BEASTLY TALES

THE SUFFRAGETTE

“Suffrage” or the right to vote in political elections,
The right to participate in selections,
Of those who to parliament go,
Representation fond of saying NO!
Ladies didn’t realize they had it so good,
Not having to vote, it is understood,
That nowadays voting is compulsory,
If you don’t vote you’ll be fined a fee.
And why has the desire to vote diminished,
Because confidence in politicians has finished.
The Tread Mill of Experience tells us why,
Talk about Politics, and most people sigh.

But back to the Suffragette situation,
That, in Victorian times, rocked the nation.
Probably, it’s safe to declare,
That such a difference wouldn’t be there,
If common sense had been applied,
At the outset, if they had tried.
The notion that ladies be not allowed to vote,
Is as stupid as loving voting, yes, to dote!
But suffragette squabbles and fights,
Included the overall subject of Equal Rights.
This can be more readily understood,
Because “equal rights” are undoubtedly good.
Certainly the right to drive a car,
Without this, you can’t go far.
Although, in Victorian times, it was fine to be a loafer,
Sitting in your Bentley, driven by a Chauffeur.
In legal terms there was much room for adjusting,
Particularly if it appeared your marriage was busting.
But, by and large, a trade-off seemed to occur,
Over time, for equal rights, demarcations began to slur.
Simple ones, like who pays for a dinner,
With both Lady and Gentleman being a bread winner.
And when it comes time to go off to war,
Ladies in the Armed Services; never seen before.

Suffragettes went to great lengths,
To highlight many feminine strengths,
Such as chaining themselves to metal fences,
Demanding equal pay, in pounds, shillings and pences.
Marching along with sizeable placards,
Their messages resounding like many naggards.
But, always, in the rich tapestry of life,
It was socially acceptable to be man and wife.

Violet Hightalker was a suffragette,
She was particularly annoyed that she couldn’t bet.
Not playing two-up, on the horses, and yet,
She must have saved a bundle of money,
Statistically, betting losses aren’t funny.
But that didn’t stop her continuing to try,
To be a betting punter on the sly.
She’d go around to the sly Bookie’s door
And place a bet for two shillings and four.
Although it didn’t make a lot of sense,
To include the amount of four pence
The poor horse, of course, didn’t run very fast.
And, you guessed it, it came home last!