Pure Affectation

wishing to believe his mind
incomprehensible as some language
sounding like frying cabbage till its
last speakers half Greek half Buddha
faded into the vastness of India
the Cheshire Cat’s trick

went mad when
surrounded by people saying
over and over soothingly "we
understand you"

silent enough to seem
stupid even her
crying as noiseless as her
suntanoil smile Miss

Liquorice Silk provided
light relief for a time till
the truth broke through
the clouds now he

tries hard slowly by hand to
convert a megalithic
tomb ten oxen long into
a weekend cottage
the trouble being like ants at a
picnic people keep

coming to help damn them
don’t they see the

project only
succeeds as long as

it can’t be done
alone

cleverer street fighters
force you back to where you

trip over the silent other
crouched behind your back

bilberries between the
stones wd easily
erupt were it not for

the caterwaul of feet