George

 George 

let’s call him George

it might be his name

this George who had been a publican 

and an alcoholic 

neither now extant 

although he enjoyed a half of shandy 

and the conviviality of bar chat

George had a facial tic

the mannerism of a shaky nod

alongside his blinking

stuttering conversational smile

now George was taken ill

ended up in hospital where

the notes of his physical examination 

commented on his hesitant diction

his facial muscular tremor and the

manifestation of anxiety in the 

gesticulations of his head

no came our exclamations

no

that’s George

that’s just George

he got better and then he died

b b blinking hell George 

why didn’t you say