City walls

Far from the fields the city children play,
their world enclosed within a narrow street's decay,
and harsh it is, so harsh; a dull and foggy slum
that barely knows the language of the sun.

Yet still these children have their joyful ways
not bound by accident of birth or time's dismay;
their eyes as brilliant as the sparkling city lights,
that vanquish all the shadows of the night.

And see how mother nature's thoughts divine
all that each little heart desires;
Oh! not to these would she do any wrong,
they are her joy, her bright, eternal song.

Thus to the city she still brings her gold,
sowing seeds, replacing new for old;
her task accomplished with a loving hand,
her song none but a child may understand.

Reviews

[FGFRANKLIN]

Poverty and hardship can sometimes be contributing factors in intellectual and artistic development. Children in such circumstances often find escape from the rigorous hardships of survival in books and creativity. I was once such a child so I do not write from mere supposition. One of my poems, Between Brick Buildings, touches on the same essence of city life, albeit, from a different perspective. A mother's love seems to be the guiding force behind the message in this poem. Kids are tough and resilient in their own fashion and they learn tricks to survival early on if they survive. In today's cities children have to avoid gang violence, drive-by shooters, muggers, child predators and lone crazies among the homeless. Thank God for loving parents when and where they can be found. Where food, clothing and shelter were once the main articles of survival, today they have been supplanted by guns, drugs, gangs and stealth. I enjoyed the read. F.

[Gee]

We were lucky, I think, that due to circumstance we ran wild, feral, as kids due to the fact all of our single parent mum's had to work 2 sometimes 3 jobs to make ends meet leaving us to grow up properly without fear of anything apart from the sharp edge of mothers tongue.
Couldn't imagine growing up in a city but the city kids would probably say that about the countryside :))
Hope you are all well

[Crowley]

It is amazing how children find joy no matter the circumstance, how I long to have that outlook. I can remember fishing for crawdads in the ditch and playing with my cousins. I never had any idea of the problems of the world. It was amazing. Great piece, loved it.

[ABDUL WAHAB]

Beautiful poem. The city children are brought up in a different set up than the children brought up in the villages. Yet God doesn't differentiate between city or village children.

[Eilis]

Hi, Beccy. I love the play of this poem. It reminds me in some ways of a Dickens story. The harsh reality of the city juxtaposed to the innocence of the child-mind. The world in its harsh ways will do its work on the unfortunate humans subjected to the darknesses, but nature remains as pure as ever. Here you show the beauty of that purity as it ministers to the minds and hearts children. Even in bleak circumstances the child sees the sun and absorbs the beauty. I am reminded of how men and women are instructed to be as children (pure and overflowing with imagination) to find a way toward personal salvation. I believe this has something to do with the need to suspend disbelief. The world teaches us harsh lessons, but there is more to all things than a one note story or song. Your poem offers a bit of hope and reminds us that there are always at least two sides to every story. Lovely work from you. Hope you are well.

[Chris Shaw]

I played hop scotch on the pavements and hide and seek behind dustbins before my family eventually moved from the city to the country. Children see the world with different eyes. I love this poem Beccy. Beautiful write.

Chris

[mattavelli]

Hello, beccy! :)
This is a lovely poem. Children always find ways to play. Their minds test the world around them and they live in wonder of it. Thanks for sharing.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I was in this world as a child, and we smiled and made the best of it, even if it was a concrete jungle...
and there was nary a tree or a bush....
smog, taxi horns blaring, the sound of the subway...
harsh plastic light.
been there, done that, feel this one.
j.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Wonderful and picturesque in its vision. It made me feel as if I were among those children experiencing the same world they occupy. Thank you for sharing your art.