to ask all the mumsnetters who voiced negative messages re policing notting hill to read this poem!!

[Lulah]

A policeman stood before his god,
As always must come to pass.
He hoped his boots were shining
as brightly as his brass.
"step forward now policeman,
How shall i deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek
and to my church have you been true?
The policeman squared his shoulders and
said "No lord i guess i aint.
Cause those of us who carry guns and deal with scum
Cant always be a saint!
I have had to work such long days
and sometimes my talk was tough
and at other times i have been violent
cause the world is awfully rough.
But i never took a penny that wasnt mine to keep
And i ve had to work a lot of overtime
when the bill s got just too steep.
I never passed a cry for help
though at times i shook with fear.
And at times god forgive me
I cried unmanly tears.
I dont know if i deserve a place
Among people who are here
they never wanted me around
except to calm their fears.
So if you ve a place here lord
it need not be so grand
in life i did not expect or need much
so if you don t i understand.
There was a silence all around the throne
where saints had often trod as the
policeman waited quietly
for the judgement of his god.
"step forward now BRAVE OFFICER
You have born you burdens well
Walk peacefully on my heavens streets
YOU HAVE SERVED YOUR TIME IN HELL!!!

[beanieb]

blergh.

[policywonk]

Patience Strong, is it?

[Ronaldinhio]

Is this a joke?

[handlemecarefully]

I don't think it warrants a blergh

[wessexgirl]

I think Patience Strong had a better grasp of scansion, policy.

[themildmanneredstalker]

oh jeez-what a pile of sickly sentiment al crap

[policywonk]

I'll happily bow to your superior knowledge on that one, Wessex

[wessexgirl]

Nan was a fan .

[policywonk]

Ah. My mother was an anti-fan - she always used to squeak 'Patience Strong!' and make retching noises whenever she was faced with a false sentiment/bad poetry combo.

[Lulah]

More or less as expected from the usual !. Hope the wife of the policeman who died on duty and wrote it doesnt bother to join MN.

[beanieb]

The 'blergh' was at the tweeness of the 'poem'

I didn't read whatever the original thread was but the 'poem' IMO was blergh.

[beanieb]

Lulah - The fact that it was written by the wife of a policeman who died means nothing to me. I read it as a piece of poetry with no sentimental connection and it made me think 'blergh' I still think 'blergh' even having been told who wrote it.

Is it going to be on the front cover of the news of the world and the Daily Mail tomorrow?

[Ronaldinhio]

Agreed with BeanieB

[wahwah]

Look I'm sorry for her suffering, but to inflict her pain on others is a bit much imho.

[handlemecarefully]

I don't mind going on record as saying that I found it quite moving, particularly given it's genesis...but then I am older than 14 and not trying to prove anything.

[policywonk]

There's an interesting discussion to be had about police and their role/duties in society. I don't think it took place on the Notting Hill thread, and I don't think that that poem adds much to it either. All just my opinion of course.

[policywonk]

childish snigger at wahwah

[handlemecarefully]

I haven't read the Notting Hill thread, and having seen some of the facetious and flippant remarks (passing for 'wit') on this thread have no desire to go there.

[wahwah]

Of course you're not.

Let me put this into perspective. Eric Clapton's son died and it was very sad. I felt sorry for his suffering. I cannot abide 'Tears in Heaven'. Doesn't mean I am a heartless bitch, just that some expressions of pain are better kept private if you don't want other people forming an opinion.

[beanieb]

handlemecarefully - I find it interesting that its genesis somehow makes it more moving. I was reading it as a piece of poetry with no knowledge of it's reason for being. I think it's awful poetry, I have to be honest. it really is.

The fact that the poem ws written by a recently bereaved woman doesn't increase it's worth IMO.

However, I hope the woman who wroteit gets some comfort from it.

[vixma]

Whenit comes to police man/women roles n society it would be intrested to see if tey are as frustrated as the public is. Paper work is a huge issue and sueing. I personally liked the bobbies on the beat. We had one in particular when I was growing up in the early 1990's called PC Lawrance, who we did not aways see, but we knew he ws about.....we were litle so and so's, but he was strict and he used to petrole the area on his bike....we knew his mission was t catch someone up to mischief....however, he had a rare soft side also.

[UniversallyChallenged]

Wasnt this originally about soldiers? Not that it matters I suppose, just seem to remember that American makeover programme doing this poem for a chap who lost his legs in Iraq

[Ronaldinhio]

Why so riled handelmecarefully?

[policywonk]

I think universallychallenged might be right - if you Google 'The Final Inspection' it comes up a few times, and there's a site that claims it was written by a US soldier.

[beanieb]

oh - I do find the title of the thread quite challenging.