His words
scald the souls
of
the poor wife-
the only son-
the mother in law-
strangely,
he neighbors us well-
honey and sugar
he is
to those living close by-
he keeps our keys when we are away-
in times of need he’s by your side always-
he has earned the sobriquet,
gentlest of men-
all rough edges smoothen,
thorns spell petals,
when it’s a neighbor-
otherwise
the tooth and nail; the knife and stone
are kept intact
for home usage-
should I love this “crooked neighbor”
with my “crooked heart”?
Quoted words are from Auden’s poem, ‘As I Walked Out One Evening’
Posted for my prompt ~ Neighbors @ Poets United Midweek Motif
sumanar/lekha 