The A1 Crosses the River Swale

Gold cherry
Poem of the week

By Lemon Tarte

Sat, 07 Mar 2015
  • 3659 reads
11 comments
 
Somewhere in Yorkshire.
After two hours of fossil-fuelled frenzy,
On a tarmac torrent
Of tyres, fumes, noise,
One immaculately timed glance to the left
 
Reveals the road, briefly, to be a bridge,
over a brown river.
On quiet banks, a few trees,
Shading the bubbling shallows,
And a small beach of Pennine-washed stones,
Delivered from distant hills, delineated, deposited.
 
A Northern river, peat-stained, brown as a smoker's finger,
Full of the cold clarity of the morning after
Disturbed by things just under the surface,
Flowing erratically.
 
This road-straddled river
As transport, falls short.
Unnavigable by any but the salmon,
Obsessing their way upstream to the scene of their birth,
As I do,
Riding the grey stream.
 
A micro-glance,
Just a small slice of a second, then
Eyes turn back to the road
North.
Certificate U
Poem
Travel
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by Bee on

This is lovely - especially this - 

'Unnavigable by any but the salmon,
Obsessing their way upstream to the scene of their birth,
As I do,
Riding the grey stream.
 
A micro-glance,
Just a small slice of a second, then
Eyes turn back to the road
North.'

Bee

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

It's lovely what you took in in your micro-glance, refreshing you for the rest of your journey. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by torscot on

A first time for me in reading your tales.

This one I enjoyed, quite visual I thought
"...On a tarmac torrent Of tyres, fumes, noise,..."

"...On quiet banks, a few trees,.."   is where I would rather be.

Regards

 

torscot

Submitted by scratch on

This is our facebook and twitter pick of the day!

Get a fantastic reading recommendation every day.

 

Submitted by Parson Thru on

I used to fish that river when I was a lad. Brilliantly-captured glimpse. I love those, too. Calls to mind poets whose names I can't remember and their homage to such scenes. A fine successor.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

This is so assured, moments frozen in perfectly chosen words, very impressive.

Submitted by Lemon Tarte on

Thank you all for fantastic, encouraging feedback. 

Submitted by scratch on

I have re-read this a number of times now and just wanted to say how much I admire it.  It really is very very good.

Peter.

 

Submitted by Lemon Tarte on

 

Submitted by scratch on

This is our joint poem of the week!

http://www.abctales.com/blog/scratch/story-poem-and-inspiration-point-we...

 

Submitted by celticman on

very visual, very moving, but holds its place and space.