Cannibal Street Poem by Kenneth Slessor

Cannibal Street

Rating: 2.6


'BUY, who'll buy,' the pedlar sings,
'Bones of beggars, loins of kings,
Ribs of murder, haunch of hate,
And Beauty's head on a butcher's plate!'
Hook by hook, on steaming stalls,
The hero hangs, the harlot sprawls;
For Helen's flesh, in such a street,
Is only a kind of dearer meat.
'Buy, who'll buy,' the pedlar begs,
'Angel-wings and lady-legs,
Tender bits and dainty parts—
Buy, who'll buy my skewered hearts?'
Buy, who'll buy? The cleavers fall,
The dead men creak, the live men call,
And I (God save me) bargained there,
Paid my pennies and ate my share.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Kenneth Slessor

Kenneth Slessor

Orange, New South Wales
Close
Error Success