she claimed
the damsel role
leaving him
to twirl his
mustaches
as he tied her
to the railtoad tracks
of another
insipid tale of love
gone sour
leaving him
in a flux
that saw
a flood of
would be rescuers
cutting the ropes
he never
saw them tying
as he pined away
for something
that was never
really there

he always
smiled
even if it
never reached his
eyes
but you could tell
he left
something
with her
he could never
get back
dying by inches
miles away
from hope