A Victorian Lad

Here I am living in London town only a lad James is my name living rough on the streets I am that’s how it is nobody is to blame For this year 1870 most folks poor well those that I see all about had same clothes on me for weeks it’s a battle to survive that’s no doubt I do errand or two for the gentry can earn a copper doing a message helps me get by to end of week must do errand before master gets rage Don’t know my parents who they are remember only always in this street it’s grime and dirty hard to keep clean the air’s so polluted taste it as you eat Reminds me need to get bread to fill these thin veins of mine but learn to live one day at a time the good Lord makes my soul shine