Bike Ride

February brings Croydon riding through
train frantic pedestrians mazing through
gridlocked streets threatening rain.
Emerge  from the morning rush
through brick arches to named
Cornhill Gardens and Waterlink Way -
ornamental grass open lawn
and balconies shadow.
Thrown on South East cramped terraces  -
berried cotoneaster and baskets flowering -
ivy crocus and always geranium.
Rank vegetation slides down Ravensbourne banks
in the morning by afternoon submerged.

I see the grail - a storm filled swale.

Narrow bridges with rotten leaves.
Vertical stream channels
practical impractical engineering,
exposed aggregates crumbling neglected
holds the rising stream.
Gas holders and lorry parks
past open green planned nature,
industrial park wilderness with weeds
on broken walls, shopping trolly
wheels above the water - a drunk mocking the day.
Tributaries draining the chalk land lined by
play and clean seating a re-created land or
wild concrete walls and dingy chain link wilderness.
The echo as a lack.
And through traffic to Croydon the car park  
with concrete 60's blocks and work in the
last low rise brick building.

Curious and cold  - a hundred years old.