Larkin About By Gary Clark

I knew it was Philip Larkin That bloke in the park With his long dirty raincoat and walks after dark Stood on the corner watching the Hull folk go by Single mothers with push chairs met with a condescending eye He thought he was invisible he thought we were all daft That strange bloke from Coventry Wearing a stupid brown hat. You're no better than us lot who you know nothing about You might look like Eric Morecambe but without his Ernie your nowt. Larkin you're famous for writing about us The downtrodden people and him on the bus We know our place and just who we are No pretentious Times readers amongst us we trust

But remember this Larkin wherever you are It's people like me you admired from afar Ordinary people in a forgotten town We ask for nothing and that's what we get And people like you should never forget Hull is my city and of it I'm proud And Larkin you joined us, we didn't ask you out loud I just hope your time amongst us wasn't filled with regret Its Hull that made you the man that you were And that night I saw you when you didn't want to be seen Was the night you realised Hull people were not so green. Hull blokes are quiet we don't say a word One thing's for certain I don't think I would have dared.

Copyright © Gary Clark 2009

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