The Orange

Today I read Serious Concerns, a collection of poems by Wendy Cope. Here are some of my favorites…

The Orange

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.

New Season

No coats today. Buds bulge on chestnut trees,
and on the doorstep of a big, old house
a young man stands and plays his flute.

I watch the silver notes fly up
and circle in blue sky above the traffic,
travelling where they will.

And suddenly this paving stone
midway between my front door and the bus stop
is a starting point.

From here I can go anywhere I choose.

Men and Their Boring Arguments

One man on his own can be quite good fun
But don’t go drinking with two—
They’ll probably have an argument
And take no notice of you.

What makes men so tedious
Is the need to show off and compete.
They’ll bore you to death for hours and hours
Before they’ll admit defeat.

It often happens at dinner-parties
Where brothers disputes with brother
And we can’t even talk among ourselves
Because we’re not next to each other.

Some men like to argue with women—
Don’t give them a change to begin.
You won’t be allowed to change the subject
Until you have given in.

A man with the bit between his teeth
Will keep you up half the night
And the only way to get some sleep
Is to say, ‘I expect you’re right.’

I expect you’re right, my dearest love
I expect you’re right, my friend.
These boring arguments make no difference
To anything in the end.