He goes to the shop to buy paper clips,
Past the fast-food place, the smell of the chips.
He gets a new pencil and staples as well,
And meets someone buying a bicycle bell.

She looks in his eyes and he looks in hers.
The slight condensation on their glasses blurs
Their view of each other. They both see a smile.
A warm conversation goes on for a while.

They become friends and they meet every day
To talk about books or to walk 'round the bay.
With others they mumble and stumble when speaking.
Together they find all the words they've been seeking.

Beautiful words flow in soft steady streams.
He tells her about all his well-thought-out dreams
Of owning a large tract of land on the moon,
And making his very own hot air balloon.

And she talks about an invention she's planned
That writes on a blackboard with a fake hand.
But they remain silent on feelings inside them,
Choosing instead to ignore them and hide them.

In fresh country air they walk, trek and hike.
With great self-control they're behaving just like
Their forebears before them before their forbearance
Gave way to desire that made their grandparents.

Desire keeps whispering softly in ears.
Sometimes it shouts or makes threats or just dares.
They play chess to forget, but that makes things worse.
He buys his own punch bag. He's started to curse.

Emotions can take control and then fade.
He launches a long and foul-mouthed tirade
Against his young sister's pet cactus called Matt.
It's wearing its waistcoat and small cowboy hat.

He doesn't know how he should make the first move.
The women he meets are like those in the Louvre.
They're faces in paintings protected by glass.
He fears his arrest if he just made a pass.

They're all Mona Lisas, remaining enigmas.
Some paintings show more; a tiny fig leaf has
The job of protecting some places from view.
He's still in the dark about what he should do.

One bright summer night outside her front gate,
They look at each other and patiently wait
For something to happen, and with some surprise
He takes off her glasses and looks in her eyes.

He feels he's alone late at night in a gallery,
Having left a respectable life with a salary
To be a cat burglar. He thinks that he's just
Removed the security glass on a bust

Or a beautiful painting. He feels full of daring,
But still in his mind he's constantly fearing
That one slight false move will set off the alarm.
All moves could be false when they're untouched by charm.

He looks in her eyes. They're switched to 'inviting'.
He sees all the signs but he can't read the writing.
A voice in his head says 'kiss her, you fool'.
He normally ignores its advice, as a rule.

It once said that he should wear a head band,
A look that the local style critics all panned.
But the latest advice seems to be sane.
They finally kiss and he thanks his own brain

For guiding him to this most welcome conclusion
Through all sorts of obstacles, traps and confusion.
He talks to the cactus later that night.
He says he is sorry; his words weren't right.

The cactus is wearing its favourite beret,
And it looks as if it's saying 'hooray!'
To Henry's good news, its arms in the air.
The voice in his head gives advice on his hair.