Timothy Winters comes to school
With eyes as wide as a football pool,
Ears like bombs and teeth like splinters:
A blitz of a boy is Timothy Winters.
His belly is white, his neck is dark,
And his hair is an exclamation mark.
His clothes are enough to scare a crow
And through his britches the blue winds blow.
When teacher talks he won't hear a word
And he shoots down dead the arithmetic-bird,
He licks the patterns off his plate
And he's not even heard of the Welfare State.
Timothy Winters has bloody feet
And he lives in a house on Suez Street,
He sleeps in a sack on the kitchen floor
And they say there aren't boys like him any more.
Old man Winters likes his beer
And his missus ran off with a bombardier.
Grandma sits in the grate with a gin
And Timothy's dosed with an aspirin.
The Welfare Worker lies awake
But the law's as tricky as a ten-foot snake,
So Timothy Winters drinks his cup
And slowly goes on growing up.
At Morning Prayers the Master helves
For children less fortunate than ourselves,
And the loudest response in the room is when
Timothy Winters roars "Amen!"
So come one angel, come on ten:
Timothy Winters says "Amen
Amen amen amen amen."
Timothy Winters, Lord.
Amen!
Notes
To quote Causley himself "People always ask me whether this was a real boy. My God, He certainly was. Poor old boy, I don't know where he is now. I was thunderstuck when people thought I'd made it up! -he was a real bloke. Poor little devil."
http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=124
In a published book
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Timothy Winters
From guest Gianna Marie Nordon (contact)
I thought this poem was extremely sad and touching. It made me realize how lucky i am. I felt so so sorry for Timothy. The poem is so descriptive I could picture Timothy so vividly -
From guest k (contact)
i am studing this book at school and i am 11 and once you have read between the lines its afantastic poem -
Poem: Timothy Winters
From guest Christopher Wood (contact)
Heard this poem read for the first time on 'Poetry Please' yesterday (18 Oct., I think). It was read superbly on that occasion. -
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at school today in OZ
From guest joh durkin (contact)
Still poignant at staff meeting. Two of the "tough" boys in year 10 requested a copy when I recited a verse. -
Oh my, there's a poem long forgotten about.
I think i can still rhyme this off?
We learned this about 5 years ago for exams,
strange seeing it again
brilliant work
thanks for writing one of the most influential poems i've ever read -
Causely Dates
1917_2003 CAUSELY Charles
MOD MESSAGE
Thanks JR.
for some reason the computer code does not show recent death dates (probably because this is OLDpoetry
) but we do have it right in the authors biography.
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Timothy Winters
From guest Sheila Wetton (contact)
I like the poem so much I made up a sequel to it:
Whatever happened to Timothy Winters:
Timothy Winters grew up at last
and put his school days in the past
He's a fine young man with jet black hair
and he's now got plenty of underwear
No holes in his britches where the cold winds blew
and his feet don't bleed like they used to do
he sleeps in a bed thats hard but neat
and he's left the house in Suez Street
His grandma died from too much gin
and his Dad left home when she left him
His ma's been gone for many a year
They say she ran off with a Bombardier
The Welfare Worker still can't sleep
and his sees a physchiatrist once a week
He's been diagnosed as a troubled man
Most likely due to the Winters' clan
So Timothy Winters is all alone
With no-one to care and nowhere to call home
But this young lad had something inside
and he wanted to serve his country with pride
So he joined the Army at seventeen
And a braver young soldier there's never been
He served his time and went to war
and he's never been seen round here anymore
He took up his rifle and learned to fight
to put all life's injustices right
So lets pray that his angel looks after him
Timothy Winters Lord, Amen.
©Sheila Wetton
MOD MESSAGE
Thanks for sharing -
Re Timothy Winters
From guest Greta Henebery (contact)
Excellent - Wonderful memories reciting to my late Mother. My brother and I used to recite this at Elocution lessons 40 years a go and Poetry Examinations. Fond and precious thoughts Greta and Ronald Pierce. -
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From guest gail paddock (contact)
every time i read this poem i cry because of this poem i got into working with children first in social work now as a childrens' nurse -
Outstanding
This is a poem that looks at everyday life and real people. It is a wonderful poem with a sense of society and modern day parenting. He creates a great picture of this child's life. -
Memories
From guest Grant Davis (contact)
I too had to discuss this piece as a school child. I remember clearly the teacher asking what wa meant by "a blitz of a boy." I was the only one who attempted to answer that and the teacher vaguely disagreed with my explanation but herself refused to provide one which frustrated me. I am not sure to this day if that was due to her ignorance or her trying to show that interpretation is in the eye of the reader. This was back in 1973 by the way. Wonderful poem. And the final word (I'm sure) is missing - isn't there a final "amen" right at the end? -
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To Guest Grant Davies,
This has long been one of my favourite pieces of poetry. The truths it contains are so real, even in today's Britain where so many Timothy's still exist.
You don't say what your interpretation of Blitz of a boy is but mine is of a child knocked about by society in the way London was knocked about by the Blitz. Timothy suffers not only from the physical cruelty of his father but the neglectful cruelty of his grandmother and others who are supposed to care for him. His appearance is tattered as the bombed houses were tattered and yet, through it all, the lad's spirits are not diminished and he still has time to think about and care for others as is evident in the penultimate stanza.
The final word in the poem is, as you say, Amen! and I have corrected that.
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English
From guest Jasmine (contact)
I just wrote and essay on the poem "Timothy Winters" in English. I would like too know if timothy Winters was a realy boy?
MOD MESSAGE
Yes he was! http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=124 -
Timothy Winters
From guest Peter Teesdale (contact)
This was the first poem I ever read and in my view one of the most thought provoking social statements of the twentieth century. -
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To Guest Peter T.
I couldn't agree more and unfortunately Timothy Winters and kids like him still exist in the civilised world of the 21st Century too
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It made me cry...
From guest Amelia (contact)
i love this poem, it reminds me of a boy at my old school. poor guy, he was always bullied to tears but i was too scared to do anything about it. instead i prayed for im to god, as in the last stanza of this poem. i wish that people would do more about the poverty in so many countries around the world. i know there are many great people who already do so, but whilst the government plays a war game, a child dies from famine every three seconds. -
My Parental claim to fame lol the old man used to deliver his papers, the old bugger's still around. never spoke to him though. Geez what would I say!
Must admit to liking his work.
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