The Red Poncho
The Red Poncho
Would the lady in the red poncho come in please
She is bent almost double and pushes her shopping trolley
from head to foot she is dressed in red
The same outfit everyday without waver
I cannot estimate her age but well into the eighties
A red shawl, a heavy knitted poncho covers her frame
recently in its centre has appeared a hand knitted poppy
She wears dark glasses and walks apace
in the supermarket she makes slow progress
searching for bargains, two for the price of one
There is an air of self sufficiency about her
a woman of some strength and character
I know nothing about her not even her name
she seems to appear in town nearly everyday
It is the hand made poppy which catches the eye
worn for someone she knew or for all
I always say hello and she acknowledges me
her generation was schooled in good manners
Who, I think, will replace them?
keith jeffries
Sat 10th Nov 2018 12:02
Kevin,
Thank you for your comment. I have found that absence has a way of highlighting changes. Being away for ten years and re entering British society I have noticed many different changes in various aspects of life and in particular attitudes. I don´t attribute manners or the lack thereof to any social class as that has no basis in fact. However, there seems to be a rural / urban divide on this issue. Towns are more cosomopolitan than ever before and the life style much more aggressive and faster. Whereas rural communities which are less cosmopolitan tend to be more relaxed and old habits die harder in these places. Close to where I live there is a small council housing estate the children of which are remarkably polite but I do not find their equivalent in the towns and cities. Perhaps a survey needs to be done. Thank you for raising this as confusion can result in prejudice and misinformation.
Keith