(A villanelle)

They all looked perfect at first sight.
Jacob, David, Thomas, Richard, Martin, Pete…
One of them, surely, should have been alright.

A banker with a Jag, a lawyer wigged in white,
An actor, and a hippy who refused to eat meat
They all looked perfect at first sight.

The lawyer liked a drink, the hippy liked a fight,
the banker had a wife and the actor was effete.
One of them, surely, should have been alright.

Then there was an artist, articulate and bright
a diffident vicar and a tourist guide from Crete -
They all looked perfect at first sight.

But the Greek's avid kisses didn't set my soul alight,
the cleric was all shop-talk, and the painter all conceit
One of them, surely, should have been alright.

There was an athlete at the gym, his body toned and tight,
a man with eyes like opals, and a boy with hair like wheat
They all looked perfect at first sight.

But the first one was a moron, and the second was a blight
and the boy, though very beautiful, a liar and a cheat
One of them, surely, should have been alright.

I have to doubt my judgment after all those hopeful nights,
so many lovely evenings turned to custard on the sheets
But they all looked perfect at first sight.
One of them, surely, one of them, should have been alright?

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.