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Grip

by  michwo

Posted: Thursday, November 7, 2019
Word Count: 116
Summary: A poem about Barnaby's raven in Dickens's "Barnaby Rudge".




Grip
 
A ravenous raven my friend Grip is,
Not like those pampered ones safe in the Tower.
I gone, it would be a thousand pities
Just to leave him though he does bite and glower.
 
How did we end up in Newgate with dad?
The rioters burning the prison down
Saved us.  Dennis betrayed us.  Hugh got mad.
We were recaptured and brought back to town.
 
Then we were placed under sentence of death.
Dennis the hangman himself was worked off.
Hugh asked if someone might care for his dog.
 
Poor Hugh!  He spoke for me while he had breath.
Somebody thought I’d been punished enough.
Now I’ve got Grip back he eats like a hog.