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Ah, Max, you paint that couple well.A loving portrait. Andrew On 24 January 2013 03:57, Patrick McManus <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Phew uncle Basil! Was he in Fawlty Towers?? > Cheers thanks p > > -----Original Message----- > From: Poetryetc: poetry and poetics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On > Behalf Of Max Richards > Sent: 23 January 2013 06:43 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Uncle Basil's silences (memory snaps) > > Uncle Basil's silences > > boxed me in, did the same > for Verna his tall wife, > Marie his fair daughter > (same age as me), or so I felt > > standing by him (at thirteen, already > his height) in his tiny glass-house > down past the back-yard > revolving clothes-line - > > having smilingly noddingly > scoffed in her trim kitchen > some of Verna's scones > with cream I'd helped whip > > and her own strawberry jam > and an uninterruptible > stream of her thoughts > excited and confusing - > > ducked out back and slipped > past the narrow glass door > to where he stood frowning > tending his begonias. > > Silence implied I ought > to know more about > propagating begonias > than ask such ignorant questions. > > Silence implied I should > show more respect and not > inadvertently seem > to hint that flowers > > were sweet but unmanly, > homebodies like him tame, > shift workers at the > telephone exchange, > > one of whom he was, > less worthy than my > school principal Dad > who was seldom at home. > > The begonias glowed > modestly in his care, > his private harem, > no one but him would share > > unless they tapped like me > on the steamy glass door > and he generously let them in. > Marie didn't care > > to see him down there, > indoors was enough for her, > piano practice supervised, > maths solutions worked through. > > His silence implied 'women > are the unstoppable talkers, > I'm of other timber > to bear life's hard knocks > > and carry on working.' > Verna and Marie knew > to humour him, > the breadwinner, > > pack him off to work > with his prepared boxed meal, > talk in whispers when the shift-worker > slept in curtained dark. > > Basil at the wheel of his small > old Morris, saved petrol by > switching off, coasting > downhill. Basil when they left > > after a social evening call > switched on, inched forward > while Verna on our front porch > bestowed on us the last > > rapid thoughts of the night, > scampering to the street, > no, back to the porch > for one more urgent speech, > > at long last to clamber aboard > Basil's moving car, himself > staring ahead with sealed mouth > behind the homeward-turned wheel. -- Andrew http://hispirits.blogspot.com/ 'Undercover of Lightness' http://walleahpress.com.au/recent-publications.html 'Shikibu Shuffle' http://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/new-from-aboveground-press-shikibu.html