From a Boy To a Man

From a boy to a man Just a wee lad, pants begining to wear, His Mum used a basin to cut his hair. His Mum worked hard, no Dad you see, Burnt herself out feeding her family. School to him was both good and bad, Always bullied because he had no Dad. It was also good,he loved to learn. Sad it stopped early, he had to earn. A job he soon got, to learn a trade, He'd do anything as long as it paid. It didn't take long for it to sink in, It would take years for trade to begin. Walked out of one job into another quick, Chopping and changing, didn't do the trick. He needed to settle, not somewhere near, So he chose the Army to get a career. Boy Soldier/Apprentice he had become, With regular money to send home to Mum. The basin cut was now a short back and sides, Army clothes were itchy, never quite his size. At least they were new and his shoes now fit, He looked halfway decent in his army outfit. A scrawny and gangling lad of fifteen at the start, Never had so much gear of his own to look smart. Good food in his belly, regular three times a day, Started filling out nicely in a muscular way. He'd always been fit,no flab had he gained, He got leaner and stronger, each day he trained. Days of schooling and running soon became his life. Still bullied by some who thought they were right, He was biding his time while being taught to fight. The day came when the bully came to attack, But trouble was waiting, the wimp could fight back. A fight ensued, the bully soon found he was tried, By the scrawny kid who had cowered and cried. The defensive moves the lad had practiced well, Soon all could see the bully was beaten to hell. The kid from the back streets in days gone past, Had now grown and become a man at last. © Dave Timperley June 2016