Still thinking about frances

Still thinking about Frances

We made friends very quickly
when we were only four
for months the house stood empty
then your family moved nextdoor
we bathed our dolls in saucepans
blew dandelion clocks outside
and when we saw jenny ramsay and her big dog Rex
we would run round the corner to hide
Life was easy then for me and frances

When we reached the age of twelve
with very little fuss
i walked round the corner to my new school
frances took the bus
we made separate friendships
got in with different crowds
but when we ran into each other in the street
we would go round hers and sit on her bed
and have a good old chat
still good friends then
me and frances

Years passed then i was up in Court
and much to my surprise
frances faced in front of me
i saw her big brown eyes
frances was only the advocates clerk
she could not change things to help me.
but the fact that frances was there
in her smart navy court gear
with her new short haircut
i would say that it did help me
in fact you helped me by being there
here's thinking of you
frances

I can't remember when it was
that frances moved away
did she go to uni to study Law
was she straight or gay?
did she move to edinburgh
did she shift down south?
i think somebody told me that frances had got married
or perhaps someone told frances that i got married twice and divorced three times.
sometimes messages get mixed up in the air
and i still think of you frances

And now i am fifty three
my lifes moved up and down.
for the last ten years i have been in East Devon
living in a little seaside town
called Exmouth

And whatever the weather
i hope that there are many sunny days for both of us
and that we will see one another again

Here's thinking of you Frances
and all the best
and the rest
from your friend
jeni.