Bob.

The sun didn't shine for young Bob
Didn’t shine at all
Mummy drank all the gin
She’s screaming at the wall
Heading for a fall
He knew when to run
Learned when he was young
Bruises only show on the living
Not on the kid for fun
Mummy wasn’t bad
Just sad
Daddy left a time ago
A younger girl
No ties 
Now she wants to die
If only she hadn’t had me
Can’t you see
He would have stayed
That's what mummy says
It felt good after a while
All the pills, all the gin
He thought he heard mummy say I love you
That was nice
Daddy would come home now
They could start again
The sun would shine
Just not for Bob.

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

From the viewpoint of a child. Sad, but a common situation. Children suffer most from breakups and many of them blame themselves, thinking it was something they did. Hard hitting and truthful. Will it stop - of course not.

[barleygirl]

This is another one of your powerful viewpoint pieces that blows my socks off. I've seen this too many times & you pegged it perfectly with a childlike simplicity that helps us imagine the way a younger person might see things between bitterly broken parents. There's a deep compassion here that keeps this from sounding one bit critical. Such is life for the abused & neglected! *sigh!* Fondly, Margie

[Paul Bell]

Kids are always the pawns.
Probably why a lot of them end up in care.

[.]

A very realistic write, Paul.

There are many children who suffer in silence at the hands of an embittered parent who cannot keep their s**t together and prefer to blame a child for their failures. It's a despicable aspect of humanity and downright cowardice as far as I'm concerned.

You hit the nail on the head with this one, Paul. Briskly paced and tackling a serious societal issue with poise and bravado. Nicely written.

[Paul Bell]

I once had the displeasure of doing the Monday morning run with a social worker, just to see if the kids were alive. It always amazed me the power dysfunctional parents had.

[Einstein Noodle]

tight statements ...fast paced ... and precise .. happens all the time ... not nearly enough ways out available .. not nearly enough Bobs recover from that brokenness :((((((((((
E.

[Paul Bell]

You're right, Einstein. Bob's are always a stastistic.

[Einstein Noodle]

this is one of those poems that sets a scene and defines characters that almost shout to be expanded into a short story, novel, screenplay and movies ... i continue to be taken by poetry that can and does do all that ... and we many times start with hasty scratching on scraps of this and that so we won't fail to capture the instant of the muse .. and bob is the perfect name in my mind ... :((((((((((((((((((

[jacob erin-cilberto]

oh my...i remember being told that arguments only ensued when i was around...
that is hard on a child...even a more-grown-up one...

others lay blame...and the blamed suffer.

[Paul Bell]

Yeah, definitely. Kids pick up on everything.

[AYVID N]

These are the most painful ones. Sad stories of little kids. Wonder how can parents be such devils.

[Paul Bell]

Some parents just suck.

[Mrudula Rani]

Writers do have the responsibility to bringforth issues for society's notice, the child abuse, single mothers, alcoholic parents, ect ...This poem Is hauntingly beautiful and heartbreakingly sad.(there goes the rest of the day me crying ....)

[Paul Bell]

Nothing better than a good cry. Keeps you alive.

[Mrudula Rani]

It takes slightest of sadness to make me cry. I prefer laughter, that makes the day brighter, the reason I read your poems.

[Paul Bell]

Just a therapist. lol

[Mrudula Rani]

An excellent one too!