He will be greatly missed when he has gone.

He will be greatly missed when he has gone.

No worries I have just surfaced from a little doze…

There was a smell

Eye watering

Inconvenient incontinence

Stale sweat

Soiled clothes

Stuck together with

Overlapping stains

Everything hung

His trousers were

At half mast

As if he could

Just shrug

And leave them empty

He held out a cup

I was caught

Captured by his gaze

A burning fire

Raging

From deep within

The darkness of

A shrunken face

Surrounded by a mane

Of wire brush hair

Red rimmed eyes ablaze

The tin cup chinked

A coin offered

Gifts gratefully received

He muttered

Reaching out a clawed hand

Taloned fingers

Dirt encrusted

Broken skin hot with fever

You have knowledge

I heard him say

But it is as nothing

Without the wisdom

Of understanding

How did he know

What was his story

What was mine?