Scare-the-Weans Semple

1. It's Saturday evening,
2.  some time after tea,
3. The children contentedly
4.  watching TV,
5. My wife's on the sofa,
6.  preparing to snooze,
7. I'm sat in the window seat
8.  reading the news.
   
   
9. On hearing the sound
10.  of our squeaky front gate,
11. I look up to see
12.  who would visit so late:
13. Two uniformed policemen
14.  are at the front door.
15. My wife goes to see
16.  what they're visiting for.
    
    
17. "We're sorry — excuse this
18.  intrusion from us.
19. It looks like your husband's
20.  been hit by a bus."
21. My wife says, "That's true,
22.  many people have said,
23. But he's good with the children
24.  and quiet in bed."
    
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by Albert Semple
24 lines over 3 stanzas.