Gerald Bostock, fresh from school with few O-levels, sets his sights.
No grand, fanciful fantasies but level headed middle ground.
The retail trade, the corner shop, at humble service of plain town-folk.
Open at nine and closed by six: enough to work, play, work around.
Regulars drop by to chat in idle gossip, repetition.
Same old words, another day while, all the time, life slips away.
But slips so slowly, stretches moments into hours and hours to years.
With characters by Harold Pinter, dark silences, slow Passion Play.

Then home to fire up model trains and shunt and shuffle wagons, locomotive breath upon his brow.
Smooth clockwork running motors hum while barren Madge prepares hot dinner.
Fray Bentos pie: always a winner.
So, praise life's routine cozy habits.
And don't forget to call your Mum.