If Pigs Could Fly

Cherry

By Silver Spun Sand

Mon, 07 Jul 2014
  • 5131 reads
12 comments
 
Picks her way through her kitchen and the chaos 
of fitting new windows...courtesy of the council;
piles of grubby dustsheets – cruddy cans of paint.
 
Kneels down – strokes her cat, unties her apron.
Perches on the chippy’s wooden bench –
glances through the fanlight at the moon.
 
Somewhere she’d like to be right this second.
Puts on her new Pink Floyd album – Animals;  
fingers its sleeve and smiles. At least she feels
half-human again.  
 
Music calms the savage breast … 
and a Woodbine. Something was in the air tonight – 
even Battersea seemed half-bearable. Stubs out 
her cigarette. 
 
Seems all she’s done for weeks is make cups of tea;  
Two sugars, love! ringing in her ears. 
 
She and her shadow need some air – go down to the seat 
by the bike sheds with its inspiring vista – four stacks 
spewing smoke. 
 
Glances up at her balcony – ten floors high; her smalls
on the line, flaunting themselves for all to see. 
 
Time for Corrie soon, legs it up the stairwell – smells
of piss; the lift caput again...her shadow stops behind...
 
waltzing  in the wind with Pink Floyd’s little pink pig – 
courtesy of Zeppelin, on one of the chimney’s 
of  the CEGB’s gift to Battersea – its  infamous 
power station.  
 
Oh, to be long gone from here, and they would – 
if pigs could only fly.
Certificate 15
Poem
Silver Spun Sand Poems
Philosophy
Historical Fiction

Comments

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Urban living in the sky. Love the scenes that you create, Tina. '77 at a guess? Depicts the emptiness and the grind wonderfully. Something wistful about it, though.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Spot on, on all counts.

Husband served his apprenticeship at Battersea with the CEGB...in days of yoresmiley

Many thanks, PT.

Tina

 

Submitted by Bee on

I'm with PT on the wistful. And it's beautiful, too. Some poems not only paint a picture, but take you right to the spot, and this is one of them - see the scene, smell the piss and feel the breeze. My fave is - 

'ten floors high; her smalls
on the line, flaunting themselves for all to see.' And - 

'her shadow stops behind...

waltzing  in the wind with Pink Floyd’s little pink pig – 
courtesy of Zeppelin, on one of the chimney’s 
of  the CEGB’s gift to Battersea – its  infamous 
power station.'
 

Bee

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

I am so pleased I took you right there, so to speak.

And speaking of being right there, I only set foot in the hallowed halls of Battersea Power Station twice.  The first was when I attended a social gathering there, and before it started my hubby (boyfriend of sixteen years old as he was then) showed me round the enormous and deafening turbine hall.  It was awe inspiring but so very noisy...and that was in the days before hard-hats, ear defenders, or security, had been mandatory, or even a twinkle in anyone's eyes.  The second was when he was presented with his indentures...a fully fledged instrument mechanic.  We were both twenty-one and already married, and our first daughter, just born.  We often talk of those days, although times were hard, and the power station itself is still standing...or rather the shell of it.  Who knows what she will finally become, 'The Grand Old Lady of Battersea'smiley and I don't mean mefrown

Many thanks for your lovely comment. It meant a lot.

Tina

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Tina,

great piece of writing here. I've never been to Battersea Power Station,  but the album cover is amazing. 

You brought back some wonderful memories of going to see Pink Floyd perform Animals at the Wembly Staduim.  What a day and a night that was.  I was working as a nannie for a man who worked for the great Harvey Goldsmith.  A coach load of us went up there and we got in for nothing. 

They had all these blow up animals flying across the staduim,  it was brilliant and a night I shall never forget.

Thank you for reminding me of that time.

Big smiles from me.    smiley

Jenny. 

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Oh Jenny...such wonderful memories to share.  When I posted this, I wasn't sure if anyone would remember that Pink Floyd album, but you did, with knobs onsmiley  Fancy actually seeming them perform it at Wembley.  Totally awesome, as the youngsters these days say. 

I'm not sure how long that pig reigned above the Power Station, but it is immortalised, as you say, by the wonderful album cover.

Big smiles back, from me, too, Jennysmiley

Tina

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Tina

I enjoyed reading this, despite not remembering anything about Pink Floyd or Battersea Power Station.

To me it was giving a tiny glimpse of everyday life, through the eyes of a tired housewife - not all that different from Corrie.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Jean - your feedback is so very much appreciated, and you gleaned from it what I had hoped.  Thank yousmiley

Tina

 

Submitted by VeraClark on

You give voice to lots of people - really admire that about your work. A vivid slice of life here and one I can relate to.

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Thanks, Vera.  More than appreciatedsmiley

Tina

 

Submitted by Denzella on

Hello Tina,

Battersea Power station1 Derek's dad worked all his life there includng  during the war.   Wheneve r  wedrov epast Derek would always saythere's 'The Job.  Fourteen children but always went to work in a  suit collar and tie with trilby  hat.'

Moya

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Gosh, Moya...such a coincidence.  A small world, most certainly.  Would have loved to have seen that suit and tie, and trilby.  So very many thanks for sharing, and I'm just off to tell hubby.  Hope things are OK with you.  Things this end, so so.

Tina