Idyll

Idyll

Mr. Lymph and Mrs. Gusset
subsist on a Diet of Worms,
discussing Luther till the cows
come home
in a chalet of seagrass, Bibles,
false teeth, rock cakes,
souvenirs of Penzance and African greys.

Nightly, they nail their articles
of faith
to the curlicued bedhead like stale
chewing gum,
picking up their arguments
right where they left them,
battling to the death while their
Ovaltine cools.

Yet they end on begonias,
wine gums for nephews,
Bingo on Saturday and "turn out
the light."
And the baby they never had
nestles between them,
And the cat flap darkness
makes it all come right.