| THE COP...PAGE 2 |
The indigent, the crippled, both young and old Were frozen not just by cold...but by fear Even those whose misfortune was no fault of their own Were brought by the Bum Squad to tears! One of the very last secret safe havens Was an old factory in a big vacant lot It wasn't heated...but at least it was dry And the gate in the fence did not lock... Very soon word spread through the city About one place the "Squad" overlooked To those who hadn't been arrested as yet A whisper is all that it took! Each night the factory's cold empty rooms Would fill up but not until dark With those poor souls all seeking shelter Who'd been evicted from doorways and parks There were a few mothers with some young children And tattered, disabled vets with their signs A bag lady or two pushing grocery store buggies A few old bearded men clutching wine... They felt safe in that drafty, still factory Even though no one dared use a light They ust huddled together in the darkness Afraid to risk the Bum Squad's catching sight! Come morning, they all would scatter Afraid daylight would give them away And tip off the Squad of their whereabouts They feared losing their last place to stay But every night more and more gathered Taking refuge in the old factory's walls While Murphy and his team congratulated themselves Thinking they'd gotten rid of them all... Until one day the inevitable happened A man was spotted leaving well after dawn Officers rushed in… started searching the place Discovering what had been secret so long Murphy got so mad he turned purple At the idea that he had been tricked He ordered the front gate secured with a lock Plus the factory doors sealed and bricked! That very night in a neighborhood bar Sgt Murphy held court...buying rounds It was his anniversary …32 years!! And he’d shut the bum’s last hangout down... "And I don't feel even a little bit guilty" he crowed I was raised on these very streets Belligerently, he quoted “God only helps those Who stand up on their own two feet!" By the time it was last call, Murphy was quite drunk He caught a ride with some of his men... They let him out at the end of his road His house was just around the next bend... "See you tomorrow,!" he said badly slurring his words As he started staggering towards home But drunk as he was...he soon lost his bearings And was wandering around town alone Singing snatches of an old Irish ballad He suddenly raised his head up in shock! To find himself of all places at the factory Staring at the gate with it's shiny new lock! "How'd the hell I get here?" Murphy mumbled Then he shrugged..."Might as well go and see…” He searched with both hands through his pockets With a drunken flourish, came up with the key! |
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