Michael Bedford
Bill
The dogs from the bank are after me. Apparently,
a small overdraft has crept into my account
and nested there. I looked and there it was,
lolling about, little red hand waving. We had some fun.
I called him Bill. Threw a few scraps to keep him happy.
But they said he was a great big fat pig
and feeding him was the last thing I should do.
Like at the zoo where an extra fish might cause a penguin
to pop, or banana, a monkey to drip off its branch.
No, you had to starve them. Eventually thin, gaunt,
they would move on searching for richer pastures
such as developing nations or the national debt.
I’m told captains of industry keep huge monstrous ones
that can snap a small country in a single bite.
Against that, what was Bill? So I move him around.
Gets him out and about, keeps everyone happy.
And though they pretend not to like him, I bet they do.
How could you not? Cute, dependable, adores my poetry,
loyal to a fault (swears he will never leave me),
and so generous - even paid for my holiday.
a small overdraft has crept into my account
and nested there. I looked and there it was,
lolling about, little red hand waving. We had some fun.
I called him Bill. Threw a few scraps to keep him happy.
But they said he was a great big fat pig
and feeding him was the last thing I should do.
Like at the zoo where an extra fish might cause a penguin
to pop, or banana, a monkey to drip off its branch.
No, you had to starve them. Eventually thin, gaunt,
they would move on searching for richer pastures
such as developing nations or the national debt.
I’m told captains of industry keep huge monstrous ones
that can snap a small country in a single bite.
Against that, what was Bill? So I move him around.
Gets him out and about, keeps everyone happy.
And though they pretend not to like him, I bet they do.
How could you not? Cute, dependable, adores my poetry,
loyal to a fault (swears he will never leave me),
and so generous - even paid for my holiday.
Page(s) 5
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