Charlie

Charlie wasn’t a mouse at all
he was a hamster in disguise
a cuddly one minus a living heart
however in the eyes of our petite poppet
he was so very deeply loved
cherished and adored by Beth

he accompanied her everywhere
a six inch TY toy with a real cute look
she took him to school each day
placed him in her tray for safekeeping
where sadly he was taken at break
by Cameron the disturbed

a child from another class
a nine year old with problems
who wandered in unseen
like a thief on a dark night mission
to promptly and maliciously
slash poor defenseless Charlie
in an act quite shocking

mutilated with scissors
his little body ripped apart
a capon trail and random bits of
soft flesh material ditched
throughout the classroom
leaving the gory evidence
of a heartless crime in his wake

eighteen years have passed
since that tearful time
when floods of hot tears turned
into an outpouring of childhood grief
for a special companion

we found ourselves discussing
the fate of Charlie in the context
of the grown up world
where violence mutates and walks
unstoppable amongst us

where some little boys have morphed
into blood letting savages
without an ounce of compassion
coursing through their vile veins
we never know where that hatred
first germinates do we?

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

tragically this plays out on many levels, i think. in answer to the question as to where evil germinates ... only one place, my friend; in out hearts and planted there by the father of evil who lies and seduces. the psychology of the violence and horror of you poem would, i am sure, complex and difficult, at best, to guide the perp to an understanding themselves. your poem resurfaces something we should never take for granted .... safety. to me, this world still has lions, tigers and bears in it that are particularly predatory ... for a very small gain ... sometimes new sneakers, a pair of "statement" jeans ... etc. etc. in such situations everyday people are called on the be heroes .. your poem inadvertently braces me to question whether my courage would sustain me ... too many remembrances of senseless violence against the innocent .. i'm curious to know if you had a certain instance your poem refers to ..
hugs and love, Chris,
wishing you well,
E.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Mr E for sharing your thoughts. I wrote this poem after a conversation with Beth my granddaughter. She still has a Charlie mouse, we managed to replace it. In fact we bought three !!! She is 25 now and right out of the blue she started to talk about Cameron and how upset she had been back in the day. Charlie is still precious to her. Thank you so much. We don’t know what happened to Cameron. I hope he is happy and balanced!

Chris

[Einstein Noodle]

seems i took a deep dive into something more innocent ... a childhood story of Charlie :)

[Andrew John]

Very disturbing. Shudder, shudder, shudder. Well put, Chris. BTW, I (this rather old gentleman) have a little bear called Mr Titch, and somewhere here there's a poem about him. He has eyes, a nose, a mouth, features, but is artificial fur. Cost me a quid at Poundland. But I love him. I'll try not to rip him to pieces.

[Chris Shaw]

I love that you have Mr Titch Andrew. I have a small collection of cuddlies as well. And for just a pound at Poundland. Value for money. I’m sure he doesn’t have to worry about violence:)). Have a good Wednesday.

Chris

[Samuel Dickens]

I'm afraid Cameron isn't the only one made that way, for I've seen it with my own eyes on several occasions. They're just born bad, and I don't know why. Poor Beth and poor Charlie--I wish they hadn't fallen victim. I love your poems because you say worthwhile things.

[Chris Shaw]

Hello Sam, a sad lesson for Beth to learn so early on in tender years. Fortunately for me at the same age, I never came across children so openly nasty, most were kind and thoughtful. Lovely to have a visit from you. All good wishes.

Chris

[Soren]

Deeply psychological Chris this poem is brilliantly set up with the development of cuteness, innocence and peacefulness disturbed by a disturbed child. Can violence be blamed on an illness, is it inherited or learned through abuse and trauma. We don't know but the pain goes on as does the violence and in our helplessness to fix it we continue to blame just as we did witches in the past emotions and fear overriding common sense. Well penned Chris

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Soren, this one took some effort to write so I am pleased it worked for you. Yes the violence is always there, nothing changes. As to the reasons, we still play the blame game. I value your encouragement. Have a great Friday.

Chris

[Soren]

You are most welcome Chris

[The Ann Stories]

Nice one - and chilling too
They say narcissism grows in the cot
And in each layer of awareness it ties a knot
Just to make sure it is never forgot

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you for stopping by The Ann Stories and leaving your thoughts. Pleased you enjoyed the read. All good wishes.

Chris

[Beccy]

I think evil is born in some. It can be a slow process, but if unchecked, and as we have witnessed since man first stood upright, it often mutates into awful consequence and the stretch between such mindless acts as you describe, and for example, Mao Zedong, Hitler and Pol Pot, (to name but three,) is not that far.

I don't know what the answer is, but I wish with all my heart I did.

Beccy. X

[Chris Shaw]

Hello Beccy. Lovely to have a visit from you. Hope all is good in your world. I think many of us would like to know what the answers are. Have a good Sunday.

Chris

[Andrew John]

I had a stepdad called Charlie. Oh, how poems can make you think! Mind you, I rather enjoyed reading this - well, felt a great emotion. So beautifully told

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Andrew for your encouraging thoughts. Have a beautiful Sunday.

Chris

[Andrew John]

I wrote second "review" and thought, "Hmm, haven't I responded to this already?" I had! Hmm. This brain!

[Jansy]

Chris, this poem is incredibly moving. The way you capture Beth’s deep attachment to Charlie and the heartbreak of that loss is both tender and haunting. I was struck by how seamlessly the poem moves from a child’s personal grief to the larger reflections on violence in the world, it’s poignant and thought-provoking. You’ve given such care to both the small, intimate details and the larger truths they reflect.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Jansy for your comprehensive review. Yes, Beth’s heartbreak over Charlie, has not been forgotten. As to Cameron, he provokes alot of thought. Can’t help feeling that child must have been the subject of abuse himself. Sad world we live in, and the sickening violence seems like a plague. It’s everywhere and at times in the most unlikely places.

Chris

[Jansy]

It was a pleasure to read. I am still new to this site and reviewing poetry. So I get kinda nervous. I'm glad my review is ok. I enjoyed reading it

[Michael Sun Bear]

Hello Chris, I find it fascinating that the story of Beth and Charlie after all this time became not only a subject for family discussion but that you have shared it with us. First off, let me say I can imagine how traumatic it must have been for Beth, I would love to see something she might write about it. It’s easy to think Cameron may have been a psychopath, but there may be other reasons. Do you know how he turned out as an adult? Your poem opens up such a huge area of discussion. I am thinking about child warriors in Africa armed with automatic weapons and given their daily ration of quat to chew. Child killers in the drug cartels of our neighbors here in the U.S. I have encountered young gang members in detox/rehab who were perfectly well behaved away from their peer pressure but I am sure would have killed if their gang family wanted it. People like to think violence is more prevalent, is somehow worse. The world has always been very violent. We in the middle class west just were not exposed to it growing up even though extreme violence was always occurring in parts of the world. Violent crime in the U.S has actually declined, but now that news is entertainment rather than journalism, we are made to believe our world is scarier than it really is.

[Chris Shaw]

When I wrote about Charlie, I knew it would open up a wide area of thought. Child killers were also on my mind. Children who are indoctrinated with hate who kill. Fills me with chills Michael. We don’t know what happened to Cameron. I hope he has been able to lead a happy peaceful life. As to Beth, we bought several replacement Charlie’s and she still has one today. As to violence, it terrifies me and over here in the UK , we are seeing more of it in a day to day basis. Particularly violence against women. Thank you so much for your thoughts Michael. I appreciate them.

Chris

[John the Baptist]

Sounds as though Cameron was a sociopath in the making. One wonders how he turned out.

[Chris Shaw]

I hope he got the help he needed and he now leads a happy and peaceful life. We bought several replacement Charlie’s for Beth. No long term damage there. She still has Charlie today. Thank you John.

Chris