Malkie and me .
We lived in the same street .
Friends together .
Since the age of knee-high .
Attended the same school of hard-knocks .
But he was worse than me .
That's what all the other kids said .

As well as Autism ,
he had a cleft palate , and a hairlip .
Nobody understood him
when he spoke .
Except his parents .
And me .
Sounded like he had an eight ball in his gob .
But really ,
underneath all that twitching stuff
he was a sensitive , intelligent bloke .

Folks would say , " Oh , it's a shame " .
Then cross the street
or look the other way .
Some would say , " Aah , what a sin " .
As they quietly
reeled their conscience in .
They would say , " Well , it's a pity " .
But Malkie showed no reaction .
Or did he ?

At the tender age of twenty five ,
Malkie went to bed one night .
Said his prayers , put out the light .
Then took an overdose .
Chose the non-return route
to a better life .

His parents found him
in the morning .
I saw the ambulance
that took him away .
From the house
that he was born in .

Three days previous ,
we had talked ,
and held a conversation .
He spoke to me ;
And told me of his
overwhelming sense
of hypocritic platitudes
and deeply felt frustrations .

Of never having had a girlfriend .
The prospect of never getting married
and settling down
with a loving wife .
Of never being a father ,
never having children .
The bleak outlook of a barren life .

I didn't realise then ,
but now I do .
My good friend Malkie ,
was saying goodbye .

The day of the funeral was hot and sunny .
The church was overrun ,
as people came from far and wide .
It was standing room only .
I did not attend ,
but watched from the hill
that overlooks our town .

They all came for the social .
Not to pay respects .
With their sombre clothes ,
and their how-do-you-do's .
With their forcibly gritted teeth ,
and their pseudo-sorry-attitudes .

I sat , alone ,
and watched ,
and wanted to be sick .

As the bell tolled ,
bright and clear .
I heard the voice of Malkie ,
close up and personal ,
speak softly in my ear ,
" It o it at ads , o it ee ! " .
Yeah ! Right on Malkie ,
" Hypocrite bastards , no pity ! " .