snakeshead

My neighbour shakes when he comes round
His knuckles white on the grey plastic handle
Through his NHS glasses he stares at the ground
We are all running and he’s at a standstill

I press the buttons on his phone for him
And I reach for things that are too high
He is over three times my age
And yet he won’t meet my eye

My neighbour has lived through two world wars
And fought hard in one
I’ve lived here for two years
And we’ve only been speaking one month

Think about it and it makes you numb