Poem Poem by Simon Armitage

Poem

Rating: 3.6


And if it snowed and snow covered the drive
he took a spade and tossed it to one side.
And always tucked his daughter up at night
And slippered her the one time that she lied.
And every week he tipped up half his wage.
And what he didn't spend each week he saved.
And praised his wife for every meal she made.
And once, for laughing, punched her in the face.

And for his mum he hired a private nurse.
And every Sunday taxied her to church.
And he blubbed when she went from bad to worse.
And twice he lifted ten quid from her purse.

Here's how they rated him when they looked back:
sometimes he did this, sometimes he did that.

Poem
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Pepe Chavez 17 May 2005

this poem is excellent, and shows how people are judged by others. it also tells as to be more aware of what we think or how we 'rate' other people, because they might have done good things although we might just remember the bad ones.

40 27 Reply
Martin O'Neill 19 February 2012

I hear the echoes of your marvellous home town here. I spent many months working on Redbrook Reservoir and came into Marsden to eat, drink, read, connect. This feels like those days.

20 36 Reply
eeeeeeee 10 December 2018

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

16 3 Reply
Seamus O Brian 28 November 2016

How complex we are as human beings. Not so easy to simplistically categorize. The same man who steals from his own mother can't control his own tears at her funeral, and all of us are that man in some way. Powerful and deep truth in this relatively harmless appearing poem.

10 8 Reply
Steve 11 May 2019

You didn't get it. Read it again.

4 5
Jayne Louise Davies 18 July 2023

Excellent poem! Top marks*****

0 0 Reply
Chinedu Dike 04 February 2022

An interesting poem written with insight....

1 0 Reply
abdi 26 October 2021

this poem is excellent, and shows how people are judged by others. it also tells as to be more aware of what we think or how we 'rate' other people, because they might have done good things although we might just remember the bad ones.

0 1 Reply
Dr Antony Theodore 17 December 2020

And for his mum he hired a private nurse. And every Sunday taxied her to church. And he blubbed when she went from bad to worse. And twice he lifted ten quid from her purse. a fine poem. tony

0 3 Reply
Dr Antony Theodore 02 October 2020

And for his mum he hired a private nurse. And every Sunday taxied her to church. And he blubbed when she went from bad to worse. And twice he lifted ten quid from her purse. a very fine poem. tony

0 5 Reply
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Simon Armitage

Simon Armitage

Marsden, West Yorkshire
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