Open Writing

'There's always that poem by Yeats,' I said. 'You could use part of it in your next letter to her. I'm sure it would do the trick.'

'Which poem by Yeats?' he asked. 'You don't mean The Lake Isle Of Innisfree, do you? You can't be serious.'

'No, not that one ... It's on the tip of my tongue.'

'Was it a love poem?'

'Yes, of course ... about Maud Gonne.'

'The love of his life.'

'Yes, but she turned him down.'

'Never mind that ... just think of the bloody poem, will you.'

'It was something to do with praise ... It has a wonderful first line. I used to say it over and over again when I was involved with - '

*

Lynne rang. 'I wish you'd mind your own business,' she said.

'What do you mean?'

'This letter from Alec. It has that line from Yeats in it.'

'Which line?'

'You know very well which line ... "She is foremost of those that I would hear praised" - amended to "You are foremost" etc ... You told him to use it, didn't you?'

'Well,' I said after a pause, 'it did the trick for me, didn't it?'