The Neighbour

His Saxon wife had skin like alabaster He was a scientist- a brilliant mind Liked Bach. Despised pop dirge and ghetto blaster He had a mistress, this was no disaster. She lived in Rome (he was the secret kind In Scotland, a good husband, honest master) Couples have cracks, stay wed by using plaster To fool the world around, in street or wynd A lie once told next time is spoken faster. It suited her to act as a pilaster She had her children, so she acted blind And for his soul, she'd say a pater noster My father talked of gardens with this mister, A cultural bridge, all difference left behind The thistle and the rose, bluebell and aster At Hogmanay, he gave him drink, a gesture Of goodwill, to this English gent, refined By learning, widely travelled, knowledge vaster Than ours, whose marriage was a small disaster.