A note to Discerning Beachys:

At long last, the HBB returns to bring the faithful Beachy Complex Community another piece of fine Beachy Literature. Lest anyone think otherwise, this story told in poetic form is a product of the author’s imagination. Although it is told in the first person, this did not happen to me, or anyone I know. Let it be seen as a warning to those who would be “just friends.”

Regards,

HBB

The Maiden

Once my life was looking peachy, here I was a young male Beachy,

Had a girl who was my friend and still I wished for something more,

We sent texts as long as letters and each day things looked still better

Till I thought I’d surely get her, we’d be friends, but so much more.

Then she said the words that shocked me, stunned me to my very core.

“We’ll be friends, but nothing more.”

Ah, distinctly I remember it was early in September

And the church where I’m a member planned a long range choir tour

Eagerly I weighed my choices, while we tuned and trained our voices,

Planned the moment I would make my calling and election sure,

Chose the moment I would speak and hear the answer true and sure.

“We’ll be friends and something more.”


And the rustling of the pages of the song sheets in our folders,

Filled my ears and seemed much louder than they’d ever seemed before,

A heavy weight was on shoulders and my feet both felt like boulders,

As I stood before the maiden on the threshold of the door,

Stood before that wondrous maiden just inside the church house door.

“This is it, there’s no time more.”

Presently, my nerve got stronger, hesitating then no long,

Softly spoke her name and stopped her just before she reached the door.

Then my heart was loudly thumping, flipping, skipping, dancing, bumping

As she stopped and saw me standing just inside the church house door.

She turned and looked and saw me standing, nervous by the open door.

This she saw, and nothing more.

Standing in that silence blinking, long I stood there sweating, thinking,

Hoping hopes my Beachy heart had never dared to hope before,

But the silence was unbroken and her face showed no emotion,

While I only heard the buzzing of the light above the door,

Just the buzzing hum of the fluorescent light above the door.

Merely this and nothing more.

Now the maiden to me turning, eyes cast down with cheeks all burning

Asked me what I wanted, why I’d stopped her just inside the door

Said I, “You knew what the answer to the question that you had was.

Let me tell you that your dad does, for I’ve talked to him before.

Let me ask you now my question,” said I, “then you’ll know for sure,

We’re good friends. Can there be more?”

Here I couldn’t help but stutter, for my heart gave one last shudder,

As I saw the ashen countenance the Beachy maiden wore.

Not a word the maiden uttered, not a syllable she stuttered,

Moments passed, without a sound except the hum above the door,

Nothing but the humming light that hung above the church house door.

Only that, and nothing more.

There I stood in silence guessing, not a syllable expressing

To the maiden whose sad eyes were staring at the church’s floor.

Waiting for the answer coming, while the light kept softly humming,

Humming out a requiem from its high perch above the door

This I heard, and nothing more.

“Maiden,” said I, “I beseech thee! Maiden still , though Lapp or Beachy!

Whether you should answer yea or nay before this church house door,

Bringing joy or bringing sorrow, smiles tonight or tears tomorrow,

While I make my homeward way and pack up for the choir tour.

Will you have me? Will you date me? Tell me, tell me, I implore.

Quoth the maiden, “Nevermore!”

“Maiden,” said I, “I beseech thee! Maiden still, thou fair young Beachy,

Think of all the texts we’ve sent and all the good times gone before!

Tell this boy with heart all broken, give him yet some hopeful token,

That our friendship can continue, growing into something more.”

And the maiden spoke more firmly, “We’ll be friends just like before,

“Only friends and nothing more.”

“Be that then our word of parting,” said I to my car now starting,

“I shall go off on the tour, leaving things just as before,

Please forget the words I’ve spoken, don’t recall the heart you’ve broken,

Leave my loneliness unbroken-Let’s be friends just like before.

I shall go off with the choir singing on the long-range tour,

Just your friend and nothing more.”

When the tour was finally over, I came home still feeling sober,

Realizing that my life was different than it was before.

For I’d finally asked the question, made the life-changing suggestion,

And the answer that came back has changed the world I knew before.

When I asked the fateful question, I had closed the friendship door.

We’re not friends. Not anymore.