Lord Ledgie, paintbrush bristling in his hands
Introduces himself,
“You can call me Ledgie, John or anything you like
but I’m known as Lord Ledgie, ” he says.
Tall and imperial with long flowing locks
And a battered old hat,
Sartorially inelegant but suitably attired
For his stature and eccentricity.
His Peacock lies still, silent, purple and proud
A testament to his talents
And a reminder of his lost loves.
I wobble myself in through its tiny door
And step onto a fragile box blindly
To enter the brilliance of the interior.
The purple and pink and turquoise
Slap me in the face, happily.
Lord Ledgie talks about God and spiritual healing,
The price of houses and how to keep a fire burning,
And, in a hushed tone, about the rules of the Cut
Which must be broken or bended ever so slightly.
He tells me that it is better to give than to receive
And then asks for a cigarette
Which he smokes out on the towpath
Beside his can of lurid paint
Before he continues his work on the mural.
Richly poor and madly sane
John is known to all along the Cut
As Lord Ledgie.
'Richly poor and madly sane' is perfect. Your Lord ledgie sounds like he has stepped out of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta - larger than life and twice as interesting. Splendid piece. Love it. Allie xxxxxxxxxxxx
Fran, another rich portrait of the inhabitants of the Cut. Brilliant is all I can say as the rest have said it before me. Top marks and thanks for sharing it my friend. David
We can see him. And yes, as others, I'm taken by 'richly poor and madly sane' - I think it has to be one of the most perfect descriptions I have ever read. t x
These people deserve to be immortalised by you. Ez X
This is a character that I can relate to through your poem, which moves along as smoothly as no doubt Lord Ledgie's conversation does! another good read, Fran. x Jan
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Fran, love it - especially 'Richly poor and madly sane' - what a character! Ivan