Kids With Bread And Jam Faces

Cherry

By jolono

Mon, 28 Oct 2013
  • 9182 reads
28 comments
 

Latch key kids with bread and jam faces

Hand me down trousers held up by braces

Worn out shoes with string for laces

Stand together in the pub car park.

 

Arrowroot biscuits and a bottle of pop

Sharing out sweets from the old corner shop

Patiently waiting for the music to stop

Getting colder as light turns to dark.

 

Sneaking a peep through the crack in the door

Smoke in the air, spilt beer on the floor

A woman stops singing, the crowd shouts for more

A dog on a lead starts to bark.

 

Young ears alive as the bells start to chime

Cheering aloud when the guvnor calls time

The whole thing turns in to a cheap pantomime

As the crowd from the pub disembark.

 

Kids run to Mums who are full up with gin

Dad stumbles round with the silliest grin

Now off to home for the fights to begin

Friday night at the Sparrow and Lark!

 

 

 

Certificate 12
Poem
Poems of Life and Love
Miscellaneous

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

very wry, very well worked out and rhythm, rhyme makes it rollick along so well, you've caught the picture of the young lives. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Some observant scenes in this poem Joe...you captured the essence well.  Jenny.

 

Submitted by celticman on

yep. there's always just another drink (after that last one). My mates spent most of their childhood in such car parks.

 

Submitted by jolono on

Rhiannonw thanks. I like this kind of rhyme. No idea why, but it appeals to me...

 

Submitted by jolono on

Thanks Jenny. From the recesses of my mind....

 

Submitted by jolono on

Cheers CM. My Dad wasn't a drinker but the rest of his family were. So any family gathering in the pub meant all the kids were banished to the car park. We were given some crisps and fizz and made to get on with it. I can remember sometimes thirty or forty kids outside playing sometimes!

 

Submitted by jolono on

Cheers Eds for the cherries.

 

Submitted by the unfolding head on

I really like the way you paint it, all comes through so clear. 

ddf

Submitted by jolono on

Thanks TUH. How things have changed.....

 

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

'Cheap pantomime' - I like the sharpness of this and you say the poem stems from when you were young. I felt the same when I was 18 and went to that Nirvana of North London disco sophistication - Baileys in Watford circa 1975- very much a consumer of something that was barely worth it.  But staying at home is worth less.     Elsie

Submitted by jolono on

Thanks Miss. No idea what it was called just liked the way it rhymed.

 

Submitted by scratch on

Nicely done jolono.  Yeah, I remember waiting like a numpty for pop and crisps (that usually got forgotten) as it got dark.

 

Submitted by jolono on

Thanks Scratch.We've all been there. I remember once when I was about seven or eight. My Aunt and Uncle forgot their kids and went home! They were still in the car park when they went to get them at two in the morning! Some say great days... I'm not so sure....

 

Submitted by scratch on

Nah, me either jolono.  But it was what it was eh?

 

Submitted by jolono on

We ( And they) knew no better. Thats just the way it was...

 

Submitted by VeraClark on

Joe, this brought back nights of Panda pop and crisps on wobbly tables. A punchy rhyme and nostalgic language. Thanks for the memory trip, precious times indeed.

 

Submitted by jolono on

Thanks for the read Ray. It seemed so normal back then. But now....

 

Submitted by Bee on

Loved the way the rhythm makes it sound like looking back on those good old fun Friday nights, except not for everyone. I'm sure the memories are more vivid for those having to wait outside. Well thought out.

Enjoyed.

 

Bee

Submitted by Art of the Diver on

I thought you were writing about the town close to where I live in Joe

the scene is real and well stated sir

thank you... take care

Submitted by Luke Neima on

I got a real kick out of this one. Loved the images and the sense of mischief that permeats, here.

Submitted by jolono on

Cheers guys....

 

Submitted by Canonette on

We were allowed in the 'snug'!  I remember the interminable wait for a bottle of vimto and a packet of crisps, which then had to be shared with all the other kids there.  The comments alone show how evocative this poem is - you grabbed me from the first line with "bread and jam faces".smiley

 

Submitted by jolono on

Thanks Canonette. We were allowed in the "off licence" part of the pub...

 

Submitted by Shannan on

And you always claim you don't do poetry ;-) Nice work j.

Hope all goes fabulously well on your side. Have a good weekend $

 

Submitted by jolono on

Thank you Shannan. Hope you're keeping well.

 

Submitted by Shannan on

Pleasure j... a day at a time ... but always blessed in many ways; thanks for posting - have a superb week $

 

Submitted by denni1 on

Oh, you took me right there, J. All those fights after too much bevvy. Always started by mother or granny in our case ..

Submitted by jolono on

It was usually my Aunty Hilda! Glad you liked it Den.