Return of the Native–a classic by Thomas Hardy
now also the title of a poem by Usha Nellore
The man who wouldn’t leave–Gallagher–USA–Baltimore–2012

When a man retires from govt.
and he is brought back
by his cronies– as an adviser,
faster than you can say, “Cheese”
or faster than the wink of an eye–
or faster than
the sound of thunder exploding–
after a slash of lightning tears the sky–
then we’ve got a problem
with what is called a decent lapse of time–
before the advent of the shenanigans–

it is like an upper class widow
refusing to wear black–
in the antebellum South–
improper–

it is like a complete stranger
in a bathrobe and bedroom slippers–
snooping around another person’s house–
suspicious–

it is like Larry King of CNN fame–
with one too many television lives,
hankering after cryopreservation–
because he’s too important to die–
pitiful–

it is like princes and presidents–
who lie when they are caught–
entangled in the underwear
of women other than their wives–
ridiculous–

it is like a dinner of prime rib,
filet mignon and chilled champagne
served to a teetotaler vegetarian–
an utter idiotic waste–

it is like Senator Currie–
and Sheila Dixon–
too stupid to scheme the former–
too scheming and stupid the latter–
questionable and unethical–

not exact analogies the preceding–
but should suffice–
because when a man retires–
from a city’s payroll–
and he returns to the same city’s payroll–
before weepy eyes are dry–
still fresh in memory his good-byes–
shouldn’t the taxpayers be asking why–
this isn’t an improper–
suspicious–
pitiful–
ridiculous–
questionable– unethical–
utter, idiotic waste?

Usha Nellore