WE WERE NEVER FRIENDS by Bryn Fortey

We knew each-other from childhood
Ronnie and I
5’ 5” of puffed up self-importance
Like many a short-arse
An acquaintance
But never a friend

I stole a girlfriend from him
During our mid-teens
And he wanted to fight me
She was a nice enough girl
But not worth a bloodied nose
So I talked him out of the fisticuffs

Years later
And both of us married
Though neither to the girl
He’d wanted to fight me over
He emigrated to Australia
I wasn’t invited to say farewell

The phone call
It must be said
Was something of a surprise
“I always fancied your missus,” said Ronnie
“How you got so lucky was beyond me.”

Later still
He sent me page after page
Of badly rhymed poetry
Thinking I could get them published for him
So I explained the submission process
And suggested he try it himself

Since then
Silence
We were never friends
Goodbye Ronnie

Bryn Fortey is a veteran writer from Wales in the UK. Widely published

over the years, he has had two collections published by The Alchemy 

Press, both featuring a mix of short stories and poetry. He is grateful that

in old age he is still able to put pen to paper and finger to keyboard.