Great Haywood
Another bad letter for school today,
And my mum has already got stress,
I just feel now that I’m a burden on people,
And this is just gonna make mess.
Don’t wanna hear anger,
don’t wanna hear
shouting,
And I don’t wanna make my mum swear.
I just feel it’s better for everyone here,
If I made my own way elsewhere.
I don’t really know where
I’m going to,
But the road down to Stafford ain’t far.
I just really hope, that I don’t get caught,
By someone that spots me from a car.
So I make my way a mile and half down the road,
Until there’s a turning to
take,
There’s a sign that says ‘Stone’ and the name of it’s cool,
So that is the way that I make.
Never heard of this place but I think with that name,
That there’s surely something
to see,
So I head on my way, and I think by now,
That my mum could be looking for me.
I walk through the village of Little Haywood,
Still trying to head towards Stone.
Across the road were two girls and one recognised me,
And I told them I’d run off from home.
They offered to help me get somewhere to sleep,
“We’ll sneak you some food too” they said.
I met them both later and at first the plan,
Was for one to sneak me into their shed.
“I can’t get you in, because my dad is at home,
But here’s a blanket you can
keep.
I know just the place, there’s a ditch down the road,
It’s sheltered and you’ll get some sleep.”
So we made our way and walked up the road,
Through the village and to the top end.
And then we get to a junction where there’s a main road,
The way to Stone just round the bend.
One girl pointed over to across the road,
And said “look there’s that ditch that you can stay.
It’s covered in trees,
look we got to go back,
Because there’s not much light
left in the day”.
They’d gave me a pillow
and I made a bed,
With a blanket and a bag that I’d lent.
They gave me some fruit and said “we’ve got to scoot,
We’ll see you tomorrow” then went.
I wondered around for a short while,
But soon did come quick the dark night.
And every few minutes came fast cars and headlights,
I just hoped I stayed out of sight.
By now I know that I’ve crossed the line,
And I’ve actually now ran
away.
But I’m under the moon and now look at the stars,
And I haven’t thought once
about the next day.
When morning came I then wandered around,
But there’s nothing at all
here I can do.
So I waited around, to meet up with the girls,
When I’ll see them I’ve not got a clue.
In the afternoon I then bumped into them,
When they got back home from their school,
“The police have
been asking us all about you”
She said, but I just kept my cool.
“We’ll pop up by later, and drop you some food”,
One of the girls had then said to me,
“I’ll sneak out my pudding and come and bring it out,
To you, once I’ve finished my tea”.
I met them both later and one girl had said,
“Maybe it’s time that you went home.”
I said “I’ll be alright, I’ll just be one night,
Then make my way over to Stone”.
And then around midnight I must have been tired,
As I stared at the branch of the tree.
For over five minutes I’d contemplated,
If there was a big spider in front of me.
I’d got really scared
and then so made a leap,
Right out of the bush quick like a stag.
Now what do I do, because in there’s my blanket,
My food, my coat and my bag.
So I make my way just a few yards down the road,
To a house with some lights I could see.
I knocked on the door, a middle-aged man then answered,
I said “Please mate could
you help me?”
“I think there’s a spider in the bush I’ve been sleeping,
And I just need to get back my stuff”.
“How old are you
mate?” he then asked me,
“And why are you
there sleeping rough?”
“Seventeen” I then said, “and I’ve been kicked out,
Is there anything at all you can do?”
“I’ll just get my torch” he then said in reply,
“Then I will come
there to help you”.
We walked to the bush and then he shone his torch,
And said “It’s alright there’s nothing to fear.
Your stuff is alright, and there is no sight,
Of a spider that would bite you here.”
So then I said “thanks”, and then off the
man went,
And I felt like a fool for my scare.
And then I could see around four miles away,
A helicopter up in the air.
“What if that
helicopter was looking for me,
It’s probably not” In my head I had said,
Before closing my eyes, to try for some sleep,
But I’ve still got those thoughts in my head.
I’d got no more than
around one hours sleep,
And I’d woken up covered
in sticks.
I went to find warmth but there was nowhere at all,
By now it was sometime around six.
Two hours go by, oh now what should I do?
I shouldn’t stay here one day
again.
But most of my morning I simply spent trying,
To get myself out of the rain.
I did all that I could, to try and find shelter,
But there’s nowhere this
village is small.
And then on my way back, again to the ditch,
It seemed that I’d hit a brick wall.
I don’t know how I’m gonna survive,
No money, no food and I’m wet.
There’s nowhere to go,
except for back home,
And then I just had got upset.
The only thing, I could think of to do,
Was to flag down a car that comes by.
And tell them that I, have ran away,
They’ll get me home into
the dry.
So I see some cars, and I wave and I shout,
But the first five or so cars ignore.
And then a nice lady stops whilst I am crying,
I tell her I can’t run no more.
“Get in she says, I’ll help you get back,
I’m a nurse” then she showed me ID.
I said I was scared that I’d let them all down,
But she said they’d be glad to see me.
We got to her house and she gave me a towel,
And then she rang the police from her phone,
Walked back in the room and said “they’re on their way,
They all just want you back at home.”
A policeman came by, and then picked me up,
I was scared that my mum would be mad.
“Don’t worry” he said, “You just need a
bed,
You’re alright and
everyone’s glad.”
“If you’d not been found within the next half an hour,
We were gonna put you on the TV.”
And then said last night, that they’d got a chopper,
Out all night looking for me.
Poetry written by Ben Westwood, Musician and poet. UK
Copyright Ben Westwood.
To view all fourteen current poems from this project click here.
Copyright Ben Westwood.
To view all fourteen current poems from this project click here.
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