West Side Poetry

On the streets tonight
There's excitement on the streets tonight
As the Jets take on the Sharks
For the showdown of the century weekend
Fighters on your marks

There's fighting on the streets tonight
As the clash of man on man
Finds the blood-covered victorious
With a red knife in his hand

There’s panic on the streets tonight
As no one dares believe
How little this ‘fair rumble’
Has managed to achieve

There’s running on the streets tonight
By children fuelled by fear
No one wants to go back home
But they can’t stay out here

For there's sirens on the streets tonight
The blue flash lights up a face
Streaked with tears and blood and dirt
But not looking out of place

Because there was murder on the streets tonight
And death hovers above them all
Waiting for its next victim
Who everyone will see fall

Party Flee-r and Proud

Is there really anything so wrong with a teenager in modern Britain who DOESNT want a drink?!
If a girl's invited to a party in which she knows there will be drinking, drugs, sex and (most terrifyingly) dancing, why does she feel she has to find a good reason to get out of her idea of Hell? It's just not acceptable anymore to say: No, I'm not going because I don't want to.
Why is the relieved feeling that I've got out of going marred by a slight jab of guilt?
What's there to be guilty about?! That I don't want to get "Drunk Enough To Dance" (as bowling for soup would say)?
I refuse to believe that the youth of today is lost. I know some people- scratch that- A LOT of people find that kind of thing fun. I don't have a problem with that, so long as they don't drag me into it either. The problem I DO have is that if I'm not careful I'll get a storm of jeers, taunts and downright bullying if I let people know I don't find it fun myself.
People who I believed were drink and drug free have had a habit of surprising me recently. I know- I know- I KNOW- that I'm not the only kid in the UK who doesn't want to drink. Hell, half my friends would find that situation a good time to run too.
Well maybe I am missing out. Maybe if I went to number 16 this Saturday I would manage to enjoy myself. But the point of this rant is that if that's what it takes to have a good time these days, God help me I'll find a way to time travel back to when dancing was optional and there was such a thing as a gentleman.