A mild evening
of a man.
After he died
the daughter came.
A March draught
to his house.

The rooms held
small time
in bereavement.
Doors banged, lino
lifted, silverfish
went under.

Drawers, cupboards
gave up history-
buttonstick, Sporting Pink,
gold hunter and albert.
Slippers for the tip,
longjohns to jumble.

His sanctus sanctorum—
bellybrace, gimlets,
rabbeting planes—
bought the coffin in oak.
Gift to the Rifle Club
his point-two-two.

The house breathes
fresh, every corner.
Windows stare out
where gnats dance
like fountain balls
at a shooting gallery.




lino = linoleum
tip & jumble = the dump 
silverfish = insects
Sporting Pink = late editions sports newspaper 
buttonstick = a simple tool, often brass, used by soldiers and cadets in 
the British Army (especially WWI & WWII) to polish uniform buttons etc. — 
rabbeting planes = tools  
gold hunter=metal detector