"Silly Woman"

Oh you fucking stupid people!
Why have you got
Shit for brains?
Has it never ever
Occured to you
To fold your prams
On trains?
Do you not notice
Every day
The carriage
Getting packed?
Use some
Bloody common sense!
Which you seem to lack.
An empty space
Would be right there
Into which we're
Trying to squeeze
If you were not
Such a selfish fool
Who does as they please.
Not only has your EMPTY pram
Hogged standing spots
By the door
Your lack of
Commuting etiquette
Is really fucking poor!
Even the seat
Next to you
Is empty!
A resting spot for some
But instead
Your little brat is using it
As a fucking drum!
What is it with us English?
We're so fucking polite.
Saying 'excuse me please'
And always apologising
Instead of up for a fight.
Or even worse...
Keeping totally schtum
Say nothing at all
Writing silly poems
About no room
To calm ourselves down.
Scribble...and relax!
Despite your African accent
You might be
As British as me.
So a desperate plea
To the UK citizen test folk
Instead of names of
Centuries old kings
And other pointless things
Teach people
Not what you perceive
And believe
What it means to be British.
But old fashioned manners
And common sense instead!

Dulwich Poet 24th February 2014

(On the train to work a woman took up three seats with her two young children, one was not sitting on the seat, but constantly 'drumming' on it with two pencils. By the door she had left her unfolded pram-empty-taking up spaces for two people, on a packed communter train)