4OE

Jessie was the girl who’d always known

that her knight would one day place her on her throne.

An intellect and beauty, admired by all,

yet envied by those who in themselves felt small.

Her laugh was so light it could brighten dark islands.

And her smile so sharp that it could slice diamonds.

She lived her life, confident she could

attract her knight, the man who would

complete her perfection - the lock to her key.

This is who Young Thomas proved himself to be.

Thomas grew up believing his worth

was less than the dirt that makes up this Earth.

He knew what he wanted – a beautiful bride.

But poor Tom couldn’t stop his endless torment inside.

He’d always been rich in the love of his family

and had loved them all back, just as passionately.

This love was then dwarfed on the day his path crossed

with Jessie, alone in the park, looking lost.

When he smiled at her they both felt a spark –

Like a firecracker, exploding in the dark.

The spark danced across from one to the other.

When Thomas got home he told the story to his mother.

Becoming excited, as good mothers do,

she began to imagine her boy wearing blue,

standing alongside his bride wearing white,

with both of their families radiating delight.

This vision led Tom’s mum to physically weep

as this wish for her son ran ever so deep

within her chest; her spirit; her soul.

The intuition she felt would one day take its toll.

The couple grew close and in love they soon fell.

But Jessie’s affection couldn’t cure Young Tom’s personal hell.

The black dog had gripped him by its unclenching jaw

and to Thomas it developed into his fatal flaw.

This dog latched itself to Tom’s mum’s only son,

and one day he considered placing a gun

up against his head, and pulling the trigger.

If it only wasn’t for this heavenly figure

who smiled at him and gave him her time,

which allowed Young Thomas to reconsider this crime

he prepared to commit, but didn’t want to.

Not until he and Jessie had said: “I love you”.

Tom now felt the blessing of love,

so then he knelt down and asked his God above,

how had he deserved such an innocent girl?

And God said, “Thomas, this is your world.

What you make of it is up to you.

But you cannot forget your internal coup.

If you allow yourself to embrace pain and sorrow

that black dog will take hold and never let go.

Live this life without regret

or your everlasting dreams you will forget.”

Tom heard the words and it scared him still.

He knew that within him that dog was strong willed,

Clawing its way up into his mind,

Leaving all loving thoughts of his Jessie behind.

Not wanting to believe, and struggling to accept

This entirely cold and hostile concept.

His future with Jessie gave Tom so much hope,

but to cope with the stress Young Tom turned to dope.

He wanted, forever, to give her his world -

saddling the wind like a sail unfurled.

Imagining them together ‘til death,

the thought of this took Young Thomas’s breath.

To be Jessie’s knight he’d have to do something,

but he didn’t know how he could end his own suffering

without ending his life, although it sounds grim,

but he honestly thought she’d be better without him.

He never told Jessie of his demons within

yet she always had felt he’d been holding back sin.

Keeping her strong through this time was belief

that everlasting love would give Tom some relief

from the anguish inside Tom’s body and his heart,

that he had endured right from the very start.

A tortured soul. A tortured life.

This angel chose to be Tom’s wife.

She wanted to grow old together.

But one day, at home, in stormy weather,

she found him outside, alone in his chair -

a gentle breeze caressed his hair.

The feeling at first left her confused

but became a sadness that could never be soothed.

A vast hole in Jessie formed that day.

When Thomas relinquished to his dismay.

She pleaded to be taken too,

but God answered her, “Now, listen you!

You loved this man, as I have done.

Consider yourself fortunate for finding someone

who loved you too. You know he did,

and although his actions I forbid,

that bloody black dog has unyielding grasp

on those who forever remain in our past.

You must move on, my girl, or else,

that damned black dog will follow yourself.

You owe it to Tom, and so many more

to never, ever open that dark door.”

Jessie felt broken but she could be fixed

because she never accepted that black dog’s licks

upon her hand, as it dwelled in the dark

for she never forgot that lifechanging spark

between her and her lover, her soulmate Tom.

Now, in Jessie Tom lives, forever long.