'Timothy Winters'

Timothy Winters comes to school 
With eyes as wide as a football-pool, 
Ears like bombs and teeth like splinters: 
A blitz of a boy is Timothy Winters. 

His belly is white, his neck is dark, 
And his hair is an exclamation-mark. 
His clothes are enough to scare a crow 
And through his britches the blue winds blow. 

When teacher talks he won't hear a word 
And he shoots down dead the arithmetic-bird, 
He licks the pattern off his plate 
And he's not even heard of the Welfare State. 

Timothy Winters has bloody feet 
And he lives in a house on Suez Street, 
He sleeps in a sack on the kithen floor 
And they say there aren't boys like him anymore. 

Old Man Winters likes his beer 
And his missus ran off with a bombardier, 
Grandma sits in the grate with a gin 
And Timothy's dosed with an aspirin. 

The welfare Worker lies awake 
But the law's as tricky as a ten-foot snake, 
So Timothy Winters drinks his cup 
And slowly goes on growing up. 

At Morning Prayers the Master helves 
for children less fortunate than ourselves, 
And the loudest response in the room is when 
Timothy Winters roars "Amen!" 

So come one angel, come on ten 
Timothy Winters says "Amen 
Amen amen amen amen." 
Timothy Winters, Lord. Amen 

Charles Causley