Each Day to Ealing Broadway (II) : On Time

The streets are seeped with their chatter and noise
The morning cascade from the train ushers the men and the boys
As they vie for position at the head of the crowd
That emerges loud and a tremble from the station in Ealing
And the rush to the High Street that has them awake and feeling
Driven by self importance and reeling with pride
They hide their moments of indiscretion on the ride
To be "on time."
.

The Londoner
A working-class boy
Has his mind still locked in that shocked sentiment
That rattle and sound
As he rushes along the streaked street
And considers the urgency to be "on time."
.

In his mind
The petty things
Not the pretty things
.

In his heart
The fear
The hurt
And the grime
As each morning he runs from the train
To be "on time"
.

And the pain rises up from the depth of his soul
As he fears he may lose
Another job
Another goal
.

A service distinct
To the few
Has left limitations on what he can do
.

You boy!
You can work in a factory
Or a shop
People from these estates
Never go to college
So you just stop
That kind of thinking
Right now
.

Know your race
Be true
English working-class boy
Know your place
If you want to do well.
.

In London schools
Working-class boys are taught
To be good working-class boys
To be good factory workers
To work in a shop
To fiddle the books a little on the side
The working-class privilege
The ride humored and hidden
.

He makes it to the doorway
And that familiar smell
The street
The clothing
The gutter swell
The stench of the bins
The secret corners where the night before
Were committed unspeakable sins
.

His boss is there
As always
Before
To "open up"
To unlock the door
He is happy to see the Londoner arrive "on time"
For he too is a boy from the same streets
"You'll go far!" he jibes.
As he hides the stick by the till
With luck today
There will be no one to kill
.