Saltley Gas Works (Necropolis)

Gold cherry

By Philip Sidney

Thu, 11 Sep 2014
  • 7548 reads
19 comments
 

A rise and fall of gas,

power pushed

from

metallic lungs

into

the manufactured land.

Life

flooded the mechanical.

Death

hung in the air,

choked fleshly lungs,

gasping, for

green and blue and

rest.

 

Now,

spirographic monuments

slip into invisibility.

The earth claims its

own.

Certificate 12
Poem
Necropolis

Comments

Submitted by scratch on

"choked fleshly (fleshy/freshly?) lungs,".

Like very much the manufactured land and the artless drudgery that you have captured.  Well done.

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks Scratch, I didn't really want fleshy, but wanted something of the flesh, so made up fleshly, which does sound a bit odd, perhaps fleshy would be better, sort of meaty.

Submitted by celticman on

the earth claims its own. Yes.

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Philip

The alternating single words and short phrases seems to set up a pattern almost like breathing.

It certainly paints a vivid picture of the negative side of industry.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks Jean, that's completely the effect I was going for, so pleased you got the breathing.

Submitted by Bee on

'Death

hung in the air,

choked fleshly lungs,

gasping, for

green and blue and

rest.' - I like 'fleshly' - it's like a physical version of earthly. And the earth claims it's own - how true!

Bee

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks Bee!

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

An interesting picture (the words!) – are these now half demolished? Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks Rhiannon.  yes, the towers are left like ghosts of the past. I remember when they used to pump up and down, I find them beautiful now, but they stand for a hard way of life.

Submitted by VeraClark on

Fleshly is fab! This is very resonating - something you don't like to mull over because it grows in stature and it's composed as starkly as industry is.

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks Vera, it is interesting that although the city is full of the material culture of past industry, it can be passed without a though, but when you stop and really look at it it is monumental, much as you say.  Pleased you feel these things!

Submitted by paborama on

I can barely breathe, reading this. Fantastically tight writing there.

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks Pab!

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks for picking my poem today!

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Thanks for this Philip.  Been watching ours being slowly eaten over the summer.  Another image passes without notice UNTIL NOW!  I love how you embroider the gasometers in with Industry and the health problems It caused (oh, how we miss It now) and the rise and fall of gas - metallic lungs: what a great idea.  And "fleshly", of course - why not?  Great piece and fantastic pick of the day.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thank you so much Parson Thru!

Submitted by scratch on

This is our facebook and twitter pick of the day.  

https://www.facebook.com/pages/ABCtalescom/230195591928?fref=nf

Get a great reading recommendation most days.

 

Submitted by torscot on

A  nice visual treat to read I thought.

Not far from where I live an old  rusting gasometer has recenty been dismantled to make way for housing.

Sad in some ways,  it was a local landmark, and as  all you had to say to lost tourists was, turn left or right at the old...

ps   Look at  " Nadav Kander"  photographs of images of Soviet ruins,   a similar theme on loss and decay of old structures.

Regards

torscot

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks for the tip Toscot.  I've had a quick look and will go back.  Wonderful how something once functional moves into something other.  Beautiful images full of memory but of the present too.  The oddness of humans.