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Geoffrey Winch

Wonderful That Night

As it seemed such a tiring journey, and knowing there was a fine motel ahead, I decided to stop over for the night. I made my calls and luxuriated in the bath then enjoyed a meal before retiring to the bar where two were quietly playing guitars. He, who might have been her son, gently strummed while she finger-picked melodies as if they were memories I should have known. After listening for a while I ordered drinks for them, and that’s when she noticed me.  From that moment on, she seemed unsettled and sometimes close to tears. When they stopped for a break she removed a page from her notepad and on it wrote a poem that she handed to me. Then they went outside.   

so when I asked him
did he feel alright he said
he felt slightly drunk
but so wonderful that night
was sorry he couldn’t stay

While they were away I wrote a poem on the verso which I handed back to her when they returned:  

once at a party
a beautiful lady asked
if I felt alright
wonderful I told her though
at the time I had to go

and she was wonderful that night . . .  


Author’s Note:

After A Tale Unasked: Lady Nijō (c1306)) while under the influence of Wonderful Tonight: Eric Clapton (1977).


About the Author


Geoffrey Winch, a retired highway engineer, writes free form poetry; haiku; haibun; tanka; tanka prose, and cherita. He is the author of five poetry collections and lives on the south coast of England. 

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