Stove
THIS POEM IS IN FOUR PARTS!
PROLOGUE
She was born on the islands of St Ové
Joanna was her intended name
But a mix-up on her birth certificate swopped her
name and the place from where she came
So she ended up named St Ové
Or "Stove" cause it was faster for everyone to say
PART 1
Stove was a child who was sadly very flimsy
If she stood up too fast she'd make herself dizzy
But she made up for it by being a dilligent little girl
And she had aspirations of travelling the world
Her childhood love was a boy named Lorenzo
But sadly, he too was built like a pencil
They were both easy targets for the bully Rodrigo
Whose tiny stature contained a massive ego
Stove's parents tried their best to raise their daughter
they'd constantly applaud her, and they rarely ever fought her
But her father fell into a gambling addiction
And this placed his marriage into constant friction
And finally, Stove's mother could no longer live with that man
And she took Stove away to live with her gran
Losing her family was one of Stove's greatest fears
But now, we must fast forward 20 years
PART 2
Lorenzo was now a world famous writer
Rodrigo was now a local amateur fighter
Now guess who Stove ended up having 3 children with?
The man who solved ALL his problems with his fists
Rodrigo didn't stop boxing when he came home to his wife.
But Stove didn't complain, for she chose this life.
Her kids were scarred, but they needed a dad.
And she refused to let them go through what she had.
Eventually.....
the girl from Joanna grew old, and her family enormous.
Her children had kids, and her grandkids were gorgeous.
Her beloved husband was long, long dead.
But his scars remained on her frail, old head.
She knew it would soon be her turn to depart.
But she felt regret weigh heavily on her heart
And now she lay on her deathbed, where she was visited daily.
But for a moment, she was alone, asleep like a baby
When she was suddenly awoken by a pretty young maid.
Whose black wings rose high above her braids.
Old Stove was scared. "Is it my time? I'm not ready to die.
I still haven't said all my goodbyes."
The woman SHOOK HER HEAD and wiped away Stove's tears.
And Stove said to the angel of death "Well, why are you here?"
"Your regret is too heavy, it's greater than most.
If I take you now, you risk becoming a ghost.
So, Joanna, how about another chance?
Would you like to start over, knowing everything in advance?
To go back in time to fix all your mistakes?
And give destiny a big punch in the face?"
And Stove sighed "It's true, I wouldn't mind
To give my entire life a rewind."
And before she could say more, there was a blinding light....
And Stove was now in a different place, on a bed, sitting upright.
She turned to the mirror in this familiar place.
And was greeted by a petulant face.
Stove soon understood that she was indeed in the past.
She wondered how long this hallucination would last.
She tried falling asleep and waking up, thinking she was dreaming
but nope, she was still a child when she awoke that evening.
Stove ran downstairs to see her parents again, and she celebrated.
Stove had an opportunity...and she vowed to not waste it.
PART 3
That evening she told her father that if he ever gambled or betted.
She would stab herself and tell everyone that her daddy did it.
The next day, she went to school and met with her childhood sweetheart.
And told Lorenzo that they would never be apart.
And Rodrigo the bully continued to beat them.
But deep down she knew, she'd already defeated him.
A part of her heart broke at the love that she'd lost.
But she'd have a better life now, no matter the cost.
time passes...
She legally changed her name to Joanna, like her parents intended it.
She used her knowledge of future events to her benefit.
Ironically, she made lots of money through betting.
And further and further from her previous life was she treading.
And the new life she made was much less upsetting.
This time her father was actually present at her wedding.
Lorenzo's temper was slow as a turtle
But she soon realised that the man was infertile.
But she took the blame. She suggested adoption,
But our dear Lorenzo refused to consider the option,
The boy who once doted on her now looked upon her with disgust,
And her new dream life swiftly crumbled to dust
They remained married for much longer than they should've
Then he left Joanna for a much younger woman
She then stayed with her parents, and was quite depressed
Then she decided to leave despite their protests
And she travelled the world, in search of herself
But being alone was bad for Joanna's mental health
She could no longer predict her life, she was a totally different person!
And this alternate reality only ever seemed to worsen
And so she came up with a plan that was quite insane
She found some drugs she would pump into her brain
And she hoped she would speak to that angel again
Her wish came true, she overdosed in a dank alleyway
A million miles from St Ove
And once again, she found her own death at hand
In a private clinic in a foreign land
She could afford to have the whole room to herself.
But the solitude only made her want to yell.
And so she let out a scream, and how greatly she cried.
And once again, a familiar face was at her side.
PART 4
"Stove! You reached me much faster this time!
How was your journey through this alternate timeline?"
Joanna shrugged. "Oh, it was fine.
But I'd like to see my kids again, if you don't mind."
"Of course! Those were some beautiful babies,"
Said the angel , as she reached out to the lady.
"Oh, one more thing before I forget..
You called me Joanna the first time we met...
Why did you call me Stove just now, when you met me here?"
And the angel of death whispered the answer in her ear.
And Stove laughed, as blackness sucked up all the light.
And she opened her eyes to a wonderful sight.
She was back in her home town, on that warm summer night.
"Grandma! You're awake!" The kids hugged her tight.
She held her grandchildren's hands, and asked them once more to sing
And her final thoughts were how she wouldn't change a thing
THE END