Childhood Hero's

This is a poem by Barry Lewis which he wrote some years ago and reflects on his childhood days in Hyde.

Barry writes: "Imagine me as a kid in the mid 1950s on a council estate in Newton, we watched our kids TV shows and believed in them implicitly.  After the show we would go outside to the local fields and play cowboys and indians with our friends, cowboy hats on, shooting plastic guns and riding imaginary horses.  This poem reflects those happy days. 

Childhood hero's

As I sit here on my neddy with my guns strapped to my hips,
eyes in half closed concentration and a sneer upon my lips,
I'm the toughest dude in Hyde with a draw thats oh so slick, A sherrifs star and black hat which says "Blackpool - kiss me quick".

I know how to win the west, I know that I'm 'the man',
I have skin thats tough as rawhide, cos my hero's Desperate Dan,
I like Cisco Kid and Pancho, Kit Carson and his kin,

Roy Rogers and horse trigger, and good old Rin-tin-tin.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto, Cheyenne Bodie, Texas Jack,
The Rifleman and Maverick, Hopalong Cassidy dressed in black,
These guys are all my hero's but none of them compare,
to the toughest dude in Hyde with the short red curly hair,

He spies a lone red injun, chicken feathers on his head,
Wrapped around his shoulders is a blanket from his bed,
Our hero shouts out "Yippee" and kicks Neddy in the guts,
Head down he slaps his horses rump and heels him in the nuts,

He builds up speed towards his foe, hair flowing in the breeze,
His horsemanship outstanding, controlling with his knees,
The sneaky injun draws a gun and pulls off a deadly round,
Our hero holds his tummy and falls towards the ground,

Hold on, thinks he, there’s girls in sight I must make this look grand,
He completes a stylish somersault and prepares himself to land,
Whilst trying to impress the girls with fetes of daring do,
He fails to spot the water and the dollops of dog poo,

Head first into this mire he falls, his Knightly visage stained,
With water dripping from his hat and his badge in poo - ordained,
His battle for the west is gone, he has no chance of winning,
His Mums now on the warpath and all those girls are grinning,

He flys into the sunset as his little legs propel,
His Mum keeps him at arms length just to minimise the smell,
Our hero now has done his dash, a hiding place to seek,
But Mum says "Righto Desperate Dan - no T.V for a week".

Lifes hard being a hero, it aint all that much fun,
My sisters laughing her head off and my Brother stole my gun,
I think cowboys are all stupid, chasing injuns aint much good,
Tomorrow I'll be someone else, Oh, I know...Robin Hood ! 

Ha! Well done, Barry... I played the same games in the 60s... it really took me back this. If you have other poems send them in... If anyone else has poetry with a link to Hyde please send it in too.