Killer's Son Poem by Francis Duggan

I am sick and tired of others treating me as I were dirt
Far too oft I've been insulted and my feelings badly hurt
Those who know me look down on me I'm jailbird's son is that a crime
Is it my fault Dad's a jailbird in a jailhouse serving time.

I watched as my violent father took my screaming mother's life
Watched him stab her in the kitchen with a pointy carving knife
Watched him stab her in the kitchen on the kitchen floor she died
With the blood flowing like a river from a wound in her heart side.

She nagged him as we eat super he had taken too much drink
He lost control of his temper did not even stop to think
I was frightened could not help her I a seven year old boy
Watched as my father stabbed my mother watched the one who bore me die.

I ran from that house of murder uttered forth a help me cry
Two policemen came up to me two policemen passing by
I told these men what had happened told them about the foul play
They put handcuffs on my father and took the murderer away.

He was tried in court by jury and condemned to jail for life
He was jailed for life for murder for the murder of his wife
I was took in by aunt Bessy raised with Bessy's family
Aunty Bess was a good woman Aunty Bess was good to me.

She was gentle and kindhearted Bess played a true mother's part
Aunty Bess was special woman she had goodness in her heart
Raised me as I were her own child gave me all the love she had
How can I ever repay her Bess the sister of my dad? .

How I loathed going to school then how I hated going to school
Hated all the other school boys to me they were cruel so cruel
They teased me and called me nicknames because of what my dad had done
Taunted me and called me killer I was nicknamed 'killer's son'.

I would leave that school each evening so dejected and alone
I would leave that school I hated and run all the way back home
I would run home every evening I would run back home in tears
With the Nickname of the killer's son still resounding in
my ears.

Thirteen years have passed since those days yet things have not changed much for me
I'm still treated as an outcast an outcast of society
Those who know me just ignore me look on me as tainted breed
Shun me as if I were poison as I were a poison weed.

I am sick and tired of others treating me as I were scum
Giving me the silent treatment treating me like I were dumb
For the sins of Jailbird father social rejection I pay
I am still the son of killer and killer nickname with me stay.

I must leave this Town my Hometown some day soon I'll board a train
Travel to a distant city change my first and second name
Travel to a distant city pull my roots and re-plant them down
Far from the degrading people living in this country town.