Some new face in the village

The neighbourhood has been spreading rumours,
Round and about, all day long
There’s the hint on the grapevine
Of new movements in old surrounds
Curtains have twisted and nets been cleaned,
As the boxes and furniture arrive
To scatter and scramble out on the pavement
The blue-rinsed old ladies glance past the cardboard
And pierce through the veneer with super sharp vision,
Defined by all those years of idle gossip
They’re looking to find inner meaning in scuffed wardrobes
And the chests of drawers straggling the streets
The contents of the ill-matched luggage
On display to prying, enquiring eyes,
Who have to know just everything
They might well give them the wrong ideas
Cloud their judgement
They never liked the couple who lived there before:
‘Her with her strange ways and penetrating stare’
‘Born in London, she had no place living here’
‘Him with that loud music and fast red car’
‘He really didn’t need to rev that motor, so early in the day’
Now this pair look different
More reserved:
‘Though the way that she wears her hair doesn’t flatter’
‘He looks the type to start it up with the ladies’
And…
‘Their furniture really isn’t up to much’
The sounds of judgements snapping…