Stoop To Conquer
So many old guys stoop as they walk by,
That I once thought kyphosis had to be
On steroids here. I walked with head held high,
Observing them, and swore: You won’t see me
Proceeding stooped! … But little did I know
That I would buy a single-story house,
On top of which the attic door is low,
Confining upright entry to my spouse,
Or guests—too bad the attic is my den,
Necessitating that I bend my waist
Quite far, or bang my head … I judged those men
Unwisely: They may stoop because they’re faced
Each day, like me, by attic lintels that
Require a stoop to conquer sans hard hat!
Mike Mesterton-Gibbons is a Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at Florida State University. He has now returned to his native England, where his study is in the attic. Through a skylight, he enjoys a scenic view across open countryside, as long as he rises gingerly from his desk. Otherwise, another goose egg mars the experience.