Reginald

Reginald
Who sniffed glue and came to a sticky end.

Young Reginald, it must be said,
Was not too bright and easily led
By older boys whose path through life
Encompassed argument and strife.

He very rarely went to school.
His sisters thought he was a fool.
His parents wept and tore their hair
But Reginald just didn't care.

While others learnt to read and write
And do their sums and never fight,
His loathsome friends did only wrong
And Reginald would tag along.

They'd use a bus but never pay
To travel downtown every day
And visit all the shopping malls
To paint graffiti on the walls.

Old men and women used to frown
When Reggie and his friends hit town.
The bad boys used to steal men's sticks
And push old ladies just for kicks.

In shops and stores they used to stroll
And some would watch while others stole.
They went to supermarkets, too,
For cigarettes and paint and glue.

In spring and summer after dark
They'd head down to the local park
To puff away on stolen fags,
Sniff paint and glue from plastic bags.

In winter, when it rains and snows,
The sniffs were caused by runny nose.
But habits bad won't be denied
So Reggie took his glue inside.

He sniffed before a roaring fire.
The flames and Reggie both got higher.
Until a spark flew from the coke
And Reg and glue went up in smoke.

His dad, alerted by the shout,
Ran in and put the fire out
By pouring water from a jug
On Reggie and the fireside rug.

But glue burns hot and fierce and fast
Alas poor Reggie breathed his last.
The moral of this tale for you
Is stick to sticking things with glue.