Michael Edwards

THE MAN NEXT DOOR

THE MAN NEXT DOOR

 

Though light of foot on the dance floor, his legs were short and squat.

He appeared to be taller when seated, and shorter when he was not.

 

He was always pleasant and easy, and his brain was in good working order,

his head was rendered quite bald, with stray whiskers all round the border.

 

He had a rosy red visage, and a chubby clean shaven face,

and beneath his chin which was oval, were dewlaps that flapped like wet plaice

 

His eyebrows were wiry and bushy, his suffering eyes knew glaucoma,

his inscrutable lips when parted, diffused an unpleasant aroma.

 

He was always merry and cheerful, and his friends described him as cool

But his family knew him better, and considered him quite a fool.