The theme of parenthood permeates the poems in ‘Kids’ and will make you cry tears of deep regret. The catalyst for the collection, Charlie Chaplin’s 1921 wonderfully heart-braking film ‘The Kid,’ was used as a starting point for a creative writing project in schools. The children involved really emphasized with ‘the kid’ and saw themselves clearly in his abandonment:

Tripping up coppers, with his cane, running through Camrex house
Leaping over drunks and smackheads, heading helter skelter
Through the mall, riding a shopping trolley down the escalator
Leaving the coppers in a pile, the caption reads, “see ya later.”
Or back in Middlesbrough where a street dodger with shaven head
And nicotine stained ten year old fingers says he’d give him a bed
(From Summoning the Tramp)

Poem after poem looks at families, on being a parent and how many deprived children today relate to the ‘kid,’ played, in the film, by Jackie Coogan: wanting him as a friend, an ally in this life where they are too often forgotten:

“It wud be gud if the little tramp
Come back to life, before Ah get sent down.”(From Charlie’s yer man)

This poem is so real it hurts.

The tragic child poverty figures, quoted in the poem, ‘The Proper Care and Attention’ are a terrible indictment of our society:

“4 million children are living poverty and a staggering
1.4 million children are living in severe and persistent poverty in the UK.”
These figures and poems cannot be ignored. ‘Kids’ is a collection that truly matters and should be posted on every facebook, twitter and blog.
Our ‘kids’ deserve better . Bob Beagrie and Andy Willoughby have done us proud in reminding us of our collective responsibilities.
‘Kids’ is an essential and powerful read.

Published by Mudfog

Tom Kelly