Family matters

[birdonthewire]

An old man in autumn
or his woman in hers, need
but a chattering child or two,
to feel their spring again.

But small children are few now
and often distant too; so
the old man and his woman felt
a winter seep instead.

Said Vasudeva, the world is
your family, and therefore in
their neighbour's home, learnt they

Comments

[deponti]

Very insightful; KM and I "adopted" our neighbours' son in exactly this way!

But...why "learnt they" in the penultimate line? Why the reverse order?

[birdonthewire]

"learnt they" - just like that. I thought it sounded better when I wrote it. Now that you ask, I am not sure! :)