Doppelganger

Gran was the doppelganger of Ena Sharples,
her favourite television character in Corrie;
the same determined look, a bulldog face
that was covered in wrinkles, full of worry.

She’d met Violet Carson, who played Ena,
when invited to visit the soap opera’s set.
Decided to wear a double-breasted coat
and on her silver curly head, a hairnet.

What happened on the screen mirrored
her behaviour in real life, without a doubt.
She frequented, with friends, a local pub
and enjoyed in particular a glass of stout.

Was chummy with two women of her age,
two gossiping and interfering old biddies
who were scathing of the youth of today
although they had spawned a lot of kiddies

She was disapproving of loose women
and therefore antipathetic to Elsie Tanner.
Didn’t think that prying in peoples' lives
was wrong and the epitome of bad manner.

We accepted her eccentricity unreservedly,
didn’t consider her a nagging  termagant
and it did not mean that we loved her less
because her views seemed to us extravagant.

© Luigi Pagano 2015