outside toilet
never lavatory which we deemed course
high cistern painted green few spots of rust
long drop pipe of lead
with a newspaper jammed behind
the tank held aloft by a wooden beam
painted the same green as the door
which had an air gap above
through which the sparrows entered
to roost the night
earth floor white washed walls
all lit by a single candle that flickered
the toilet was on the level of the earth yard
perched above the lower garden on top of
a tall brick wall all shades of red
frozen water in the pan in the winter
white walls crawling with tiny insects
in the summer
on the roof sparrows feed on crumbs
scattered from the kitchen window
between the toilet and the kitchen
under a lean-to roof
resides friday’s zinc bath
and mum’s scrubbing board
all brass and scoured wood
carbolic always
a comic comment
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