MY NEIGHBOR IN THE MIRROR


M. le professeur in prominent senility
Across the hall tidies his collected prose
And poems. Returning from a shopping spree
Not long ago, I caught him pausing to pose
Before the landing mirror in grandiose semi-profile.
It being impossible to avoid encounter on the stairs
I thought it best to smile
Openly, as though we two held equal shares
In the indiscretion. But his performance of a nod
Was labored and the infinite politesse of rose palm
Unfurled for salutation fraudulent.
At any rate, lately there’s been some
Change in his schedule. He receives without zeal
Now, and, judging by his refuse, eats little but oatmeal.