Trevor Thomas, Sylvia’s downstairs neighbor at Fitzroy Road December 1962
Ill and ill-mannered,
she stole the second-floor flat
from me and my sons
with her green American dollars.
I implore her thrice to keep
the entranceway clean, not clogged
with baby toys and debris.
I know she stuffs my bin with her rubbish.
Under her breath she calls me ill-tempered.
The hall is not a garage, I say to her.
If she finds me unkind for pointing this out,
then her manners need mending.
What kind of mother taught her
to abuse her neighbors like this—taught her
to be a rude American, thinking a smile
and a plea will get her out of anything.
Trevor Thomas was an artist who worked as a fine arts editor at the Gordon Fraser Gallery. Trevor was divorced and the father of two sons. He had wanted to move into the upper flat, but Sylvia offered more money and beat him out. Relations between Trevor Thomas and Sylvia improved somewhat when he discovered that she was Sylvia Plath, the poet. Also, as Sylvia slipped further into depression and despair, Trevor softened and took pity on her.