Poem: 'THE BASH STREET KIDS'

THE BASH STREET KIDS

I admit it
I threw that stone,
my sweaty nail-bit ten-year-old paw
finger-gripped that hard shrapnel
and launched the missile
that shattered Mr Siser’s window,
the splinter-sharp detonation both
breath-catch crazy with scary exultation

and this is why
Dennis the Menace and Roger the Dodger
and Danny of The Bash Street Kids,
they throw stones, they shatter windows
frame-by-frame in the kid’s adventuretown
I’m forever excluded from,
do it, they hiss-whisper in itchy-urge
throw that stone,
hear that splinter-sharp smash that goes
‘CRASH!!!’ in big red block letters,
it really does, do it, do it,
so I did it

I remember it,
how I threw that stone,
I did it, this is why, I was ten
Dennis the Menace and Roger the Dodger
and Danny of The Bash Street Kids
are still ten in a snigger-frame
kid’s adventuretown this bored adult
is still excluded from,
hard shrapnel finger-gripped tight,
do it, do it they itchy-urge,
I hesitate…