Anticipating a satisfying and humorous outcome to the story
I laughed and applauded before the punchline came
The speaker, though, was gratified by my congratulatory slap on the shoulder
And taking comfort, moved on to a further anecdote of Jovian form and style
Alarmed by reports of vicious attacks on the elderly, the halt and the lame
In my neighbourhood
I resolved to ensure the safety of me and mine and purchased protection
And now the only travail is stepping over the silent bodies of would-be assailants
Remembering that there was a time when I was clean and sober
Allows me the comfortable alchemy of transforming past to present
And pay homage to the metaphysical poets
With my imaginings of self-improvement and sui generis
Which brings me to Dr Jekyll – who sought self-improvement
But failed to study the small print of the warranty issued by his creator
Robert Louis Stevenson
Who warned that ‘to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive’.
wbalanstuart
wiseblood.net 