I’m just a common snipe skulking in the gutter
With my short legs, filthy face, squint and stutter,
Cowering from the chorus of curses that they mutter,
Outcast, urchin, ragamuffin, nutter.
They want to trap this guttersnipe inside a birdcage,
Break my thirst for brawls and wrangle with my rage,
Button up my cheeky lip and record me on a page
In a ledger in a workhouse in a new Victorian age.
The inertia of my life was served up by fate,
A spectral existence means I stay up late,
Then I sleep until dusk to procrastinate
Stealing down the crow’s mile to miss my date
With life’s book keeper,
The night creeper,
The pied piper,
The grim reaper.
© Kim M. Russell, 2016
The following url links to my reading of the poem (with a bit of a Cockney accent!).
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Am32hiIAHhufrFZpYh7zy4RJFc4x
Image found on www.dailymail.co.uk
My response to Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Wordle #123 “October 3rd, 2016”
I love the way you used the synonyms of guttersnipe and how he is portrayed as wanting to be a free spirit rather than caged, but his life is still sort of mundane. The poetry is flawless and should be read out a loud, I really enjoyed reading.
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Unfortunately, homeless children get trapped in a cycle, even though they often believe they are free, usually from abuse. In Victorian times it was even worse. I’d like to think we’ve moved on from that kind of poverty but it still exists.
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We haven’t moved on, we have just made some of the abuse more organised in a few ways. But, we have truly come a long way.
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Excellent piece, and yes, our minds did go in similar directions on this one. I agree with Joyfrida — a piece to be read aloud.
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Thank you so much! I was aiming for a kind of rap rhythm for this, imagining a modern-day New Age Victorian guttersnipe!
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It works! You should record a version for the sight using one of the audio apps.
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I might try that if I can get my microphone to work properly!
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Would be great if you could get it to work properly.
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I’m waiting for a quiet moment to have a go!
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Great!
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I tried recording on One Drive and I’ve added a link. Let me know if it works and I’ll improve it!
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wow…this is heavy with imagery, very well done. So many children of the poor never survived.
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Unfortunately, that’s still the case in many parts of the world. I think everyone should keep in mind, we are all accidents of birth. When I was a child on the streets of south London, I was pretty much a guttersnipe but my grandparents had hopes and aspirations…
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I was raised in the country side of NJ….was a guttersnipe on the river and woods. there were no children to play with. And I had no grandparents. Just two parents with their own demons to attend to. not me.
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But look at us now – something must have gone right!
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ROTF!!! YES!!! Something must have gone right!
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What does ROIF mean?
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rolling on the floor….in laughter
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Ah 🙂
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I’d like to say great poem, but it is and was more of a biography for many children then and now. Your comments are spot on. Such a bleak existence makes a mockery of society. It is a great poem Kim.
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Thank you, Brian. Your comments are much appreciated.
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I really love the rhyme and rhythm of this, I agree reading outloud is a must. Tragic, tragic situation but brilliant writing
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Thank you so much – that means a lot to me.
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I adore that second stanza! Great work.
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Thank you for your kind comment, Mama Zen!
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I like your word play and your political undercurrent.
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Thanks for stopping by and reading, Brenda. Your comments are much appreciated.
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I see you write for kids. Ever try Poetry Friday?
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I haven’t come across Poetry Friday yet – I’ll look out for it. Thanks for the suggestion!
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I publish most Fridays. Many of the poets have books traditionally published. It’s been awesome for my writing.
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Sounds wonderful — great recording. Just a thought — perhaps you could tell folks that the url leads to a reading of the poem.
Now that you have it figured out, I hope you feel like recording more of your poetry.
Fantastic!
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Thank you for listening! I’ll add a note to the post.
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