They did not expect this. Being neither wise nor brave <br />And wearing only the beauty of youth's season <br />They took the first turning quite unquestioningly <br />And walked quickly without looking back even once. <br /> <br />It was of course the wrong turning. First they were nagged <br />By a small wind that tugged at their clothing like a dog; <br />Then the rain began and there was no shelter anywhere, <br />Only the street and the rows of houses stern as soldiers. <br /> <br />Though the blood chilled, the endearing word burnt the tongue. <br />There were no parks or gardens or public houses: <br />Midnight settled and the rain paused leaving the city <br />Enormous and still like a great sleeping seal. <br /> <br />At last they found accommodation in a cold <br />Furnished room where they quickly learnt to believe in ghosts; <br />They had their hope stuffed and put on the mantelpiece <br />But found, after a while, that they did not notice it. <br /> <br />While she spends many hours looking in the bottoms of teacups <br />He reads much about association football <br />And waits for the marvellous envelope to fall: <br />Their eyes are strangers and they rarely speak. <br />They did not expect this. <br /> <br /> <br />Submitted by Andrew Mayers<br /><br />Vernon Scannell<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/they-did-not-expect-this/
