Unto Us... Poem by Spike Milligan

Unto Us...

Rating: 4.4


Somewhere at some time
They committed themselves to me
And so, I was!
Small, but I WAS!
Tiny, in shape
Lusting to live
I hung in my pulsing cave.
Soon they knew of me
My mother --my father.
I had no say in my being
I lived on trust
And love
Tho' I couldn't think
Each part of me was saying
A silent 'Wait for me
I will bring you love!'
I was taken
Blind, naked, defenseless
By the hand of one
Whose good name
Was graven on a brass plate
in Wimpole Street,
and dropped on the sterile floor
of a foot operated plastic waste
bucket.
There was no Queens Counsel
To take my brief.
The cot I might have warmed
Stood in Harrod's shop window.
When my passing was told
My father smiled.
No grief filled my empty space.
My death was celebrated
With tickets to see Danny la Rue
Who was pretending to be a woman
Like my mother was.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Eve O'farrell 13 August 2009

I read this poem at school too many years ago and have been unable to find it until now. I love it and its so moving-

11 7 Reply
Séamas Ó Súilleabháin 21 January 2010

so provoking, each line had a profound effect on me.

11 6 Reply
Marie Peat 16 July 2007

This is one of the poems i had to study in English at school, now, all these years later, reading it as a 32 year old mother of 3, i didn't even get to the end before the tears came. It's one of the saddest poems ever written, and by one of the funniest men too, who would have thought he could be so sensitive?

12 5 Reply
Libby A 25 April 2008

We briefly looked at this poem in English a few weeks ago, and I love it. It's such an interesting and original poem. It's heartwrenching, but still amazing.

10 6 Reply
Jenny Ferenczi 21 June 2009

Totally brilliant. The man was a crazy genius.

8 7 Reply
Terry Craddock 30 September 2020

So what emotive words and phrases does Spike use to narrate the brief life of the unborn fetus? 'Tiny, in shape to live I hung in my pulsing cave' is the fetus still in the womb; soon to be taken 'Blind, naked, defenseless' and killed by the doctor with the good name that 'graven on a brass plate in Wimpole Street'. The death of the baby is celebrated With tickets to see Danny la Rue Who was pretending to be a woman Like my mother was.' Powerful, emotive...

5 0 Reply
Terry Craddock 30 September 2020

For me 'Unto Us...' by Spike Milligan is one of the greatest most powerful soul wrenching poems ever written. I have read all the comments believe and no one has addressed the topic or theme of this poem. It is about abortion, the unborn fetus is narrating a personal brief story from conception to death.

6 0 Reply
Mortimer Mc Inerney 10 September 2019

Thanks, David, for sharing

0 0 Reply
Mark C 10 August 2019

I had no idea about this poem, it is quite devastating.

0 0 Reply
Shirley Birch 25 September 2018

I have always loved this poem. My views on many things have changed over the years, but not on this, neither on the poem or the subject

3 0 Reply
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