Winter Trails

Winter Tale

I hadn't long moved in and he spoke out
across the fence where kitchen doors faced off
and ended up - his little girl with my
three on the trample while - we drank red wine
in the long June evening talking freely,
his ears and nose of studs and eyebrows too
his cocky, corded pride in martial arts,
trouble with his ex, access to his kid,
the first time she'd been round  there for two months,
a single man within a council house.
"Could run a wire over from my Sky box."
"How would I switch that?"
                                                "You'd see what I see."
"Thanks but no thanks." Extravagances
of gesture or nothing was his friendship.
A coach bolt to secure a post. "Here y'are!"
and back to chatting bright across the fence;
but otherwise he withered by himself.
We'd say, "Come over!" but he never did
while I was with my Catherine so snug.
Just after Christmas, enemies kicked in
his front window, rampaged in whirlwind style
and beat his head badly while yet in bed
dead-drunk probably, then they vanished fast.
His jaw was wired and then re wired again
several times and yet was never right.
I hardly saw him once a month. Recluse?
Absentee?  The council thought the latter
and moved to evict. The garden a tip;
inside probably the same. Time ticked out.
"I'm not long for this world, Pete. Never mind."
He looked a mess, the jaundice in his face
his gums receded, teeth loosening fast,
talking now of getting into Rehab.
His mother came to move out most his stuff.
"Leave me out a ladder for the dish, Pete."
I did but the dish is still there. He'd gone.
muttering of sleeping wintry streets
(though surely his own mother took him in).
Nearly a year by from that big assault,
is all it took to drink himself to that.
He left a Christmas card inside my porch.
I wonder if he's still alive out there,
took Rehab, found a place - or liver failed?
He was a proud man; never sought for help.
Insisted he was fine with what he had
and drink and pride bravado-deep is all.
That was last winter. Now it's a sad tale.