I took my son to the barbers today, and I sat there and I thought about how it compared to when I was small,
All of the equipment is battery driven, but way back when it was scissors that were usually blunt,
The seat for a child was a plank of wood, but now they have a comfortable seat to make them feel good.
They asked my son about his style, but a long time ago it was just short back and sides.
The tools they use today seems to be all throw away as I look around the shop,
but a long time ago they were sharpened on a long leather strop.
My son got to choose who cut his hair, he chose Rosa, but I had only one choice, old Bob Fenner and I am absolutely certain he charged less than a tenner!
Woke up this morning.
Woke out of sleep.
Woke on the radio.
Woke on TV.
Read about fascists.
Read about greed.
Read about people starving.
Read with my eyes, free thoughts in my mind indeed.
Oh, that’s so woke of me!
Woke made a sandwich.
Woke had a cup of tea.
Woke fed the birds.
Woke sent money to charities.
Woke helped an old lady.
Woke gave a tenner to a homeless stranger in need.
Woke wore a face mask when woke went shopping.
Woke heard the tories lying, lying, lying.
Woke went home to a house woke bought and payed for with hard earned money.
Woke made a meal with his woke family.
Woke relaxed with some commonwealth games on TV.
Woke went to bed where woke dreamed of of the end of the fascists ruling me.
Their faces are still there;
caricatures and cameos,
grinning mugs and jug ears.
Cheering, jeering chums
that would phone at four in the morning
to garble drunken thoughts,
make momentous plans,
or borrow ten quid.
The oddball humorist
and part-time suicide,
the drama queen
contesting her own shadow,
the poet who never wrote a poem.
The mon ami and mon amie
that drank for you
when you could drink no more.
Long after the late-night bus rides,
I see their features pressed against
softly glowing windows,
as London transports them
even to far off Ohio;
their lips silently mouthing –
a last goodbye or maybe just trying
to cadge another tenner.
The dirty sun crawls up
Behind the clouds
Lighting slightly
The dark side days
Of a dirty,dull,damned nation.
50 now
Atomic hair falling out
One tooth left
The sweet one
Hardly any money
Hardly any hope left
Residential care home
Still got my art though
Who knows what schemes
The murderous middle aged
Women have dreamt up today
A killer virus on its way
Vaccinatons send you back to the start
And a mental health system with no heart.
I walk down the streets of the divine
Shopping time
A tenner in the bank
The graffitti cleaners
Pass by
As I sit on a bench
And paint a picture in my imagination.
We were class mates for 6 years.
Sat on the same bench together and did fun things.
But we had different views on life.
You looked to the stars above.
And I looked at the starkness of life.
And so you became a successful career woman
With tons of money and fame.
While I wandered through the world trying to find meaning.
Yes our lives were different and jealously creeped in.
But then I saw you in church one day.
And as the collection box passed by I saw you slipped in a miserly tenner.
I thought wow I think I am richer than you in many ways.
Yes my life is like a quilt of brocade, different patches all stitched up together.
But what a lovely piece of tapestry it is when I stand and observe.
And I think Yes God I am Blessed.
Don’t come trick or treating down here
We spent all our money on beer
Don’t knock at our door
‘Cos we’re scary and poor
Lend us a tenner for gear
by Gail
v
THE DAY WE WENT TO HUCKNALL
The day we went to Hucknall, didn’t we have a lovely time.
So much so, I thought I would turn it into a rhyme.
The two of us.
On the bus.
Then on the tram
Then through the rain we ran.
To get our lunch at the pilgrim oak.
Just me and the old bloke.
Him with his platefull of fish, chips, and peas.
Me with my low fat spaghetti bolognese.
It only cost £6 50p for the lot.
It was even served piping hot.
Then round the charity shops we went.
To look for bargains, money well spent.
I got two brand new pairs of trousers for me.
each of them costing only 50p.
Now it is starting to get dark.
We must find our way back to the tram park
The tram takes us back to the market square.
We run to catch the number 10 bus, its ready to go, don’t you dare.
On the bus home it dawned on me.
We still had change from a tenner to get our tea.
A whole day out, including, lunch, new clothes, the bus, the tram.
Total spend £7 50p now the bus and tram.
Are free for me and the old man.
v
THE DAY WE WENT TO HUCKNALL
The day we went to Hucknall, didn’t we have a lovely time.
So much so, I thought I would turn it into a rhyme.
The two of us.
On the bus.
Then on the tram
Then through the rain we ran.
To get our lunch at the pilgrim oak.
Just me and the old bloke.
Him with his platefull of fish, chips, and peas.
Me with my low fat spaghetti bolognese.
It only cost £6 50p for the lot.
It was even served piping hot.
Then round the charity shops we went.
To look for bargains, money well spent.
I got two brand new pairs of trousers for me.
each of them costing only 50p.
Now it is starting to get dark.
We must find our way back to the tram park
The tram takes us back to the market square.
We run to catch the number 10 bus, its ready to go, don’t you dare.
On the bus home it dawned on me.
We still had change from a tenner to get our tea.
A whole day out, including, lunch, new clothes, the bus, the tram.
Total spend £7 50p now the bus and tram.
Are free for me and the old man.
Staring in disbelief
Heart thumping
Pulse racing
Trying to speak
But unable to make a sound
Wondering if I am dreaming
It cannot be reality…
…Surely
Why me?
Why not me?
No, there must be some mistake
I recall my past
Happiness and heartbreak
Life will never be the same again
I find my voice and shout:
‘YES!’
*I got pretty excited to win a tenner on the lottery, LOL
For Constance’s Fragment contest, 6th September
No Drugs For Me
I saw this boy walking down the street,
with the coolest trainers on his feet,
he said "hey geezer in the baseball cap,
sort me out a tenner rap!"
"Listen up and you'll be fine,
there's this new stuff in that'll blow your mind,
it'll make you feel you're in ecstasy,
you must of heard it, they call it an 'E'?
It does loads of cushty things to you,
makes you have hallucinations too,
but then you'll spin out 'n' fall on your head,
next thing you know, you're in hospital DEAD!"
"No way man, no more drugs for me,
there's a lot more to life than L.S.D,
forget about that tenner rap,
I'm staying away from all that crap!"
Written for my English homework (saying no to drugs). Aged 13 years
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