Nightscape
The echoing sounds of our footsteps
Bounce off darkened empty buildings
And lose themselves again
In deserted doorwells
Dark gaps like missing teeth
In a broken smile
Before being borne away
By the bustling, scudding wind
Which rattles the metal shutters
And the security grilles
Over unkempt, un-lit windows
Of long-locked or abandoned shops
The cold creeps into us
The bitter chill biting finger-ends
Hurrying us along, despite ourselves
Scurrying and scuttling like rats
Through unloved empty streets
Where cracked paving stones
And broken kerbs and gutters
Of dirty un-swept sidewalks
Their pools of stagnant water
Snagging flapping sheets
Of greasy newspapers
Hide random dirt and rubbish
Night-time displays in shopping malls
Flash out their harsh allurements
In a clash of neon signs
Reflecting in the roadway sheen
And over-shadow all around
Dominating the shabbiness
Of Pound stores and book-makers
Amusement arcades and charity shops
The cash-for-gold pawn-brokers
And unpopulated pubs and clubs
Yet out leap out unbidden
Memories of these former lively streets
Nostalgia for what once was
No longer deaf, dumb and blind
No longer worn and beaten down
But a town that lived and breathed
Visions of a brighter past
No comments:
Post a Comment