he don’t start out that way of course

day one he were a horsey man

tumultuous and muscled in all places

thighs loud as trumpets

cheeks swoll melons

fists like hambone fulsome meaty

turn out he was hard as cobble

tough as mullet in a whirlpool

but then you know he come downhill

scrawned right out, fast too

one day he were heft, next day bereft

one day brimmed with brawl

next day skelly small

big C it were

I seen him in the ward some wasted

Little Easy I said

he tried to laugh rattle kind of rasp

Little Easy, you ain’t yourself no more

Little Easy looked abashed away

enough left to die he croaked

don’t need no more than that.