Poverty

POVERTY

Ragamuffin kids,
Arse hanging from breeches;
Clothes held together
With mum’s frantic stitches.

No telly to watch,
No car to drive,
Finding it a struggle
To survive.

Husband works
For a very low wage;
Hard to keep a family
In this day and age.

Household bills
And cheapest brand foods;
But kids taught good manners,
Never to be rude.

Scrimp and scrape
To put food on the table;
Every penny counts,
To do the best they are able.

Too proud for hand-outs,
But the subject is raw;
Do YOU know what goes on
Behind a neighbours door ?

If things don’t seem right,
It won’t really be rude
If you anonymously make a phone call,
And get Social Services to intrude.

They can ask questions,
And judge for themselves,
How the families situated,
Regarding their health and their wealth.

Keep an eye on the old folk,
But it’s not them, alone
Even young couples feel the pinch
As they set up their home.

Jim Bell
Chatham
Kent