[HESTER LEGGATT]

Dear Bill

I’m afraid I’ve not got long to write

I’m off to Mary’s

You know how she feels about bridge night

It’s been a few days

I thought that I’d send a few lines

Next door’s greyhound came into the garden this morning

I think he likes the roses

They’re doing fine, I used some twine

To tie them up and rein them in

I hope they’ll bloom next spring

But you’ll see that for yourself

I’m following the instructions you left in your note:

“Please devote all your time to their care"

And I havе done, I swear

Except from thе talking, I’m not going to do that

‘Cause talking to roses is mad and you knew that

When you whispered sweet nothings to flowers

To make my dad cross, and me laugh

And it did

And why did we meet in the middle of a war?

What a silly thing for anyone to do

Your sister sends her love, of course

And your mother... is the same as ever

Diana’s piano is getting much better

Well, I say better, I really just mean louder

But as she tells me

That’s pretty much the same

Well, it makes a change from all of the noise and the sirens

And sometimes from all of the

Silence

With six rounds of “Jingle Bells”

And “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”, even though it is June

And it’s been a long summer

But she wants to be perfect for her older brother

She hopes you’ll be home again soon— no

She knows you’ll be home again soon

And it’s fine, and we’re fine

It’s nice to watch her get better with time

I suppose they just miss you

I know they just miss you

And I’m not going to argue with that

And why did we meet in the middle of a war?

What a silly thing for anyone to do

And I’m trying my best to write everything down

To fill in the gaps so that when you’re around

It’ll be like you’d never been gone

As if you’d been all along

‘Cause you can’t just miss out on the songs

And to tell you the truth, Tom

Your roses aren’t thriving

Without you they’re dull

Don’t worry, they’re surviving

But I’ve tried all the tricks that you put in your note

And I’ve watered the soil ‘til it started to float

And no, I’ve not talked to them

I’m not going to talk to them

There’s something you have that I just don’t have

And since you’re off gallivanting it’s only fair that you know

That your roses, quite frankly, were the first things to go

And no, you’re not gallivanting

I don’t mean gallivanting

It’s just frustrating for you to be right

When I have to do both the sides of this fight

But it’s good to hear you

Even just in my head

And the roses just miss you

I know they just miss you

And I’m not going to argue with that

There’s so much to do when you come back

And I know that they say that it’s all for a cause

Our brave boys out fighting a war to end wars

But it’s like they don’t see that when you’re far from me

Our roses don’t get the conversation they need

Which just seems unfair

I’m stuck here and you’re there

I suppose I just miss you

I know I just miss you

Even now I still miss you

And why did we meet in the middle of a war?

What a silly thing for anyone...