The Rotter Above by Gary W. Hartley

Before my time
the guy upstairs

lay dead for a fortnight
before anyone
clocked it

This appears to be
a common thing
in Wood Green

The epicentre
of mountainous mail
pile-ups

decaying neighbours
and shrugs

It’s really quite renowned for it

One local deceased got a
sympathetic documentary
portrait – an empty fame

the guy upstairs did not.

See, apparently he was
some sort of
neighbour-from-hell
megatwat

So I guess,
that explains that.

Gary W. Hartley is also known as Gary From Leeds. His debut collection ‘Your Attempt to Enjoy These Poems is Considered Unsatisfactory’ is out now on LSL Press.

twitter