Jews and Ragamuffins of Kilburn
But she goes
shopping in
вАФkillвБ†вАФburnвБ†вАФ
вАФ
she knows
itвБ†вАФnamed for its pavement lid of hellвБ†вАФвБ†вАКвБ†вАФ
here dwell
haberdashers
they scare her
with adventures
of dashing rabbitвБ†вАФhares
Gingerly Nurse
lifts her nose
because
in Kilburn are so many Jews
She fears to find them crawling up her socks
but hears
the Jews killed Jesus
and are bound for Hades
with rвБ†вАФвБ†oвБ†вАФвБ†uвБ†вАФвБ†nвБ†вАФвБ†d noses
Here where the common children swarm
вАФwho choose
chillblains and chaps
and fluted shoes
and shout вАЬGaaвБ†вАФвБ†aarвБ†вАФвБ†rnвАЭ
One
wearing
a straggling
lambsвАЩвБ†вАФwool
tippet
tied in front
with a tag of pink tape
and at the back
her plait
humps itself over it
kneels
in a queer
position
of sideway struggle
Her leg has slipped
between the spear
headed palings
growing
a trap
on the crude depth
of an empty area
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ova fears
вАФвБ†вАКвАФThat she can never
release it
iron is so hard
that even the strongest man in the world
could
never bend it
Ova bearsвБ†вАФ
horror for this child
caught in a novel hell
of immovable metal
which is eternal
вАЬHold up your chinвАЭ
nurse says вАЬyou begin
to walk like a horrid ragamuffinвАЭ
The common children
have the best of her
вАФthough dressed in
ragsвБ†вАФThey feed on muffin