She lied

BY LOUJAYA TONI

1

After several years of marriage
She could tell
When the body came home sometimes
The mind chose to dwell where the body had been;

That’s when the motions were
Mechanical
The spirit was not in it
She knew
And
He knew
But
They faked it
No one spake it
Not until …

11

She lied
She laced her lies
It was convenient for her to do so
It was easy
He believed her
That
Was good enough for now
If he asked her tomorrow
She was forced
To remember what she had said today
So her story could stick
She was quick about her business
There were no attachments
No love lost
Just a cash in enterprise
Then
The bread began to rise
Forcing its presence thru the under-clothes
Layer of lying layer couldn’t hide the protrusion
The confusion
The result of fusion
She lied down
Covered in lace
It was convenient for her to do so
It came easy
She died so her story could stick;

111

She was the conscience that troubled his guilt
She rocked his boat
She wouldn’t let sleeping dogs lie
She got under his skin
His patience wore thin
He discarded it
Left it hanging at half mast
After a few drinks
He was having a blast
Now that he got his thoughts together
He was ready to tell her
The sooner the better;

A grand entry with a boot thru the door
And a fist to the jaw
She had long been dead
Only now it looked as if he killed her
She lied
Even in death
Only now he got what he deserved.

Comments

[Ed Brumby]

I admire and am intrigued by the artful bedrock of ambiguity in the use of 'lie' in its various forms, the visual cum cinematic quality, the questions it raises - not least of which: who of us is also living the lie?

Ms Toni is a poet's poet .... and thank goodness for the Crocodile Prize which enables such talent to be promulgated.

[Icarus]

I'm not sure if the lady in the poem is dead, not physically anyway.

[Phil Fitzpatrick]

Loujaya sent her collection of poetry for the Crocodile Competition as a hard copy so I'm not sure whether she knows that they have been appearing on PNG Attitude.

If anyone in Lae knows her perhaps they can let her know.

[Mary Koisen]

Sounds suicidal. I'm also curious.

[Mrs Barbara Short]

I'm interested in this sad story, Loujaya. Sorry, if I sound morbid, but I have my reasons.

How did she die?

Surely doctors would be able to tell that she had died before he hit her. Then he would not be found guilty of killing her and not have to spend time in prison.