Idiot Song by Jonathan Wonham

After "Moron-Egging" by George Vance

Takes a coin and for the first time flips it
then tests the movement of the thumb
moronically, until the launch is perfect.

Puckers the lips to whistle, producing
his idiot song, feeble wheeze at first
like wind in a drainpipe, but with practice

pure, cadenced, vibrating with humanity.
Professional imbecile, daubing colour,
arm-length swathes of rainbow light

on a canvas nailed from dawn to dusk -
to blot their shades, their tabulations,
their numskull plans for the supply of gas.