"Eve of St. Valentine, 13-02-07" by Liz

My husband has two jumpers, both of them blue.
Now, no suits at the office, 'mufti' will do.
By autumn each elbow wore into a hole;
'When could you darn them?' begged the poor soul.

'It depends on the wool,' I sagely supposed.
Woking did stock them but the shop is now closed.
Guildford might help us if anywhere can-
When I go for the sales the High Street I'll scan.

Yes! 'Pandora' had blue in almost every shade,
Glowing in rows, from dark to light displayed,
And held by the Saturday girl, a blue-rinsed widow
I held some up hopefully at the shop front window,
Checking in the jaded January light
That my two blues would be truly right.

Triumphant I returned with skeins 921 and 927
To a husband in hope of a cosy blue heaven,
And on each jumper laid a skein with a smile
But then I thought - darn those holes - they can wait for a while!

A month or so later, last Sunday, he said with some force,
'If one's not darned in three days, I'll file for divorce!'
So last night at midnight, in the televised gloom,
I seized my large needle and wooden mushroom,
And weaving the wool in and out, out and in,
Finished in one hour flat- but pride is a sin!
Then from behind the FT, without lifting his grey head
'It's been twelve weeks exactly,' he said.

'And how long, might I ask, before I get the next one?'
Well, I thought to myself, while in power have fun!
'Twelve months on the dot - at midnight, my dear.
Valentine's Day comes but once a year!'

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