You can trust Gustav, his friends would say
he has no secrets, no nothing to hide
They all know his love of satin
sheer organza, delicate chiffon, the finest lace
He has been known to turn up to parties
in fetching frills and pearls, off the shoulder silk
to complement his décolletage
Gustav is exacting in his appearance
choosing earrings, a gold necklace
and matching bracelet
His finger nails painted and elegant
though he refuses to wear high heels
He tried it only once and stumbled
rather ungracefully
down a flight of Berkeley stairs
When the bottle of vintage Dom Pérignon
disappeared at the end of the evening
no one suspected Gustav
And when the crystal candleholders
were gone from the mantelpiece
no one thought of Gustav
The diamond necklace
the collector's first edition
even the antique hand mirror
why, no one guessed Gustav
Because, you see
Gustav has no secrets
Fernando Botero, ‘Melancholia’ 1989 (oil on canvas). Reproduced courtesy Wikigallery