You are Princess Ayesha, the principal girl,

in the youth group’s pantomime at St Barnabas,

West Street, Crewe. Disguised as a boy, you are searching

for Aladdin – your true, lost love – in the canvas

forest and the bazaar, among the painted caves

and the amphora. Heavily Max Factored, dressed

in torn shirt and ripped shorts – having crossed the desert,

outwitted each one of the forty thieves, bested

Abanazar, bamboozled the Genie and charmed

Widow Twankey to be downstage centre – you sang

Buddy Holly’s top of the hit parade, ‘Oh Boy!’

Your story – we had not met then – though embellished,

of course. But I can see you as clearly as if

we had – in what you say, leave unsaid, and do not

know about yourself: lovely, witty, determined,

courageous, heart breaking. ‘Oh boy, when you’re with me,

Oh boy, the world can see That you, were meant, for me.’

Note: first published on the site in March 2010.