title: Musings: A Poetry Collection
author: Shelby Banks
description: Shelby Banks is a native of Philadelphia, she holds a Bachelors Degree in English Education and a Masters in Creative Writing. Miss Banks is an English teacher. She lives with her two dogs and a cat. Her hobbies include buying decorative pillows, drinking tea, themed photoshoots of her dogs, and baking. She can be found on Instagram @findmeinapoem.
zlib_text: ![](Images/image00115.jpeg)
  
  **The**  
   ******Burglar**  
   **Who liked to**  
   **Quote**  
   **Kipling**
  
   **LAWRENCE**  
   **BLOCK**
  
  ![](Images/image00111.jpeg)
  
   _for Cheryl Morrison_
  
  > When from ’ouse to ’ouse you’re ’untin’ you must always work in pairs—
  
  > It ’alves the gain, but safer you will find—
  
  > For a single man gets bottled on them twisty-wisty stairs.
  
  > An’ a woman comes and clobs ’im from be’ind.
  
  > When you’ve turned ’em inside out, an’ it seems beyond a doubt
  
  > As if there weren’t enough to dust a flute
  
  > ( _Cornet:_ Toot! toot!)—
  
  > Before you sling your ’ook, at the ’ouse-tops take a look,
  
  > For it’s underneath the tiles they ’ide the loot.
  
  > ( _Chorus.)_ ’Ow the loot!
  
  > Bloomin’ loot!
  
  > That’s the thing to make the boys git up an’ shoot!
  
  > It’s the same with dogs an’ men,
  
  > If you’d make ’em come again
  
  > Clap ’em forward with a Loo! loo! Lulu!
  
  > Loot!
  
  > Whoopee! Tear ’im, puppy! Loo! loo! Lulu!
  
  > Loot! loot! Loot!
  
  > > > —Rudyard Kipling
  
  > > > “Loot”
  