think of yet another valentine.
We know the rules and we are both pedantic:
...

You have to try. You see the shrink.
You learn a lot. You read. You think.
You struggle to improve your looks.
...

Yes, I agree. We'll pull ourselves together.
We eat too much. We're always getting pissed.
It's not a bad idea to find out whether
We like each other sober. Let's resist.
...

On Waterloo Bridge, where we said our goodbyes,
The weather conditions bring tears to my eyes.
I wipe them away with a black woolly glove
And try not to notice I've fallen in love.
...