The Communist

On most days he believed.....sort of,
That the equality promised by Communism
Would subdue the worst of human nature.
A superior idea.

Austin, now retired,
And living off a modest pension,
Felt it was time for his four daughters to share.
And what greater gift to bestow than his person.

To educate his materialistic children,
And save his grandchildren from the disaster
Of excess consumption and uneven distribution,
It was necessary that he move into their homes and daily lives.

Surely a a six month stay-over
Would cause minimum inconvenience,
While allowing him to allow them
To practice sharing.

As a practical communist it seemed pointless
To maintain his apartment,
Keep a telephone, subscribe to newspapers, etc.,
When his girls already had those things.

He patiently explained
It was just short of a fatal blow to materialism
When coffee and the Times are shared,
On a daily basis.

Capitalism would be shown for the vicious,
Gluttonous fiend it is.
Separate homes, with underused silverware,
And individual mail, the waste!

There were few takers when he suggested
That the Berlin wall kept unbelievers out.
Nor did his progeny seem overjoyed by the prospect
Of Austin’s settling on their sole toilet’s seat for the morning.

After two weeks the eldest, Flora, insisted
That the next oldest sibling
Accept with grace the gift of Dad.
Mao would have been disappointed,

As was Austin.