Poetry Forum

All you furiously retro Kingston kids,
Who cough and splutter about those ‘damned chavs’,
With their monosyllabic lexis, lager’d swagger and Burberry caps.
Look at your own colourful, ‘individual’ yet ubiquitous styles,
With your green flash, leg warmers and vodka red-devils.
Leave the working class alone,
Let those poor kids be.
You take photos and post them on http://www.chavs.co.uk,
‘Look at this one I spotted today’, ‘he looks just like every other!’
Go home and look in the fucking mirror.

Surrey seems to spew scores of these ‘anti-corporate’ whores,
Who march haughtily like faded, graceful flamingos
Daddy’s money going straight up their nose.
Your next step is a botox binge, a deadly sun-bed, a dyed red fringe.
You blame them and single them out, then wonder why they sneer and shout.
Do they have a word for us?
Let’s blame ‘The Sun’, McDonalds, the Education System,
The governments blunders, forgiven (forgotten).
Nike-Air, Von-Dutch, ecstasy
Welcome to the twenty-first century.


This is in no way an attack on james conlon's point of view expressed in his poem, its just an attitude towards the working class that im getting quite sick of. and apologies for the bad language..

comments, criticisms and all forms of response as always welcome..
all the best
rasputin

I think you make a good point rasp.

Poetry needs to get beneath/below/behind stereo types not reinforce them.

Many years ago I wrote a Hells Angel poem - but ultimately it failed because not all Hells Angels are the same. They don't all bite the heads off chickens or drink Duckhams or terrorise the highways. Similarly with Chavs.

Chav seems to be the flavour of the month at the moment - but before them we've had Sloane Rangers, Yuppies, NIMBYs, DINKys, veggies, CNDers etc etc

Good rant poem though.

Cam

Rasputin,

I also agree, Box holing is not good. But when you've had your car broken into 3 times, it's only a shitty Rover. You can't take your kids to the park, because these arseholes are pissing all over the place and a good night out on the piss is inevitably ruined by these pricks, you tend to get a little riled.

I come from a working class background, I am working class, but don't resort to the levels of Chavism.

I despise "THEM" they ruin my day frequently.

I do appreciate your point though.

you seem to have vented a large amount of anger/ passion there and it comes across throught the poem. You clearly oppose the defining of "chavism" but don't you think that this sort of sterotyping will create the exact same effect, but with the other side;

"Surrey seems to spew scores of these ‘anti-corporate’ whores,
Who march haughtily like faded, graceful flamingos
Daddy’s money going straight up their nose.
Your next step is a botox binge, a deadly sun-bed, a dyed red fringe."

within my poem i tried to stay away from the physical stereotypes of
so-called 'chavs', (with brief reference to nike ticks) and more on their general lack of respect for the others in the society around them;

"A man looks down on the mountain
But there’s nothing the mountain can do."

indeed, james you have caught me out!
it seems that in my blind rage i stooped to the level of exactly what i was speaking out against.

and camus, without trying to sound cheeky, may i suggest that the unscrupulous members who break into your car are criminals, while the horrible kids who piss in your local park are simply being anti social? or am i just being over pc?

thankyou as always for all your comments and suggestions.

regards

rasputin