Sometimes he did this…

This poem wandered through my pea-sized brain this morning. It's by Simon Armitage, who doesn't use flashy language - the power's in his mastery of tone.

He has a website, with lots of his excellent poetry.

Poem

And if it snowed and snow covered the drive he took a spade and tossed it to one side. And always tucked his daughter up at night And slippered her the one time that she lied. And every week he tipped up half his wage. And what he didn't spend each week he saved. And praised his wife for every meal she made. And once, for laughing, punched her in the face. And for his mum he hired a private nurse. And every Sunday taxied her to church. And he blubbed when she went from bad to worse. And twice he lifted ten quid from her purse. Here's how they rated him when they looked back: sometimes he did this, sometimes he did that.