Mushtaq The Ice Cream Man

Let me share with you a tale

About the man Mushtaq

Who used to run an ice cream van

Along the wide South Bank

They never found his body

When it crackled into flames

Sinking to the belly of the melancholy Thames

Mushtaq was a likely lad

A man about the town

To his mum a gentleman

To his wife a clown

But they never found his body

When it crackled into flames

Sinking to the belly of the melancholy Thames

 

He became religious when

The twin towers fell and roared

When Bush said you are with us

Or you’re with the terror hordes

They never found his body

When it crackled into flames

Sinking to the belly of the melancholy Thames

 

Mushtaq bought an ice cream van

With all the trims and songs

Smiling while he served the scoops

And lollies all day long

They never found his body

When it crackled into flames

Sinking to the belly of the melancholy Thames

 

But the ice cream and smiling stopped

When emerged the videos

Of children burning on the streets

Of the Baghdad bombing shows

They never found his body

When it crackled into flames

Sinking to the belly of the melancholy Thames

 

However much he prayed and wept

He couldn’t handle it

His mind was filled with smouldering bodies

Which tormented him to bits

They never found his body

When it crackled into flames

Sinking to the belly of the melancholy Thames

 

Mushtaq started surfing

In the darkness on the net

His wife and mum were unaware

Of the strangers that he met

They never found his body

When it crackled into flames

Sinking to the belly of the melancholy Thames

 

They piled and packed his inbox

With more photos of the horror

The more he gazed the more he thought

He had to fight for their honour

They never found his body

When it crackled into flames

Sinking to the belly of the melancholy Thames

 

One fateful night Mushtaq arose

And crept down his creaky stairs

His wife and kids lay fast asleep

He cursed old Tony Blair

They never found his body

When it crackled into flames

Sinking to the belly of the melancholy Thames

 

He drove the van along the Thames

And parked it by the side

Waiting for the tourists

And the revellers to pass by

They never found his body

When it crackled into flames

Sinking to the belly of the melancholy Thames

 

Then he saw the night folk

Walking by in groups and droves

He knew this was the time to press

The button just he was told

They never found his body

When it crackled into flames

Sinking to the belly of the melancholy Thames

 

But something clicked

The bomb collapsed

And burst into fierce flames

Mushtaq screamed and fell headlong

Into the river Thames

And they never found his body

When it crackled into flames

Sinking to the belly of the melancholy Thames

 

As he sank into the Thames

The pain searing his body

Those words appeared from the extremists

You will not have to worry

His life passed by his drowning eyes

He pictured his wife and kids

His doting mum, his ice cream van

Which made him a few quid

Suddenly the terror struck

When he saw his only son

He would never see him again

Under the living sun

The Lord did not welcome him

The angels did not sing

As he felt his body die

The currents swallowed him

And they never found his body

When it crackled into flames

Sinking to the belly of the melancholy Thames

This entry was posted in narrative poetry, Poems and tagged by Novid Shaid. Bookmark the permalink.

About Novid Shaid

I am a Muslim writer and English teacher. I have written poetry, short stories, a play, and I am currently working on a novella. My subject matter and themes are related to Islam, Sufism, politics and also my job as a secondary school teacher. My work is copyrighted and any works published here may not used or copied without my prior consent. You can contact me via the "Contact Me" page, if you wish to use any these writings. I am keen to gain the notice of publishers and if any are interested in my writings, please contact me via the "Contact Me" page. Was salaam, Peace

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