Rich Pickings

There’s folk worse off than us, by far 

Worse off, worse off than us, by far 

Pass another drink across the bar 

There’s people worse off, by far

There’s people in dire straits they say 

Dire straits they say, dire straits they say 

I’ll sail my yacht across the bay 

There’s folk in trouble they say

There’s people with no food to eat 

No food to eat, no food to eat 

There are no food banks down our street 

There’s people with no food to eat

There’s folk who can’t afford their rent 

Can’t pay their rent, can’t pay their rent 

This mansion’s my main residence 

There’s people who can’t pay rent

There’s kids who have no shoes to wear 

No shoes to wear, no shoes to wear 

My Rolex watch shows wear and tear 

There’s no shoes for their kids to wear

There’s poverty in the neighbourhood 

And poverty ain’t particularly good 

It’s not good press and it sours the mood 

There’s poor folk in the neighbourhood 

Yes, there’s poverty in the neighbourhood

Steve Wheeler © 24 January, 2022

Photo by Steve Wheeler

Try not to stare

At the end of the street where the three pathways meet who knows where your feet will travel? \ past the strip clubs and whores, drunken bullies and bores, just don’t stare as their stories unravel \ there’s perverts and nonces, and deviants and ponces who’d rival the vile Jimmy Savile \ there’s clip joints and boozers, and gamblers, and losers, and hustlers and waste-yer-time rabble \\ 

keep your eyes dead ahead, and your thoughts in your head as they paint the town red where you travel \ on bad concrete tracks, over potholes and cracks having sheer heart attacks in the gravel \ you could choke in the mud of this bad neighbourhood, you could drown in the blood of the battle \ no one would care, you’d be left lying there in a bright neon glare that will dazzle \ near the ill-repute clubs and the alcohol hubs and the noisy hubbub of the razzle \ there's no semblance of law, there’s no order at all, there’s no fall of a magistrate’s gavel \\ 

move along while you dare but please don’t stop and stare at the urban despair in the city \ make no contact with eyes, and disguise your surprise because most will despise any pity \ put aside your alarm and disarm with your charm or you’ll come to some harm in the city \ the district is seedy, but the people are needy, stay away from their greedy ferocity \\ 

Steve Wheeler © 16 January, 2021

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