The Big Elm Tree

the big elm tree The idiot grinned but he knew not why A vacant look lingered in his eye He knew he was not like the other folk And that they regarded him as a joke The children taunted, called him names Wouldn’t let him join in with their games But he was content to spend the day By the big elm tree, watching them play Then one day a pretty girl of five or six Full of mischief and naughty little tricks Said ‘Please do show something to me’ As he was standing by the big elm tree He was not to know that it was just a tease And was only too glad to try and please But sadly, for his innocent aberration He was taken down to the police station The policemen said ‘You are vile and sick’ Reminded him with every punch and kick They gave him black eyes and a broken nose Swilled away blood with a rubber hose Then a boot in the groin hurt him so bad But what had he done to make them mad? Why do they do these awful things to me Just for talking to a girl by the big elm tree? They hauled him up before the magistrate Who did not take very long to adjudicate ‘It is a danger to the public that you present And to a mental home you must be sent’ Inside the asylum it was antiseptic white Screams would ring out through the night They took his clothes, led him down a hall Placed him in a room both dingy and small Inside the room was just an iron bed Looking at the warden. ‘Please’ he said ‘When will I be going home to my mum?’ He was told ‘This is your home now son’ Week after week he sat naked on the bed Twice a day with awful food he was fed And through a small window he could see The green leaves of the big elm tree He could do nothing, so he sat and wept Bad dreams would haunt him as he slept He begged hard for them to set him free But they did not heed his mournful plea He began to turn down his food one day He lost weight and started to fade away No one cared or tried to make him well And he starved to death in a living Hell His funeral was a quiet and humble affair Only his parents and siblings were there His coffin was buried in a nice shady lea Not so very far from the big elm tree