SEVEN CHAIRS

From a drawing by P. Moore 1985
First published in January 2019

They say
a Cyprus man
needs seven chairs.

He sits at ease
arms propped, legs splayed
supremely confident.

But he’s just using five,
I say. You haven’t looked!
So I count once more.

Two for his arms,
two for his legs,
one for his backside.

Five, I repeat
not knowing a lot
about Cypriot men – then,

I see! He leans his stick
on another chair
and most importantly,

places his coffee cup
on the seventh. No wonder
he looks so smug.