Child Logic Poem by Les Murray

Child Logic

Rating: 4.8


The smallest girl
in the wild kid's gang
submitted her finger
to his tomahawk idea -

It hurt bad, dropping off.
He knew he'd gone too far
and ran, herding the others.
Later on, he'd maim her brother.

She stayed in the bush
till sundown, wrote
in blood on the logs, and
gripped her gapped hand, afraid

what her parents would say
to waste of a finger.
Carelessness. Mad kids.
She had done wrong some way.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Kumarmani Mahakul 15 July 2019

what her parents would say to waste of a finger. Carelessness. Mad kids. She had done wrong some way........touching expression. Beautiful poem.

1 0 Reply
Edward Kofi Louis 15 July 2019

She stayed in the bush! ! Thanks for sharing this poem with us.

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 15 July 2019

A gapped hand is very painful for an, the more for a smallest girl. This is awful. It is always the wrong doing of an. Poet of Ayers Rock, this is not right to blame the small girl.

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Khairul Ahsan 16 July 2019

'She stayed in the bush till sundown, wrote in blood on the logs, and gripped her gapped hand, afraid' - like he, I too am so scared!

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Khairul Ahsan 16 July 2019

I wanted to write 'like her, I too am so scared! ' The r from 'her' got inadvertently dropped.

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Deepak S S 22 April 2021

Many things to learn from kids.

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Sylvia Frances Chan 22 April 2021

Two days in a row The Modern Poem Of The Day? Congratulations!

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Drew Engman 21 April 2021

Weirdly excellent slice of adolescent life, I love it.

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Sylvia Frances Chan 21 April 2021

NOTE: I do hope my comments will stay here. Excellent poem.5 Stars. Congratulations!

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Sylvia Frances Chan 21 April 2021

I do not see my comment for this Modern Poem Of Today. Congratulations. Hurt finger, much blood and of course very painful, indeed a child's logic.5 Stars! Excellent poem!

1 0 Reply
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