juliet   married at thirteen   act two   scene six

an alternative ending

mother of two at twenty   another on the way   

shakespeare knew better   but young love

is for lovers   is the best love   

rich in mystery   richer in shocking truth   in truth

the greatest untruth is that youth is wasted on the young   

on the contrary   

every glint and dewdrop precious

gifts bestowed and received by the gift of inexperience   

but no going back   

young love in its imperfection   

is perfect love

and in its brevity   eternal

~

market reads the poem and smiles

who were you think about

oh   i say   something brought romeo and juliet to mind

what might that have been   she asks

this mingus book   

he's all about his young love   which brought r & j to mind

and   marketa asks   knowing full well   but enjoying the tease

and   i say   who else but my own little juliet

my own little young love   my love   in the shade of the cottage

kissing away the morning   melting in the heat of the sun

wilting in the heat of the moment

get the picture 

i can tease too

i'm not sure i get the picture   she says   show me

~

after   after the metaphorical cigarettes   languid

and well melted   marketa asks

and where did the idea of   mother of two

and one on the way   come from   

i like the idea of alternative endings   i say   remember

nikos kazantzakis   last tempation of christ   

something along that line   what if

the poison had been nothing more than bitter herbs

what would shakespeare

have to say about that reality   about infatuation

about stretch marks

about romeo having to earn a living

about juliet having to take the kids to day care

or be a stay at home mom

~

they had wealth   says marketa   romeo would have

whiled away the h0urs

in swordplay and repartee   while juliet

gossiped with the ladies   she would have seen very little

of the brats   

and   i ask   does that confirm

'Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,'

marketa is quiet   we missed young love   she says

with each other   does it matter

i ask  

no   she says   without conviction

though it would have been nice

~

it rained overnight   enough

to sound nice

on the bedroom window   the one over the alley

do you want to go to church   i ask

she shakes her head

what then   i ask   the sky shows a little blue

beach   park   de young   stay at home   read a book

the day beckons   i have work to do

she says   then   

let's go to the presido   you can run   i'll work

my juliet was not a runner   not a reader   

not really   i wonder what it was about our young love

that was so compelling   then i remember the moments 

of discovery   and i need wonder no more