Bess And Joan

Old Bess and old Joan in their eighties have been next door neighbours for years But they have not spoken for decades no love lost between those old dears To their friends they bad mouth each other with them it's not forgive and forget And they will be hating each other till each of them draw their last breath. Old Bess she is a childless widow her husband Tom died a decade ago And he was a crusty old fellow to few he ever said hello And Joan also childless never married though she has had a few men in her life And though one once asked her for her hand in marriage she declined for to become his wife. It's been said Tom and Joan once were lovers till Bess got wind of their affair And what once was a reasonable friendship became damaged beyond repair And when Tom and Joan parted company he went back to living with Bess And though they never again slept together they remained as man and wife nevertheless. Bess and Joan have not spoken for four decades though to each other they live next door And Bess is the older by two years last June she turned eighty four But because of Tom they will go on hating each other suppose for as long as they live The past they cannot put behind them and they will not forget and forgive.