Warm
Well, you can get it all online now
can’t you?
they said as Debenhams closed
with a sigh
Great Aunt Doris visited the café
every Saturday
I saw her once tray piled high
with fish and chips
and a pot of tea for one
my weekly treat,
she beamed and chatted
to the cashier
who smiled at the pleasant old lady
and made her feel warm inside.
Island City at Dusk
This island city settles into dusk
golden lanterns alight seaside walkways
coloured fairy lights twinkle above pretty gardens
fine rain persists, damp salty mist pervades.
The waves ebb and flow onto the pebbled shore.
The fisherman’s harbour is quiet now
haunted with hard graft and companionship
Spinnaker Tower gleams like a witch’s eye
over cobbled streets smoothed by history.
The waves ebb and flow onto the pebbled shore.
Portsmouth Cathedral, sacred, solid, serene
sits squarely with grace and fortitude
at the very heart of the Old City
opposite pubs and taverns, centuries old.
The waves ebb and flow onto the pebbled shore.
Windows glow with a warm welcome
doors open to a roar of boozy chatter
walls thick with stories, floors worn with memories
hopes and dreams are carved into those old beams.
The waves ebb and flow onto the pebbled shore.
Image repproduced under a Creative Commons licence.
