Swifty
written by: JOHN BAVERSTOCK
Back in the seventies when I was kid,
Had me thinking of the unsavoury things
That I knew I did,
It was then every village had its local Bobby,
Who would kick you up the arse,
As soon as you got goby,
In our village it was Pc Swift,
Who back then had an unusual gift,
If he caught you doing a mischievous act,
You and him would then enter into a pact,
Of course, he was going to tell your Mum & Dad,
But he would also add he’s not a bad lad,
‘Cos, he has agreed with you how to put things right,
And unfortunately for the likes of me it started that night,
The area around the pond by the Village green,
Your son has kindly offered to clean,
Arguably it is going to take a day or two,
But he assures me it will look as good as new,
Very often as kids we would go scrumping,
Known as pinching apples off garden trees,
When caught in the act by the house owner,
She shouted bugger off, or I will call the Police,
We hurriedly left the scene,
dropping our loot on the floor,
By the time we got home,
Swifty, was already at our door,
Right lads Mrs. Wilson has called me,
And said she had seen you both in her garden,
My brother was just about to utter a word,
When Swifty said… I beg your pardon,
Your job is listening, ‘cos I will be heard!
Now you are in deep water, and slowly sinking,
And the only way you are getting out of it,
Is by doing a little bit of smart thinking,
Mrs. Wilson and I have had a little chat,
On how you can both make amends,
Hopefully when you have put the wrong, right,
It will also send a message to all your friends,
As the wind blows, the leaves fall off the trees,
And you lads are offering, to go and pick them all up,
I am sure Mrs. Wilson is going to be mightily pleased,
What! and you’re prepared to start straight away
Well that’s great he added, I don’t know quite what to say,
Policemen like Swifty unfortunately, are long gone,
Yet he had the knack of putting right your wrong,
His way of punishing you, taught you a lesson you were never to forget,
You also knew that when he came calling,
Your misdemeanours would be judged with maximum affect ….
love to all
JB x
- Pete - December 9, 2021
- Swifty - August 12, 2021
- Inside A Poet’s Mind - May 23, 2021
