Geoffrey stopped and thought to himself a while :
a new tale he needed to make the ladies smile .
With pious sentiment he really had no quarrel
but he felt that perhaps a touch of the immoral
(Always of course in line with their good breeding)
might give a lighter touch to his regular reading .
For subject , well , what could be better than
A young girl married to an older man
who takes a lover , thought by the old man trusty
But considered by the lady as young and lusty !
Then add another disappointed swain
who'd woo her with song quite often , but in vain .
But first , he'd best make a short rough draft
and later ensure the polishing of his craft.

A dainty wench unto an old man wed
took young and lusty Nicholas to her bed
while Absalom was left outside , and quite bereft
to sing and tell her how his poor heart bled .

How now could he perhaps advance the tale
ensuring that the story grew not stale ?

Nicholas could predict a neat device
to gull the foolish husband in a trice
about a flood which could be withstood
but ! Willing continence , he said , would be the price.

He spoke of of three arks , with one day's food prepared
hung in an attic , so that they'd all be spared .

So the husband slept in a tub hung up above
While Nicholas entered her Aphrodite's grove
leading her to her delight with that young and lusty wight :
and so down below the pair made merry love .

But what then of Absolom, singing out his heart ?
Why -- he'll be rewarded with a thunderous fart !

Absolom sought a lover's parting kiss
but she showed him her bum so that she could him dismiss--
a kiss he first thought fair , stank and was full of hair .
Alack ! he cried , why show your love like this ?

Nicholas then could think to try the same
but would finish a sad second in that game .

The husband thought the flood had come to pass ,
When Absolom struck Nicholas on the arse.
with a well thrust prod from a red heated rod
Nicholas cried , Water ! I burn , alas !

This of course would bring the old man down
to be a cuckold shown before the town.

This ending brought to Geoffrey's face a smile :
Well , that's the general plot , but what of the style ?

Ah ! A couple of meter changes should do the trick --
I've invented the Chaucerian limerick !