A poet of my acquaintance
Winter fast approaching
A well-heeled relative
Made to purchase him
A warmer coat
‘Please’ the poet insisted
‘Nothing ostentatious –
And it must on no account
Seem up-to-date’
When the gift arrived
It did indeed
Resemble a ‘donkey jacket’
Sensible builders’ labourers wear
If one made from the finest wool –
‘It was a simple task’ he sighed
‘Snipping out the Aquascutum label’
And all because he feared disdain –
To fall into disfavour of his peers –
For some contemporaries might say
‘Now he’s getting far above himself’
And so conspire to bring him down
To his and their accustomed state
By seeking a subscription
To yet another new and vital
Modern poetry magazine
And by borrowing a tenner until Friday
Bernard Saint
Illustration: Claire Palmer
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