THE MEETING. Taken from THE JAW.

What is there to do today? Hmm not a lot'
I think to myself as I drink my coffee hot
I might as well go for a walk in the park
Sit there at noon until it turns dark
I love sitting on that wooden seat
It's my getaway, my solace, my little retreat
Lovers lying side-by-side
Kids playing back and forth on the slide
Walls covered in graffiti, expressing love and hate
The local meeting area for chavs off the Estate
All walks of life passing to and fro
It really is a diverse place to go
But first I had better tidy up this place
And then maybe at the pub I will show my face?

Showered and shaved, I'm now clean and tidy
Is it happy hour at the pub? Yep, today is Friday
I walk to the pub but nobody exciting is in
Gulp down a beer, splash it down my chin
The Landlord is ignoring me,  his head is stuck in a book
Nowt going on in here, so to the park for a look

There's a woman sitting on my bench, sitting all alone
Staring intently at her mobile phone
I start to walk away, I think I'll leave her be
But all of a sudden she looks up at me
She stares at me strangely for a little bit
Pats the bench and beckons me to sit
Not wanting to seem rude, I follow her command
I then sit beside her as it would seem impolite to stand
I turn my head towards her and say a friendly “Hi”
Her beauty swiftly catches the attention of my eye
She's stunning, beautiful, immaculate from head -to- toe
I feel a little uncomfortable...I really should go

“Hi Paul, I've been waiting ages for you
I have been sitting here since half past two"
What the fuck? Who the fuck? What is going on?
Is someone having a laugh? Pulling a fast one?
My feelings change quickly from discomfort to fear
“I'm glad you’ve come; there’s something I want you to hear”
Do I want to hear it? I think not
I'm starting to feel sweaty, sticky and hot
I put pressure on my feet, start to rise and stand
She reaches out and gently takes me by the hand
“Paul, please don't get up, listen to what I have to say
Please Paul sit back down, please don't walk away”
She shuffles a little closer, draws up nearer to me
And shock amongst horror, some tears I do see
Startled and curious I think I will stay
Yes, I think I will listen to what she has to say
She takes out a hanky and dabs it at her eyes
“What I have to say may come as a surprise”
I look all around me, where's the hidden cam?
She whispers softly “I am not the person you think I am”
Not the person I think she is? I don't even know her name
Yep there must be a hidden camera, someone is playing a game
“You're bound to have heard about me from your best mate
It was roughly ten months ago since we last did date
He always mentioned your name, always talked about you
Said you were a friend, trusted, loyal and true
Said you were indeed a truly good friend
And on your support he could depend”

Well I could almost pass out here and now
It's Betty the evil, malicious cow!
My eyes open wide, I jump abruptly to my feet
She tugs me by the arm, pulls me back onto the seat
“Flynn must have said I'm evil and nothing but a tart
But I need to tell you something right from my heart
The few months I spent with Flynn ended rather badly
Well let's just say that Flynn left quite gladly
He said he never wanted to see me again
Said that I was too self-centred and vain
Said I was controlling, manipulative too
I know he must have said these things to you”
She sighs, sniffs and blows her nose
Hangs her head, looks down at her toes
“What I will tell you goes no further right?
Don’t tell a soul, keep your lips sealed tight
I'm going to tell you something, I'm going to be blunt
I'm not who you think I am, it's all been a front
I'm like Dr Jekyll but men think I'm Hyde
I'm not mean and evil, I'm not like that inside
What you see on the exterior is just a tough defense
I've had to build up walls, topped with barbed wired fence
I have been acting like a woman scorned
As I wanted all men to be told and warned;
Warned not to get too close to me
As I didn't want them to know and see;
To see that I was incapable of loving
As all I had been used to was pushing and shoving
Used to men having their own way
Each year, each, month, each week, each day
I didn't want that, I wanted them to see
That I wasn't soft and led so easily
I wanted to play them at their own game
Didn't want them to treat me like I was pathetic and lame
I didn't want men to know I had been abused;
Thrown around,  battered and bruised
The bruises have gone but I still have the mental scars
I have been locked in a mental prison with wrought iron bars
So I masqueraded around with an imposters face
Joined that thing called the human rat race
I used my temper as a mental crutch
Men could look but never touch
I thought if I turned from the abused to the abuser
That I would win and they would be the loser

I realise now I shouldn't have acted that way
But the game was fun and easy to play
I felt as though I had the power of an Earthquake
As I could make men shiver and shake
Quiver in fear one minute then quiver with lust
It was spiteful, selfish, unfair and unjust
My false sense of power was spiraling out of control
My temper jet black, darker than coal
The game made me feel holey, like I could walk on water
And that if God had another child, then I would be his daughter
It was a much greater high than any drink or drugs
As I manipulated men and treated them like mugs

I was like a vampire baying for fresh blood
Or a ravenous leech lying in wait in the mud
But the guilt and shame started to fester deep inside
It was destroying me slowly and I didn't want to hide
So I opened my heart and took a good look inside
Swallowed my falseness, swallowed my pride
I knew I had to stop acting this way
And that is why I'm sitting here today
I cannot take the pressure anymore
All the pretense makes my heart sore
That is why I have been sitting here for hours
Taking in the sights, admiring the flowers
Thinking about how I have started to change my ways
Reverting back to my old self these past few weeks and days
So you see Paul my dear
You have absolutely nothing to fear
My life has been rewritten and reviewed
My life has changed and so has my attitude


The reason I have turned to you
Is I have heard you are warm and true
Flynn’s feelings towards me are black and grim
There is no way I could converse with him
People say you are a good friend indeed
And you help people in their hour of need
I heard you often visit this way
Sit in this park almost everyday
I came here every day last week
Because your ear I wanted to seek
But I stayed hidden amongst the trees
I was scared, frightened, weak at the knees
I saw you here yesterday, thought I'd take a chance
But bottled out before I could advance
I chickened out, I had no back bone
So I decided to leave you alone
Today, deeply into my mind I scoured
Decided I had to stop being a coward

I was sick of being stuck in a traffic jam
So I plucked up the courage and here I am
I naturally assumed seeing as you are so kind
That you would listen to my story and wouldn't mind
My story contains data, loaded with misery and pain
It's a wonder I haven't gone insane”

I gaze at her intently, I look at her in awe
Her words I have never heard the likes before
Said with such feeling, courage and grit
I couldn’t help but to believe all of it
I nod and continue my gaze
After a few minutes this is what she says