Indeed I Swear

Glasgow

Indeed I Swear

I guess you could see me profound,

but there will be no eloquent soliloquys

nor elegant low bows of chivalry

from me. For I am indeed a child

of the backstreets where the urchins of

Blackhill, Easterhouse, Riddrie

and the Gorbals roamed by day

and the razor cut a red slash

under the cover of dark

in the name of green or blue,

Catholic against Protestant.

No mean city lived up to its name

with rain soaked streets lined with

dark foreboding tenements,

their closes looking like the caves of wild men

with rats dallying among the sewage

and discarded tin cans in

backyards strewn with flapping

wet washing on lines strung

between leaning dark green posts

and walls daubed in screaming

paint, ‘Tongs Ya Bass!’

And yet when the sun shone

the hair netted women

in wash coats

gathered in the poverty

of communities united in despair

to pass the time of day

before returning with a smile

to their daily chores

mending well-worn clothes

as they listen to Housewives Choice

and watch bubbling stew

in large pots on flaming stoves,

gas meters fed with shillings

scraped from the Family Allowance

to ensure full bellies

for working and idle men.

So grew my penchant for profanity

and I am f*****g glad I left.

 

27/10/14

Author's Note

Reviews

[The Black Warrior]

I love this poem, very direct, descriptive.

My favov. line of course

So grew my penchant for profanity

and I am f*****g glad I left.


Nicely done, you peened it well

~Suk

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you so much Suk.

[The Black Warrior]

You are very welcome!

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

A descriptive piece that drives the hard hits at our emotions well done

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Many thanks Thomas.

[Lyn Anderson]

The ending hits hard. You paint a picture well for someone who knows nothing about the inner workings of the area, so I have to say it's a pretty good poem.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you 'M' although I know well the workings of the area having lived my first 19 years in this piece.