At the canal museum

A Precise Fellow

He had a lifetime
of the straight and narrow.
Maintained ledgers.
Kept notes.

But under that hat
he harboured thoughts.
Of course he did.

Just once
he'd have liked a woman
to have called him a bad influence
as he poured her one drink too many.

He'd have loved
to have put down
his little black book.

Of course he would.

But he kept those thoughts
under his hat.

He made notes
and monitored the movements
of narrow boats.

And life sailed by
and became history.