During the long days of work and especially in winter,
in the factory, in order to keep us youngsters awake,
an effigy, the full size of a man, made of cotton, and
when required, was carried round the room on a
man’s back to waken us all up,
– My Life and Times, Moses Heap
Cacophonies of loom
– can’t ever scrape
that din from the brain
Don’t know at what age
I began to go to the mill
only that fayther
carried me – aged five
over the moors on his back
afore first light
scritched holes in the dark
even as I grew
nights of winter dragged
Can’t seem never to
get away tek the Witchway
up from Manchester back
to ghost clogs – tap tap
nostalgic dances
on millstone cobblestones
20 out of 24 mills
employed childer under 9
12 hour shifts
afore the Factory Act
them dreams come back
mee-mawing
of a scary effigy
made of owd cotton
the full height of a man
carried round the floors
to keep young hands – our
delicate small hands
awake to their tasks
.
Steve Waling
.