Poem In Which The Poor Are Always With Us

Oh the poor the poor they’re always to blame
the poor the poor are always to blame the poor

they’re always to blame no inner resources the poor
the poor no inner resources the poor the poor
they can’t help themselves they spend on booze

the poor they spend on booze no inner resources
the poor the poor they spend on fags the poor
they spend on bad food no inner resources the poor
are always to blame and can’t help themselves

the poor they spend on junk food the poor the poor
they can’t afford they spend on booze on fags
they spend on junk food no inner resources
the poor the poor we cannot afford them the poor
the poor they take and take no inner resources

the poor the poor they eat junk food skip meals
for their kids the poor the poor they spend on fags
they take and take no inner resources the poor
are always to blame the poor did bad at school
too tired to think they cannot learn the poor
the poor no inner resources the poor

they can’t sleep for worry the poor the poor
they can’t help themselves they spend on fags
in debt to their eyeballs they all have big tellies
the poor the poor they worry and worry the poor
they’re always to blame the poor the poor
but what can we do for the poor the poor
no inner resources can’t help themselves

the poor the poor in debt to their eyeballs
the poor the poor with bloody big tellies
the poor the poor they’re spinning in circles
the poor the poor it’s heating or eating
the poor the poor they take and they take
the poor the poor but what can be done for
the poor the poor they’re always to blame
the poor the poor they all have their stories

the poor the poor but who can be bothered
to listen the poor the poor always to blame
they’ll always be with us to blame the poor
the poor the feckless workshy the poor
the poor skip meals for their kids the poor
the poor they take and take the poor
the poor they won’t stop from breeding the poor
the poor have stories to tell the poor
the poor but who can be bothered the poor

the poor just a mass of statistics the poor
the poor the poor we read of in papers
the poor don’t really exist the poor
the poor don’t live down our street the poor
the poor those invisible ghosts at the edge
of our vision the poor the poor they take
and take and never talk back the poor
no inner resources stories to tell the poor
the poor they’ll always be with us the poor
the poor don’t really exist the poor

 

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Steve Waling
Illustration: Claire Palmer

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