think it o-o-over

 

.
.

she has a song in her head
it’s been going round
and round all day
she woke with it
and can’t shake it off
at first she just la-la-la’d
to the tune
not thinking about
who sang it
or what the words meant
it was the tune
and its rhythm which
capitavated her as ever
she remembered
first hearing it
at a suburban lido
with a boy nearby
and a tranny close
to his shaking head
oh this is good so good
and girls singing
that’s even better
she thought
a line cut through
the splash and shreiks
surrounding her
as the boy dove in
without warning
forgetting he was wearing
his modish shades
Stop! in the name of love
rang out as he entered
she was so moved
she couldn’t resist
how silly
she thought
it’s only radio music –
anyway who are these girls?
and vainly tried to deny
what she felt
and hoped the deejay would say
their name again
at the record’s end
he did and gushed inanely
about The Supremes
oh but they are they are
she gushed sincerely
to herself
and it began that afternoon
her realisation that
there was nothing wrong
with being fixated this way
there’s no denying real feeling
and she knew right away
The Supremes were better
than Maria Callas
later in life she’d shouted
stop! in the name of love
before you break my heart….
at a man
who was doing her down
it was a feeble cry
she knew as she uttered
her words lacked the passion
of the song
no majesty only artifice
she rued and felt ashamed:
I’ve let those girls down
nothing supreme about him
but I realised as I said it
this should have been
a demand on my part
while their song was a plea
I know better now
than the supreme Supremes
‘think it o-o-ver’
their song said
and I did
and I do
and I will
forever

.
.
Jeff Cloves
Illustration: Claire Palmer