Virtues of the Quiet Life

Virtues of the Quiet Life

There's grit everywhere

There's grit everywhere
And where it's not seen beware:
It'll strike with all the ferociousness of the fair:

We all need grit just a little bit.

Even the soft men here, nice to their wives (ethical,
quiet and unassuming with daughters but no sons)

Even the soft men here (nice to their wives) have
Iron in their hearts:
In the rain, in the blazing sunrise of their youthful lives

Stop
They are married and happy with children.

I dream.
Having it quietly, contently - they know.
The people out of the spotlight without show
They show it quietly, contentedly
They know not to shout it out loud.

Perhaps actually they don't.
Having it quietly, contentedly: they know that
The glitz of

London is an overexposed car at night
In a rush of something, floating
Like shares
And currencies
On reputations talked up by proud shareholders

Flush with cash and horse
From having to shout
They overwhelm the provincial who cowers against a building and
Makes a fool of himself by chatting, friendly on the tube
- Ignoramus!

-

Provincial life and city can be tranquillo
But you have to smoke a fair bit of weed-o
To stop you realising faults, in fact anything -
To stop you realising anything.