Two Poems by Tina Cathleen MacNaughton

Penhale Road

when I was a girl
we played in that street
skipped along pavements
hopscotched chalky squares
trickled shiny, coloured marbles
along broken slabs

when I was a girl
we zigzagged around
the occasional car
to greet small friends
laughing, skipping past
front doors wide open

when I was a girl
rainbow streamers fluttered
like washing in the breeze
faint sounds of radio, tv and chat
wafted into the warmth
of a summer’s day

I walk past the house
where I was born

the street feels smaller now
pavements silent, empty

fenced by wall-to-wall cars
front doors firmly closed.

 

Heart of the City

I return to Commercial Road after a long absence
Gaze at the run-down, dilapidated centre
No hustle bustle beneath the Tricorn – no Tricorn
No banter from Charlotte Street market – no market
When I was a teenager, this was the place to be on Saturday afternoon
Somewhere to hang out with friends, all dressed up, nowhere else to go
A place of safety in that awkward hiatus between puberty and young adulthood.

Debenhams shut down, Burtons gone – I feel sad, nostalgic, a little lost
And yet, I see old friends sat on benches enjoying a chat and a cuppa
There is laughter around the pretty flower stall
Book lovers weave in and out of Waterstones
Buses wind and circle, dropping off, picking up
Some faces look worried, downbeat, glum
Others are open with smiles and hope.

If the sea is the soul of our city, the civic centre is the heart
Pigeons flock, descend on leonine shoulders, majestic and proud
When the Guildhall is empty, there is a lull, a stillness punctuated by the great clock
In times of crisis, the space is filled with donations from all quarters of Pompey
Gifts come from artistic, bohemian Southsea and from high-rise tower blocks
From all quarters, the people open their arms, dig deeply and give.

For this is a city with heart.

 

Tina Cathleen MacNaughton’s bio is here.

Picture “Fountain at junction of Commercial Rd. & Arundel St., Portsmouth” by Martyn Pattison re-used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.