Patrick was always taller.
In Bradford
when he drove a brick wall
and grew prize rainbows
he certainly was.
One of his secrets
is self-portraiture.
He draws himself
up to his full height
then adds a few inches
for good measure.
Another is his ability
to reduce the scale of objects
and people around him.
While friends and I
shrink into middle age
Patrick, cock-a-snook,
stands out like a tall thumb
on the nose of time.
Evenings I see him,
perspected against the bar
Full of tromple-l’œil
Beer in hand
Taller.