Having recently worked on writing a verse novel centred on the life of an orphan boy living in Victorian England, I undertook a project requiring a great deal of reading research regarding life in general during this particular era. Historical accuracy was essential. Apart from supporting my writing efforts, this research extended my knowledge. It chipped away at my ignorance- and that's always welcome. A wealth of  information regarding the prevailing view of the child at that time was revealed. Children were to be seen and not heard. Discipline was often strict in the extreme. The belief being children were wilful and had to be taught to bend to the dictates of adults. In the eyes of many, the children of the poor became expedient factory fodder. They were exposed to exploitation, cruelty and danger.  Schooling for them was frequently over by the age of 11.  The poem I am sharing is based on actual accounts of the working lives of children in the factory system as...