A CRAP POET

One of my creative writing students presented a lovely poem in class the other day and it reminded me that I once wrote a book of poetry which I decided to dig out. Oh dear. Perhaps I shouldn't have done. It wasn't as good as I remembered it but then it was written 30 years ago. Make your own mind up after reading this effort - the only one in the book that actually rhymed.

POOR NELLIE

Poor Nellie
From a family of ten,
Tried hard to find someone,
But failed again.

She first got married
To a kind gentle hood,
But Nellie was bored and wanted excitement
However she could.

She found it with Sonny
Oh what a mistake,
Her mother did warn her.
She said : “You’ll be sorry.”

He battered and bruised her
And broke her two arms
Smashed a bottle on her head
Was this his charm?

The ambulance came
And took Nellie away
To hospital
For a very long stay.

They mended her arms
And stitched up her head
But that was no good
Because to Sonny she’s wed.

They took him to prison
And gave her some money
Nellie’s life at last
Looked rosy and sunny.

Then she met a rich man
With a business his own
He fell madly in love
And left his wife at home.

They have a young boy
Nellie's own pride and joy.
A spiteful child
Left alone to run wild.

Ten years later
The man still calls around
On a Saturday night
With his duty £10.

She waits for the weekend
To see him again
She says she will end it
But she doesn’t know when.

She still has her dreams
And exciting schemes
And doesn’t see why
Her life has passed by.

Gone is her beauty
And soft golden hair
It’s hard to believe
That she once made men stare.

Now her face is all wrinkles
And her hair’s harshly permed
She’s older than years
And feels quite disturbed.

Poor Nellie.