Ecoute L’Indifference

Mister Watts and I are struggling to persuade
the venerable ladies of Cottingham Library
to let us loose on the good book borrowers
of Cottingham and Mister Watts and I

are so very dedicated to our craft. That 
of poetry and our recitals even though I say 
so myself are very entertaining. We have that
Pizzazz. But the esteemed ladies pass on our

details to another inestimable lady of Cottingham
Library, unknown to myself or Mr Watts
and despite our latest collections being 
finely jacketed the silence speaks volumes.

For myself too, I find myself unable to persuade
Mr Bucket and Mister Graves of Hull City Council
Cemeteries that I am square shouldered enough
and able to brave the dogged cold enough 

while being sufficiently skilled with a spade 
to dig the graves, of which they forecast
a high number to be needed this year
for the dying citizens of this city, Hull.