A walk in a town I hardly know on my birthday

Cherry

By shoe

Fri, 07 Jan 2011
  • 2475 reads
9 comments
 

The lights are still up - though not turned on
party hangers-on, hangover kicking in

Underfoot there are cobbles, then slabs, cobbles again
shop windows hold their own against the gloom

The church clock chimes, three...
A brilliant cross...nailed to the top of the tower
beams down peace and guilt in equal measure
gathering the old town around it's feet
high above the costas and TK maxxs

It's a shame we met at this funeral
of a mutual friend
had we met at a wedding - in summer
I'm sure we would have fallen in love.

Now the damp cool air kisses my cheek
a stranger's condolence.

Certificate U
Poem
Through the square window
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by seashore on
Lovely.

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on
it is lovely - which town is it? I think this poem has been hijacked by an apostrophe poltergeist Shirley: third stanza (beginning "the church") - you don't need any of those last line: stranger's condolence

 

Submitted by shoe on
Darn! I thought I'd nailed those b's. sorted now. It's St Austell, I've been here 4 months and may have to move again.

 

Submitted by fatboy74 on
You capture this gloom with great clarity (if that's possible) :-)

 

Submitted by MistakenMagic on
Beautiful, subtle and simply stunning. I especially love the last lines! Magic xxx

 

Submitted by Beeme on
Beautiful and moving, extremely poignant. I really enjoyed. Beeme xx

k.

Submitted by kheldar on
Incredibly moving :--) xxx

cool

Submitted by shoe on
Thanks Stan! Yes they are....though I'm sure they don't hold any hidden treasures! it sounds like it may have been a while since you've been, a lot of the 'peaks' have regenerated and are now fabulous wildlife habitats and good old St Austell has a brand new shopping complex, the old church holds it's own though.

 

Submitted by shoe on
Did you ever go to the tortoise sanctuary? It's closed down now unfortunately for not conforming to the wild animals act!!!