Viagra Vignettes

A slow and rhythmic creaking

From ancient marriage beds

An alms-house warden

Hearing, downs his cup

A wife turns off a wireless

Bought grey decades ago

Suggesting they go up

The plumping-up of pillows

A naughty nightie found

A frisson of relief

And recognition

A resurrected chimney

From lost industrial ground

Awaits her demolition

Relaxing at the golf links

A doctor says it's good

But curses

His prescription writer's

cramp

Then, handicap forgotten

Selects himself a wood

As Eros pitches camp

In satiated small hours

The beast with two bad backs

Lies chafed in petit mort

And de-turnescence

As vacuum pumps lie dusty

In dressing table drawers

And gather obsolescence

Then shaky-legged, a nation

Goes trembling off to work

Salacious sunlight

Rakes the bedroom floor

And on the tell-tale clothes lines

The sheets and duvets jerk

Like so much semaphore.