"Take a look around, I won't pester you"

said the carpet salesman, so we looked at 

the pillars of skyward carpet rolled,

onlookers in a forest of compressed comfort. 

 

We changed our mind as to colour

saw a pattern we liked,

took a seat

made a deal

agreed on Friday for delivery

all cut and dried.

 

His radio played Telstar

first ever british number one in America he said

I followed up about melody being the thing

he wanted to talk. 

 

Compulsively,

it all poured out

how one daughter spent time on her nails

the other a DIY expert

showed us on his phone her building a wall.

 

He loved growing vegetables

thought it important to be self - sufficient,

his neighbour had taught him

all the gardening tricks

and then he passed away. 

 

I said a set of good tools was all you needed

in life, we crested waves of enthusiasm

my wife brought him back to the task in hand

said we needed to go shopping.

 

Initially I had thought him brusque, offhand

but really he was just Jack the Lad

with soft spots and his carpets against the wall

in a warehouse full of experience

and glad to talk,

when business was slack.