GEORGINA STRIFE AND THE POISON APPLE
THIS IS THE TALE OF GEORGINA STRIFE
WHO LONGED TO LIVE A QUIET LIFE
NOT FOR HER SOME ENDLESS CHATTER
ON MOBILE PHONES, WHICH DID NOT MATTER
OR CONVERSATIONS ACROSS THE NET
WITH ONLINE ‘FRIENDS’ SHE’D NEVER MET
NO, GEORGINA MUCH PREFERRED A WALK
THAN SIT ABOUT AND IDLY TALK
THE TROUBLE WAS AT NEARLY TEN
PEER PRESSURE NOW DICTATED WHEN
YOUNG GIRLS SHOULD TEXT AND BE ONLINE
THEIR GAZE FIXED DOWNWARDS ALL THE TIME
AND THOUGH GEORGINA DID NOT CARE
TO BE CONTACTED EVERYWHERE
HER EVIL STEP-MUM, HARRIET STRIFE
DECIDED SHE SHOULD CHANGE HER LIFE
CHANGE THIS HAPPY, CAREFREE CHILD
WHO LOVED TO WANDER IN THE WILD
INTO SOME PALE, RECLUSIVE CLONE
WHO LIVED HER LIFE ON A MOBILE PHONE
BLANKLY STARING AT A SCREEN
A CHILD NOT HEARD AND RARELY SEEN
AND SO IT WAS ON JULY THE FIRST
GEORGINA’S LIFE WAS DULY CURSED
WHEN HER WICKED STEP-MUM DID BEGIN
TO SPOIL THE LIFE OF OUR HEROINE
‘GEORGINA’ SHE SAID AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE
‘I’M VERY CONCERNED YOU’RE NOT WI-FI ENABLED.
AND MORE THAN JUST A LITTLE PERPLEXED
THAT YOU’VE NEVER EVER SENT A TEXT,
OR DOWNLOADED APS OR FACEBOOKED FRIENDS
OR WASTED DAYS OF YOUR LIFE ON TWITTERING TRENDS.
ARE YOU NOT WORRIED THAT AS YOU GROW OLD
YOU’LL BE THE ONLY GIRL LEFT WHO’S NEVER BEEN TROLLED?’
WELL, GEORGINA SMILED, SHE SMILED A LOT
SHE DIDN’T KNOW HER STEP-MUM’S PLOT
‘NO NEED TO WORRY.’ SHE HAPPILY SAID
‘I JUST PREFER TO WALK INSTEAD.
I LOVE THE AIR, THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
THE FEEL OF GRASS UPON THE GROUND.
I KNOW THAT MOBILES HAVE THEIR PLACE
I JUST DON’T THINK IT’S NEAR MY FACE.’
WELL AT THIS HER STEP-MUM’S FACE TURNED RED
‘I REALLY MUST INSIST’ SHE SAID
‘EXERCISE IS NOT FOR YOU
IT’S NOT WHAT KIDS ARE MEANT TO DO
WANDERING ABOUT WITHOUT A CARE
BREATHING IN THAT COUNTRY AIR
IT CAN’T BE GOOD, IT WILL NOT DO
WHICH IS WHY I HAVE A GIFT FOR YOU
SO WITH EVIL THOUGHT AND HORRIBLE SMIRK
KNOWING HOW HER PLAN WOULD WORK
HER STEP-MUM, FROM BEHIND HER BACK
PRODUCED A PRESENT WRAPPED IN BLACK
WITH A BIG PINK BOW AND TINY LABEL
SHE PLACED IT ON THE BREAKFAST TABLE.
‘GEORGINA, DEAR,’ SHE CREEPILY SAID
HER TWISTED MOUTH ALL CRIMSON RED
‘THIS IS FOR YOU, I WON’T SPOIL THE FUN
BUT LETS JUST SAY IT’S NOT SAMSUNG.’
AND AS HER STEP-MUM BEGAN TO CLAP,
GEORGINA DID THE BOX UNWRAP
UNTIL, TO LITTLE OR NO SURPRISE
THERE SAT AN ‘APPLE’ BEFORE HER EYES
‘GO ON DEAR,’ HER STEP-MUM SAID
PUSHING THE PHONE TO GEORGIE’S HEAD.
‘MAKE A CALL, TEXT A FRIEND
CREATE MAIL AND JUST PRESS SEND
DOWNLOAD AN AP, PLAY SOME GAMES
FACEBOOK FRIENDS AND CALL THEM NAMES.
THE WORLD’S YOUR OYSTER, STAY IN, EXPLORE
THERE’S NOT EVEN A NEED TO GO OUT THE DOOR
SIT IN YOUR ROOM, BATHE NOW AND THEN
I’LL DELIVER YOUR MEALS, JUST LET ME KNOW WHEN.’
THUS WITH THAT ‘APPLE’ THE DIE WAS CAST
AS POOR GEORGINA LEARNT SO FAST
TO TEXT AND SURF AND IDLY TALK
FORGETTING HOW SHE LOVED TO WALK
UNTIL, THAT IS, ONE WINTERS NIGHT
WHEN A BIDDER FROM AN AUCTION SITE
KNOCKED AND SAID ‘HELLO, I’M SID,
AND I’VE JUST MADE THE WINNING BID
SO I’VE DRIVEN DOWN FROM DAVENPORT
TO COLLECT THE CLEANER THAT I’VE BOUGHT
WELL GEORGIE’S STEP-MUM SHOOK HER HEAD
SHE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT HAD BEEN SAID
SHE DIDN’T KNOW THAT SID WAS THRIFTY
AND SHE’D BEEN BOUGHT FOR TEN POUND FIFTY
SOLD ONLINE BY HER OWN STEP-DAUGHTER
TO SPEND HER LIFE KNEE-DEEP IN WATER
WORKING NOW FOR SIDNEY DEWERS
CLEANER OF THE COUNTRY’S SEWERS
AND THOUGH HER STEP-MUM BEGAN TO BEG
SIDNEY DEWERS STILL GRABBED A LEG
AND WITH THE MOST POLITEST COUGH
SCOOPED HER UP AND CARRIED HER OFF
AND THAT’S THE TALE OF GEORGINA STRIFE
WHOSE STEP-MUM TRIED TO CHANGE HER LIFE
TRIED TO MAKE HER LIVE ONLINE
AND WAS DULY SOLD FOR MORE AIR-TIME
THE END
By Paul White
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