(An embarrassing one)
The girl from Nuneaton
I’ll make my way
through West end, to where I’ll rest my head,
To the bookshop on Piccadilly, that’s now a camping shop instead.
A man and woman are there sleeping, and I’ve seen that bloke before,
But there’s plenty of room in
this big space , I’ll go the other
side of the door.
I’d seen him earlier
at Leicester square, with this girl around four hours ago,
I’d not seen her
around here ever before, she’s new and it’s easy to know.
Couldn’t tell she was
homeless that time I saw her, she’s clean and her clothes are well kept,
So I was surprised that I saw her again, down on the floor there she
slept.
As I go to put all my cardboard down, and lay it out over the ground,
I try to do it quietly, not to wake them with the sound.
But then she sits up in her sleeping bag and says “hi how are you?”
And I could tell straight from her accent, she was from the midlands
too.
She don’t seem the type at
all, to be hanging with that bloke,
He’s hardcore on the
heroin, always looking for a smoke.
She’s new round here
don’t know these
streets, it’s obvious to see,
Then she asks if it’s OK, to sleep right next to me.
So I say “Hey why not” to the girl, “there’s plenty more space over here”,
I think that she’s got too much life in her, to end up on the gear.
She told me was nineteen, and been here a day or two,
Had ran off from Nuneaton town and didn’t know what to do.
I told her I was eighteen, just like I did to all,
In case someone would grass me up, and give the police a call.
She said she had some money to get a hotel for the night,
“Why don’t you come with me?” she said, so I replied “alright.”
We waited till the morning came and took a walk about,
She had to go inside her bank, to get her money out.
We looked inside a phone directory, for somewhere to stay,
And found a B&B near Gloucester Road, we got to later on that day.
We checked in then we relaxed, we chilled out on the bed.
She pulled my trousers off of me, T-shirt over my head.
And then all of a sudden, I heard her do some sort of scream,
“Oh my god you’re filthy, you need to have a clean!”
She said “please now get into
the shower; look your boxer-shorts are black.
And make sure that you have a good wash, before you come back.
The shower was outside of the
room, so I then soon made my way,
Looked at my face in the mirror, and noticed all my neck was grey.
So I washed and I washed for a good fifteen minutes, and tried my best
to get clean,
I guess that this moment was new learning curve, that will one day help
my own self-esteem.
I then threw my boxers into the sink, used the soap in there and let
them soak,
And then made my way back to the hotel room, I’ll make up a rolley to smoke.
So I walked into the room and soon then I knew, that this girl was no
longer there,
The window was left open all of the way, and she’d emptied all her handbag bare.
I waited around for a few minutes, but I knew that she weren’t to return,
A positive dent is now inside my pride, and in a small way I will learn.
As I look back in hindsight, I think I took for granted,
The fact that she would be alright, out there taking chances.
I thought that she would go back home, I guess that I’d be glad,
To know she had a safe return, back to her mum and dad.
Poetry written by Ben Westwood, Musician and poet. UK
Copyright Ben Westwood.
To view all fourteen current poems from this project click here.
Copyright Ben Westwood.
To view all fourteen current poems from this project click here.
Follow the true story of a young teenager
running away from home and the state, in a premature search for independence. In
poetry.
Making choices that often only a young mind would make, Ben tells his story and memories of being in the social services system from eleven years old, as well as 1990’s London street life, as a missing runaway sleeping rough.
From angels, predators, shocking times to heart-warming moments, Musician and now debut author Ben Westwood gives an insight into the mind of a rebellious-spirited youngster trying to find his own way in the world.
You can read the first fourteen poems written for this project at the following link.
http://benwestwooduk.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/complete-list-of-current-published.html
To order a signed colour copy you can order via paypal below.
The price is £18.99 including postage and packaging
Making choices that often only a young mind would make, Ben tells his story and memories of being in the social services system from eleven years old, as well as 1990’s London street life, as a missing runaway sleeping rough.
From angels, predators, shocking times to heart-warming moments, Musician and now debut author Ben Westwood gives an insight into the mind of a rebellious-spirited youngster trying to find his own way in the world.
You can read the first fourteen poems written for this project at the following link.
http://benwestwooduk.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/complete-list-of-current-published.html
To order a signed colour copy you can order via paypal below.
The price is £18.99 including postage and packaging
