A tearaway
The tearaway,
would kick cans, throw litter,
play knock down ginger,
steal milk from doorsteps
and generally run amuck.
At 13, she left school,
well, the local yob, a Teddy Boy
got her knocked up,
she was up the duff
in the pudding club.
Lost the baby at 4 months,
went on the booze,
did tricks for locals
and was generally
bad news.
At 15 they put her in ‘care'
for soliciting,
disorderly behavior
and
threw away the key.
At 21 she had syphilis,
it was the warden, they said.
Her body was all used up
her mind
a mess.
At 22 they found her,
in one of the corridors
she was lying in her own piss.
clutching a bottle,
stone dead.
Us kids used to like her,
she'd give us sweets,
piggy back rides,
and tell us __
life was but a dream.
poem by Ruth Walters
Added by Poetry Lover
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