Chinwag Pies

Chinwag Pies 

A crowd gathers
Where the poor run wild, 
Relentlessly taunting 
An innocent child, 
Scathing, scalding 
Thieving eyes, 
Scrimping, scraping 
Chinwag pies. 

Two a penny 
For those that beg, 
A clip round the ear 
For your gammy leg,
Gossiping mothers 
Cannot abide 
The bastard child 
Of the old dockside. 

"Hello sailor, 
Empty your pocket,
Got me shilling 
For me golden locket?"
Ne're-do-well harlot, 
Talk of the town, 
Don't belong round here 
In her five bob gown. 

"What about me boy? 
An urchin for sure, 
Spare him the price
Of being poor"
Toss him a penny, 
Toss him a pound, 
We don't want his sort 
Skulking around, 

Shove him this way, 
Shove him that, 
Shove him in a coffin 
With his begging hat.
The crowd disperses
Back to their lives 
Of hen pecked husbands 
And drunken wives.

Suburban gardens, 
Plastic flowers, 
Hair in curlers, 
Nattering for hours, 
Over the fence 
Spinning their lies 
With folded arms 
And chinwag pies.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2015

Poem

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