Wotz purpose o life: Leckcheer by Tich Backhouse

Leckcheer deliberated t macadam road senile delinquents club

Wotz purpose o life
whyfor consarned u axes
u wants rewards o virtue extended
u wants orl same benefit o dayly labour
u wants many appy ansum returns o loot bespeculated
lissen up Tich tellz wot sovran purpose
yore breathin goodly air dat won't b wasted iz

purpose o life iz wurk
i sez wurk cos energy subtile dynamick wot drives dis wurld on ourz
frum direpad babbies thru to daffy-down-dilly ol codgerz liken uz
plus frilly matronz gon whoopee in haid
tiz gran prime mobility holz us tergither
youze brite eyes gotta earn keep wid bothersum chores
so duz brawny dodger hoose labourz amountin ter hercules hissen
akeepin u-nanimated iz objeck
ebry cell o body corpuscular strainz nerves t limit
conjining wun fer orl n orl fer wun in determinal mind
wot u callz concert performance
till u stanzaz ereck an attainz stature
each in proper sequins
swich configgerz ackchual critter
human beenz wot we iz bein wot we iz
allus adoin summat no matterz wot
yore walkin talkin laffin dancin sobbin
noddin orf ter zzzs iz orl wurk
wurk taxes care on us – n we taxes precarious
or we flies tangential to curves ob big round O
so jest hitch up yer skirts
r tighten yer bibs-n-braces az maybe
weze destinned ter keep agoin strong
weaken den ony den purpose erecks sanitorial haid
uze gotten rid of
rubbish litterin lanzscape fairboden
tis ony rite circumstanzas given az iz
wot dont wurk dun deal
savvy now up n atom


mmvii

The crew

Rough men     rough hands and tongue
    rough for the purpose
a job to do and a will to do it
    when the shovel swings
a tune is played
    rhythm of muscles and motion


Good men
    good to dig a ditch with
shovel and gravel and pipe and tamp
    down in the hole
the cribber's dared
    hardpan or silt
wet ditch and dry
    they're the boys to work with


When a job's to be done
    and every last son-
of-a-bitch must be working
    they're the boys to work with

mcmlxiii, rev. mmvii

The yellow hat

Hard of voice and gut
    the yellow hat
tough as it takes
    when the gauntlet's thrown

he'll brag
    the yellow hat
a match for any boast

is it the pipe to lay
    fighting the mud
cribbing the cave-away -
    no-one else would

watch him at work
    pushin the crew
first by example
    less'll not do

when the going gets tough
    and the boys cry enough
there's one never quits
        it's
    the yellow hat

mcmlxiii