Paul's World, Tragic English love poem

Paul's world was small in scope and diameter
Creeping across the hall like a spider
To Mike's in the hope of cheap cider
Exchanging views on dole queues
Discussing the minor details of women
They saw fuzzily on Mike's TV
Its old and the vertical hold is bust
Like its owner full of lust
Plus it temporarily works
If you thump the box at the top
Rolling the ashtray's butts a must
Watching the girls of countless Summers
Bustling by through Mike's binoculars
Having pretend bets on the racing
Hoping to break even on non-runners
Winter speaking enthused over soup
Chilled words turning to vapour
Sharing a hob, bare bulb and heater

James ushered in change
Came like a fly in the ointment
Played mind games
And techno tunes all night long
Paul anonymously enraged
Trying to be tolerant
James' leggy blonde girlfriend from London
Lisa who told Paul he was sweet
Kissed him at Christmas
Complimented his baked beans on toast
Liked ketchup too
Whiled away the odd wet afternoon
Waiting for James in Paul's room
James drank and flunked
Escorted by an inevitability of her own
Flirty Lisa went away
Never returned to his home
James had time and money to take Mike boozing
Crudity punctuated Paul's lonely nights' musing
During the quieter days
Voices commanding from the cupboard
"Kill them all - burn the house down Paul"

Muted or just plain stupid
He didn't blame voices for his crime
Paul could do his time
But the seed of doubt in his mind
About Lisa and the baked bean dinner
It did his head in and tortured him
That day her smiles and mirth
What did they really signify?
A James-like scorn
Or did she perceive his inner-worth?
Submerged beneath habitual insecurity and false economy

Still writing her secretly
From his comfy cell
Never knowing where she might dwell
Nor daring to post
His enquiries after her feelings
About he and his beans on toast

Still under her ruse or spell.

top of page