Taking the PPC4 - 52 Weeks of Poetry

Prompt 13 (23rd October 2023)

Alley

We allus use the back door
it's what we've allus done
The front door is fer funerals
or a visit from t' Queen
or first step when yer married
but that's about yer lot

Fer day to day the back door
is what we allus use
in and out and down t' alley
To t' mine, or shops or school
past lines and lines of laundry

and metal bins fert waste
and barking dogs, or strayin' cats
Some curtain's allus twitchin'
and nowt is e'er unseen
some nosey biddies watchin' you

at any time or day
There's kids kickin balls or
hop scotching 'tween the chalks
skipping ropes and furtive smokes
At night there's couples canoodlin'

and drunks sleepin' it orf
else singing far too loud
the smell o' someone's cooking
the sounds o' arguments
heated words and slamming doors

The alley's never empty
there's allus sign's of life
Them rich folk never see 'em
an alley's not fert them
but we allus use the back door and t' alley