Take Courage

A poem about growing up in New Cross

From the wet beer mats to the city rats
From the squats and flats to the stoned chats
Every waking minute of every blurred day
I just sit and drink my life away

As the sun sets down on another broken town
I drain the rest of this can down
train pulls up, twenty minutes late
open the window as I spark up a straight.

Get off the train, pissing down again
Haven't been around here since I can't remember when
Estates that resemble the end of the world
The sewage of the city starts the unfurl.

Take a back seat, let life pass you by.
Or you'll soon be doubled over, ready to die.
It'll all be over soon, just let it sink in.
Don't let nobody get under your skin.

Take Courage, In everything you do
Take Courage, Or you'll be you black and blue
Take Courage, a nonchalant smile
Take Courage, It'll be worth your while.