The Toughie Boys Fight For Leadership Poem by Francis Duggan

The Toughie Boys Fight For Leadership

Rating: 1.5


There goes that chap best known as crooked eyes
The former leader of the toughie boys
He's not the toughie leader anymore
'Alas' for him the glory days are o'er.

This time last year he led the toughie gang
And toughie boys their leader's praises sang
Each challenger to his title he put down
He was the toughest bad boy of the town.

But there was one strong fellow 'Beano Jack'
Who for the title said he'd have a crack
The loser leave the gang the winner rule
The laws laid down by toughie boys are cruel.

The venue for the brawl the usual place
At Millers lane outside the bar 'Top ace'
No weapons to be used save hand and boot
And all the spoils to the victorious brute.

Two massive men well over six foot tall
Well used to punch, head butt and kick and brawl
And to the winner the much sought after prize
As gang leader of notorious toughie boys.

And 'Crooked eyes' was favourite one to three
Some thought he'd have an easy victory
That he'd prove far too tough for 'Beano Jack'
Who after all experience did lack.

But Beano Jack he had his backers too
And he had many a substatial few
Some toughie boys had backed him for a win
That he was one who never would give in.

In toughie hang outs it was spread the 'word'
Date for the fight set April twenty third
And the time would be a quarter after four
Just twenty yards down street from Top ace door.

For four years Crooked eyes led toughie gang
One might say that he came in with a 'bang'
He knocked former gang leader 'Mean Jack's' head against a wall
And flattened him to win a vicious brawl,

And his title many times he did defend
And all his fights came to a speedy end
A head butt, kick or fist his man went down
And as usual Crooked eyes retained his crown.

With streaky long blond hair and standing six foot two
'Tis frightening the way he look at you
His cold black crooked eyes have vicious look
Of a true gang leader and a hardened crook.

And weighing a little with two hundred pounds
The hardest of the toughie men around
Broad shouldered, barrel chested looking mean
And not one ounce of fat on him all lean.

The toughie boys their leader must obey
And he and he alone has final say
Gang strategies and robberies he plan
And in any gang there is but one top man.

And top man in the gang called toughie boys
Was their big hero 'Mr Crooked eyes'
And once more his title was up at stake
And now he had another skull to break.

And his challenger was Beano Jack this time
Aged twenty three and at his peak and prime
Three years younger than the man he knew he'd beat
And he did not even contemplate defeat

Weighing two hundred pounds and standing six foot three
And as Fit as any man could wish to be
Nought would do him but out right victory
And to write his name in gang land history

With greasy looking hair cut short and black
And always wearing black leather jeans and likewise leather mack
A gang land tough without a sense of shame
And hungry for notoriety and ill fame.

His father was a jailbird and blaghguard
And like all bad boys Beano was raised hard
And he's been in jail himself like crooked eyes
And jail is nothing new to toughie boys..

April the twenty third dawned bright and clear
And toughie boys flocked to Top Ace for beer
Of all the town pubs this their favourite place
A second home to feared and hardened race.

The main topic for the day was the big bout
And each man with his money backed his mouth
And Crooked eyes was favourite rightly so
As he was never beat a proud record to show.

But all agreed that Beano deserved the right
To take on Crooked in the year's big fight
But most thought he'd fail in his greatest test
That this time he would finish second best.

But true enough Beano was never beat
He never once did go down to defeat
But Crooked eyes fought more and harder men
And this time his experience would win.

The day wore on and big brawl time drew near
And toughie boys they finished off their beer
And walked out to already crowded street
To ring round where the combatants would meet.

And not a 'Copper' to be seen today
From toughie brawls the Coppers keep away
On this side of town the coppers you don't see
Save when they are after someone for theft or larceny.

At five past four the challenger appeared
And how his backers in the audience cheered
Wearing black leather jeans and mack his usual gear
And in his hardened face no sign of fear.

And five minutes later at exactly ten past four
The boss arrived to be greeted by big roar
With tattered yellow cardigan and with jeans already tore
The proper type of gear for brawl he wore.

And both wore boots the type with steel toe caps
The usual type of footwear for toughie scraps
And kick from such boot inflict awful pain
And ugly bruise for ages will remain.

And in a brawl there is no referee
They use the head, the fist, the boot, the knee
It's foul or fair you must win if you can
The policy is to put down your man.

At a quarter past four they faced each other square
With a massive throng gathered around them there
More than a thousand watched nearer to two
And some climbed on rooftops for a better view.

For Beano Jack this his moment of truth
But Crooked eyes scored first points with his boot
A well aimed kick straight up between the thighs
Which caught the young challenger by surprise.

A lesser man would surely have gone down
But Beano Jack is the strongest man in town
He did not wince, not even blink an eye
It's hard to hurt a hardened toughie boy.

And then they moved in closer came to grips
And they punched and kicked each other clothes did rip
And they wrestled and they rolled along the ground
With supporters roaring them on all around.

They rose again and traded blow for blow
And excitement in onlookers hearts did grow
And cuts appeared and marks began to show
And from open wounds the blood began to flow.

For half an hour the battle it did rage
Till both men were at the exhaustion stage
But in the end the strong one always win
And brawls are seldom lost by stronger men.

It all boiled down now to the final crunch
And Beano Jack with powerful right hand punch
Floored Crooked Eyes who then was counted out
By toughie gang boys gathered all about.

The toughie's have new name to celebrate
And Beano Jack in their eyes a true great
But in the toughie gang he will not stay
As he'll get beat by stronger man one day.

And Crooked Eyes has left the toughie pack
He's gone from them and never can go back
By Top Ace bar at the west side of town
To Beano Jack he lost his pride and crown.

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