afterwords

In the Doldrums 11

*

Blackbirds 13
The Thrush 14
Putting the Clock Back 15
Hedge Companions 16
Changing of the Guard 17
The Castle 18
Across the Lady’s Stairs 19
Decline 20
with Ardgillan in mind 27
Brain Power 28
Miracle Man 29
The Cry of the Curlew 30
Poet on a Horse 33
Archaeological Man 34
Fluttering Handkerchiefs 35
Last Bus to Woodstock 36
Borrowed Boots 37
Proms 38
Music 39
Holy Hour 40
Temptation 41
Country and Western 42
Contamination 43
The Filing Cabinet 44
Academic’s Portrait in Prose 45

*

Dirty Tricks 49
On Being Worthless 50
Fools 51
Ridicule 52
Control 53
An Irish Professor 54
Portrait 55
Who Goes There? 56
On His Way 57
Birds of a Feather 58
A Cynic’s Revenge 59
The Professor delivers a lecture 60
Study Abroad 61
New Broom 62
Take it or leave it 63
Absurdity 64
Retired 65

*

Holding Forth 69
In My Hometown 70
If Those Eyes 72
Talk of the Town 73
Speech 74
See No Evil 75
A Night Out 76
The Last Laugh 77
Fatal Attraction 78

*

The crab of depression 81
The Professor in Old Age 82
A walk in the park 83
Have you the time? 84
A Busy Life 85
The Role of Old Man 86

About the Author 89