In a Tehran hotel I asked for a room
“a small one if possible please”
A young man with keys escorted me up
a couple of flights selected a door and went in

He told me the price and concealing my shock
I decided on saving my face
by requesting ‘a smaller one still’
Off we went up and selected another

He ushered me in and asked me if this one would do
I said that it would and holding my breath
I asked him the price
“The same as the other” he pleasantly said

I swallowed my pride laboriously squeezing out the words
“and cheaper?” to which he replied “Certainly: this one, sir.”
Later viewing all from my lofty vista I reflected on
'the humiliation of the hoisted’.