The Grove: A Poem Dedicated To A Street Near You - From The Poems That Stand Alone And Stand Proud Collection

These streets that I walk down`
I know them so well
I’ve lived on these footpaths
And tasted their hell

Behind twitching curtains
And dog soiled paths
A mattress that's dumped
Stained with memories and laughs.

And kids wearing hoods
That cover their eyes
Hands in both pockets
But empty of life.

Amid sacks of rubbish
Where innocents play
Drowned by the noise
From vehicles all day

Mornings bring laughter
As school runs begin
Slapped made-up faces
Hide desperate things.
Billowing smoke
From the mums pushing prams
Throwing their smiles
With a fake golden tan.

And shouts heard from windows
Of partners in fight
Bereft of their boundaries
It goes on through the night.
Yet birds will keep singing
And cars drive on past
These streets that I walk down
And their dog soiled paths.

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