HARRY

Harry was a gentleman street-sweeper

whom I knew years ago 

when just a young man -

Harry Hollerhead.

He was a small man

with large hands

and a large nose,

that I had often seen

his large wife kiss

and pat affectionately.

 

With his large hard broom

and yellow wheel-barrow

Harry kept the streets

of the city immaculate,

while also greeting passers-by

with such warmth and friendship

as if the streets were his –

which, in a way, they were.

 

It was some decades later

that an artist friend

exhibited for sale

a sketch he had made

as a young man –

a street sweeper who had captivated him

with his charm and style.

 

Instantly I recognised him,

Harry – Harry Hollerhead.

 

Harry has long gone now

but his portrait

still hangs on my wall,

a reminder of

what matters in life

and how we respect

and relate to others.

Harry, as sketched by

artist Gordon Harral

and hanging on our wall.