Crowd Scene Poem by Harry St Vincent Beechey

A shot rang out;

And the crowd moved; making a dark and sullen sound.

HUBBUB? RHUBARB, SUBURB,

RUB ALLUB, BAH SEELUB,

AH UB A HUBBURB,

And its fringes drew back like singed fingers,

Leaving a crumpled thing

Clutching the reddening ground,

And a shriek seared the silence that fell

As the soldiers slid forward a pace,

And a stone flew, cutting the corporals face,

Hurting his cheek.

And, in the HUBBUB,

SUBBUB,

RHUBARB,

A voice cried MOLASSES,

THROMBOSIS, OASIS,

Or maybe ENOSIS!

- - - - - - it sounded Greek

To the soldiers, as the crowd moved,

Mourning in dark and sullen sound.



Copyright H. St.Vincent Beechey,30 October '55.