London’s Streets

Gold cherry

By Moonbrand

Mon, 19 Jun 2017
  • 1605 reads
5 comments
 
Tattered copies of yesterday’s papers lie flapping in the gutter
A tired neon light flickers swiftly, like a stutter
Footsteps echo endlessly but no-one ever comes
The lamp-post on the corner, only ever hums
A cat lurks in the shadows. Alert, and so alone
A pool of piss is steaming in a public telephone
A tramp lies in a doorway with cardboard for his sheets
The tourist never sees, this side of London’s streets
 
Some junkie walks on past and has a little mutter
With the poor old chap who had – and lost – a little flutter
And when he got back home, he worked out all his sums
So now he walks alone, with a thousand other bums
The ‘Tourist Guide To London’ avoids the places I have known
They never see the streets where dirt like me was grown
Where drunks are never sure if it’s their heart or head that beats
The tourist never sees this side of London’s streets
 
A sign of peace is sprayed right across a broken shutter
Broken right in two, probably by some right wing nutter
And sixteen year old kids are beaten by their mums
When all they went and did was drink some sixteen rums
I wish that these damn tourists could see the things that I was shown
Or see my mother’s fingers where they’re worn down to the bone
Or maybe see my brother’s pants worn right through the seat
But the tourist never sees this side of London’s streets
 
A six foot billboard screams, “No buts it must be butter”
And a six foot drunk Italian tells his wife he’s gonna cut her
And six year old Christine is bleeding from the gum
Cos daddy always hits her when he comes home drunk and numb
And then he takes a beating, cos he couldn’t pay a loan
And Christine doesn’t understand why mummy always moans
There are so many people that the devil always cheats
And still the tourist never sees this side of London’s streets
 
Steve Smith © 1983
Certificate PG
Poem
Rant

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

ah - I was wondering when this was written, then I noticed the date. I wonder if you'd write a different poem if it were about now - not better, but different

 

Submitted by PoppyS on

Due to recent events I think more people are seeing the other 'side' of London these days.
You paint not a pretty picture, but then most places show 'two faces', it's just that London is so populated as well as being a magnet for those who still believe in the 'streets being paved with gold'.

A strong, descriptive piece of writing congratulations on your award, well deserved.

Pops ~xx~

Writing is art in pictures – Go paint poetry!

Submitted by Moonbrand on

At the time I wrote this I worked in London but I had my own issues and could often be found drinking 'off-piste' so to speak. I moved about the other side of London's streets. If I wrote this now would it be different? Yes, but the underlying inspirations would be very similar. Thankfully, I am fre of my own demons now and live in the bucolic sanctity of Norfolk so maybe I couldn't even write it now????

 

 

Submitted by Ewan on

sharp and bitter snapshot of London Life at a certain moment in time is our Facebook/Twitter pick of the day.

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

If you like it why not share/retweet it yourself.

Picture is wikipedia.commons; owner glenluwin; licence Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by celticman on

aye, remains a picture tourist never see, but one on which we can agree.