A Larkin chestnut

Was just reading Larkin; I'd forgotten this beaut, from 1971:

This Be The Verse

They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
  They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
  And add some extra, just for you.

But they were fucked up in their turn
  By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
  And half at one another's throats.

Man hands on misery to man.
  It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
  And don't have any kids yourself.

Just thought you'd enjoy it. It's a chestnut, but if you're like me, you don't retain poetry.

Comments

[JD]

Perky.

[majii]

Still relevant.