Rogue Gallery

Fay stared at the woman in the high wig and the gown,

The ladies’ shawl an odd colour, a sludgy blue-ish brown,

The silky gown was ankle length, a yellow, green-ish grey,

A frown upon her stalwart face, the scene a stormy day.

*

‘What do you see?’ a man asked, who was standing rather near,

Some loose hairs wafted by his breath went tickling at her ear,

Her thoughts about the painting tumbled down inside her head,

And as she turned to give reply, she felt her cheeks go red.

*

Before she spoke a woman’s voice said ‘I don’t know! I’m bored’,

Fay glanced around and saw the man looked really rather floored.

The woman hitched her handbag up and glanced down at her phone,

‘This isn’t working out’ she said and left the man alone.

*

The man breathed out with effort, ran his fingers through his hair,

‘The colours fascinate me!’ Fay then blurted out with dare.

She stared back at the painting, waiting for some time to pass.

The man stayed put, said ‘I see what you mean’ his reflection in the glass.

*

Fay turned away, said ‘See you’, crossed the gallery and left,

Whilst the man stared at the painting, rubbed his thumb down the cleft,

Of his chin whilst Fay glided down the broad spiral stairs,

Leaving gallery nine behind and the man with his cares.

*

The cafe Fay is heading for is on the Lower Ground,

A clinking, clanking noisy place right below Edinburgh’s Mound.

She buys a slice of cheesecake and a mocha, sweet and rich,

Grabs a table near the till and wishes she had gotten a sandwich.

*

The man appears some minutes later holding his tray, looking tense,

‘Mind if I join you?’ he asks and politely waits whilst Fay sits on the fence,

‘Sure’ she says and plays it cool, while toying with her spoon.

The light outside is fading fast, this Winter afternoon.

*

‘I wish I’d got the cheesecake’ says the man. ‘I’m Greg’ he grins,

‘I wish I’d got the soup’ Fay says. ‘I’m Fay’ and she too grins,

They swap trays around the table, then sit and eat and drink in peace,

A group of tourists wander in, the noise starts to increase.

*

‘I need the loo, please watch my stuff?’ Fay asks, Greg nods, she goes,

She winds round people, chairs and buggies lightly on her toes,

On her return, Greg’s completely gone, as has her coat and tote bag,

New people sit where they were sat - Fay thinks that she’s been had!

*

She sighs and climbs the stairs once more, returning to gallery nine,

‘What a day’ she thinks and texts Kelly, her pal and partner in crime.

Fay turns the last corner, the painting in sight, there’s Greg with all her things,

She snorts quietly with laughter, crosses over to him, the closing bell gently rings.

*

‘Thank you’ she says, taking back her possessions and slinging her coat on,

‘Have a nice night’ she adds and hurries away - before any more works are spoken.

Cold air slaps her face as she reaches for her purse. It’s not there! Oh, no! Oh, noes!

Wait - it’s in the left pocket, how strange, there’s the bus, quick run before the bus goes.

*

Her phone pings once, then once again as she fishes out her buspass and boards.

Puts her earplugs in, clicks play on her phone and vibes with the rhythms and chords.

She sits down at the back and thinks about Greg, smiles a slow, sad, watery smile,

The cityscape bright with indigo sky gliding by her face mile by mile.

*

‘Did you get his number?’ the first text asks, predictably enough for Kelly.

True to form in her second text she rambles about nonsense like what’s on the tele.

‘Yeah’ Fay replies and considers the moment she timed as well as she could,

Reaching the cafe counter just as Greg was half turned, paying for his food.

*

The down-turned spoon she left earlier on at the card reader was just a dupe,

Gave an excuse to return for a spoon, spy his pin whilst coveting his soup.

But she couldn’t do it, her conscience intervened and she retreated back to her table,

What Kelly could do was outrageous really, but clearly Fay wasn’t able.

*

‘Be back soon’ she lies, texting Kelly, as the bus turns West before North and Dundee,

‘Less than two hours and I’ll be starting new’ Fay thinks and relaxes to be near free,

Kelly snapped the front of Greg’s card on the earlier part of their date,

Silly cow had sent Fay them with a ‘Ha!’ underneath, so excited she just couldn’t wait.

*

Fay looks for a tissue in her pocket and finds an odd card jammed under her purse,

It’s Greg’s business card, there’s a handwritten note ‘Maybe the lady is under a curse!’

She bursts out laughing, rings the bell for next stop, gets off at the edge of the city,

Hustles across the road and swings the first bus back because this area isn’t pretty.

*

Texts ‘Next Friday at 3pm, same place?’ to Greg who seems funny and just a nice person,

Deletes the photos from Kelly, heads to her Mum’s and restores her life to a previous version.

Greg gets her text as he types his report on his laptop and smiles with a groan,

‘One transaction and you’re nicked, Fay’ he thinks to himself, and draws out his phone.

*

‘Only if you order the cheesecake again’ Greg replies, then opens his draft,

Of the resignation email typed earlier, hastily, a difficult thing to craft.

Four long years undercover in such a small city - he’d never go back on the beat,

Loved his fellow Officers dearly but had different plans for his life, his heart, his feet.

*

Only time will tell if Fay meets Greg again, if they ever meet up for a drink,

But Kelly for sure with her wayward ways will no doubt end up in the clink.

And the judging frown of the painted lady stares on at another generation of folks,

Unaware that her beauty lives on and on and the power that her image evokes.