Back When Jessie Had a Real Thing About Handbags
Jessie
used to use between
eight
and ten bags almost
every day
for two whole years ..
Which
averaged out around
seven hundred
English sobs per week
back then ..
And that, was just
to keep
the bone-ache at bay ..
Jessie very
rarely gouched out ..
In fact, I don’t
think I saw her once,
in those
last eighteen months,
or thereabout ..
Jessie used to make
a killing
lifting handbags
from off
the floor and between
the feet
of so many women
pissing,
or doing what they
had to do
in the cubicle, next to
where
she would sit waiting
to grab
another one, then
scarper
and loose herself
in the bustling streets
outside
Charring Cross railway
station
and ladies lavatories ..
Now and then,
Jessie got clean when
required
to spend time in one
of her majesty’s
finest of prison cells ..
Oh’ and just
for the record, she was
classically
trained and one hell
of a looker ..
But she never fucked
to make cash ..
She said she loved me
way too much
to do anything like that ..
And anyway,
she had a decent job
grabbing
ladies handbags to fall
back on ..
Then one Friday night
in nineteen
eighty something ..
Jessie and me
had an argument ..
Right after
her giro was cashed
and a cheque bounced ..
And although
I forget, what it was all
about now,
I do remember Jessie
being found tho ..
With a pin in her arm
on a swing,
in some bloody kids
playground ..
Close by the canal
we would
occasionally walk along ..
Jessie never
did say goodbye to me
and I’m not
even sure, if I told her
I loved her
before she went over
and I got clean
without too much of a
rattle ..
But I hope I did
and still think of her often ..
-
Author:
Neville (
Offline) - Published: May 12th, 2024 02:03
- Comment from author about the poem: this is very personal, but needed out 🤍since posting, I have introduced a key to explain some of the words that may not be universal recognised .. bag = these are measures of street drugs usually heroin, or other opiates a bag is around £10 sob = slang term for one pound in money bone ache = very painful withdrawal symptoms feared by all those addicted to opiates gouch or to gouch out = the effect of opiates either euphoria, intense drowsiness or oblivion lifting or to lift = stealing scarper = to run away pissing = to urinate to get clean = no longer using a particular substance and no longer addicted Giro = state benefit Cheque = same as the US check - like an IOU not exactly money but has monitory value Bounced = when a cheque is unable to be cashed because of insufficient funds Rattle = severe withdrawal may be used interchangeably with the term roasting Pin = hypodermic needle Going over = dying as a result of overdose
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 31
- Users favorite of this poem: Accidental Poet, Teddy.15
Offline)
Comments6
And don't you feel better now? Well penned Sir N. 😊👍
its too early to be sure .. but thanks pall ........ 😎👍
Charing cross? Hey the 80's were hard on the London streets, I was young but I had friends older and just like Jessie, drugs and shoplifting, was a part of the scene sadly, then came the super model in the 90's social pressure and I remember that. I feel nothing but empathy for Jessie. ❤️
She was very special Teddy but sadly, she had more than her fair share of demons .. ❤️
Jails, institutions, and death.
What’s not to like
Madness
Beautiful and funny. You really brought this home. I love it.
Thanks Thomas .. I've added a key to some of the words used here as they are maybe not universal terms 👍
A sensitive write N.
thank you Orchidee, I wrote this so as she would not be forgot .. she was, intelligent, witty, caring, creative, generous, beautiful and uncomplicated, but like I think I mentioned before, she had an awful lot of demons ..
Such strong words Neville about an absolutely dreadful habit. I hope you writing these words brings a release to your mind.
Andy
No one ever sets out or chooses to become addicted to anything .. there is always a reason & sometimes, in fact often, there is a good reason .. Cheers Andy
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