I Take This Opportunity…
The Roman style Birmingham town hall
Rises high above the cartoon scene,
Classical, in ignorance of what lies below:
A smart building which plainly impresses;
A gentleman, turning, looks elegant in top-hat tall,
A carriage is hauled by horses, legs trotting serene;
Yet an incongruous wagon, its delivery slow,
Lurks among ladies, wearing promenading dresses…
The main characters drawn on the postcard
Are in the foreground at the base of the pile:
A bill-poster’s trousers appear unkempt and torn,
As he wields his wooden pasting brush;
The message urges folks to be on their guard
And be aware of pickpockets’ stealth and guile,
Yet he himself is being ‘dipped’ by a cutpurse forlorn,
Out in the open, not relying on a crush…
Barefoot, the urchin lifts the chap’s tails,
Reduced to theft when all else fails;
The privileged classes and the town hall’s magnificence
Directly conflict with the pair’s poverty and decadence…
Pete Ray
Another Cynicus published postcard about Birmingham.
The artist was CG Phillips…
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