Ada Cambridge

Ada Cross] (21 November 1844 – 19 July 1926 / St Gemans, Norfolk

Drunk

The filthy beast! And is he here again,
With his foul slobbering mouth and shuffling feet,
To taint the atmosphere and shame the street,
And shock the pure and holy that abstain?
Disgusting brute! Disgraceful blot and stain
On social order, civilised and sweet!
Deal with him, Constable, as right and meet
When laws are flouted that we must maintain.

Put him in prison! Confiscate his bowl!
Away with him and the accursèd drink
That wrecks his body and degrades his soul,
And makes him loathsome to clean men! But think -
He had no choice. It was his only share
Of all its pleasures that the world could spare.
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