Elizabeth Leyton

Kentucky Fried Chicken and Oreo cookies.
That’s what she served for Thanksgiving...

The Mayor of Wellville
They all think he’s quite swell,
But to be rather frank,
His home life was hell.

His love wasn’t happy,
She felt pretty grim,
She had suffered a lot,
And then married him.

She looked at herself
A number of ways,
She longed for the light,
But had mostly dark days.

She’d fend off the feelings
But inside they’d erupt
Poor Mrs. Leyton,
She just couldn’t cheer up.

She kept it quite quiet
Hoping no one could tell
That the Mayor of Wellville’s
Wife wasn’t well.

She saw it quite clearly,
Reflections don’t lie,
She was a woman who wished
Each day she would die.

A rose is a rose
But she saw just its thorns
Her classy black pumps
Merely covered her corns.

She missed in the mirror
Her motherly smile,
She dressed to depress,
It was simply her style.

The outside, they knew,
But could not understand
Until the day that she drew
What she felt with her hand.

The storm clouds came out
Despite sunny skies
They could see it themselves
With their own very eyes.

And with that same hand
They were pushed off the page
Rainbows and rabbits
Replaced sorrow and rage.

At a young 68
After the turmoil and strife,
Laughter and love
Reentered her life.

And the dear Mayor Wellsville
Could do nothing but grin,
When the stranger he knew,
Was his wife once again.