Yes you’ve seen him
Reflected in shop windows,
Conducting on roundabouts
Or at the other end of a pint,
Always just finishing up.
The hiss of roll-up in a gutter
The lip smack and glass slam
And last ever betting slip
That’s the Narrow Man.
Shoes from the RSPCA
Belonged to a fatter man
Whose life was tragically creased
Just above the toes.
His jacket could well be mine
From a few personas back,
Brownish with lapels that curl
Like bacon – and too many teeth
All looking for a new home,
With a DA so slick it was planned
By Professor Quiff of Ted University
That’s the Narrow Man.
Then there’s the story
Of the floral tribute at the war memorial
Replaced by a set of new spanners
And chirpy Betty from the bakery
Who went out and bought a vase
From Oxfam for all the roses.
Guess who likes a sausage roll?
That’s the Narrow Man
Some say he just disappeared
While sipping Lightning from a can,
Sideways on, between two buses
That’s the Narrow Man.
Published in the 2014 Templar Publishing Anthology “Skein”
Mark Fiddes 