Long limbed viaduct
strides with its giant tread
feet dressed with frills of trees
that brush its brickwork
as the train bears down
as those who ride look down
at the wriggling stream.
Now no-one is looking down
no-one rides
the brickwork no longer strides
the frills of trees have taken over
where feet pressed down
no more strides of no long limbs
where the viaduct is gone.
yes Beeching has a lot to answer for in destroying the railways system as was and building more and more roads which become increasingly congested. Ironically there are some railways that Beeching shut on old local lines, such as the Bluebell line which have been reopened by volunteers and seem to be working.
A good rhythm and pace to this one Ray.
Nice one
Colin David Karen Desmond and Richard thanks so much for the likes. This is not an easy comment rider really so I appreciate the ticks! Right up there on the virtual viaduct Colin pun and book in hand as always . Beeching made continuous strides. Yes, I still miss that toot toot. Thanks.
Ray
<Deleted User> (13762)
Wed 27th Sep 2017 08:41
excellent Ray and the backing vocals by birds and cars add an almost perfect backdrop to the scene. All that's missing is a distant toot toot of a steam train as it disappears into the distance at the end of the last line. Ha, the last line. I'll get my axe!
Col.
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raypool
Fri 29th Sep 2017 11:42
Thanks Martin for your point of view. I think we all would like to reverse some of those punitive decisions - hundreds of thousands of jobs lost as Betjeman point out. Sometimes I wonder which end of the pantomime donkey makes decisions in politics. Just for the record, I tried to split the poem into two and "go backwards" with the lines , wasn't entirely possible but the spirit I think was there.
Ray