Dock – The Inkwell

Stillness

Salford 4th May

*Canalside in lockdown (Image : BF Kirkham)*

#stillness #writeclub

Calmness lives across the bay

No golden trams rumbling past

No ripples or young fish at play

No parties of football fans starting to mass

Somewhere beyond the water deep

The King of the Salmon is down in his keep

But with no other fisherman making them leap

He’s resting among greenery – fast asleep

The trees by the water – are eerily still

No wind to speak of – so they aren’t bending at will

The wildlife sit in the branches of trees

As the mercury rises by a couple of degrees

And strange as it is – the birds make no noise

Sat on their metal perch – with perfect poise

Watching the bubbles of the fish in the Deep

Watching the fish in their home – fast asleep

Warehouse

Salford (Via Trafford Park), 3rd September 2018

This is the place

where mighty ships cargo

lay resting after its journey

after a long ride on the waves

Men toiled in the heat

as silent shipping crates

moved to the sound of the warehouse mice

avoiding the company cat

Inwards and Out

the orders of the day

some on road – some on rail

having come in from sail

To be changed in an instant

to wear or to eat

grain for the flour mill

or silk for the mayors seat

Changes in time led to changes afoot

as sons and daughters move on in their new fancy boots

dancing away to a shanty or two

like their elders before them – they think that its new!

Seagulls Lament

#Promptuarium

I suppose you thought that was funny ?

here I am sat by the bins

enjoying what could be my only meal for miles

and you decide to disturb my breakfast

Innocently enjoying the fish in the box

then over my foot comes this big heavy rock

expecting me to just fly away

I was too busy eating – no time to play

If I were human – I might have had words

but thing is being feathered – I’m only a bird

you wouldn’t want my beak coming round you to peck

so why use a big stone – I could have broke my neck!

I should count myself lucky – it wasn’t from a gun….

but disturbing my breakfast – wasn’t much fun

so i’ll return the favour – when you come back from the shop

expect something to land – coming down with a plop!

Creature

capable of anything, the dockside cat.

running the roost over the old area of nine dock

eager to grab the pickings, that hide from

an expectant audience, more likely to see actors

than a furry tailed family, resident by the basin

usual routines the order of the day, watching the drains lining the

road, whilst the humans don’t really

expect to see a furry tailed visitor, mr puddytat keeps watch

Look up (to the sky)

Look Up

Detroit Bridge, Erie Basin, Salford Quays

My entry for the “Look up” Photo Challenge

Picked it for the Red, White and Blue of the Steels in the bridge – as well as that wonderful blue you get of a Salford City Morning.

Could call it a little abstract on my part – but I like the way it makes shapes out of the morning sky.

Marshmallows

In the city

City

A tale of the city I live in…enjoy

It started as an outpost

a place so far from Rome

people soon put down roots

and began to call it home

Waters ran from rivers to well

and before the flush toilet – O what a smell!

Horse and Cart instead of the car

brought goods round from near and far

Inventors improved things – bringing light to the night

burning a gas that burned bright white

Theories exchanged – via great schools of thought

as on the dockside , commodities were bought

But as things changed – so did life

Entertainment phased out trouble and strife

Theatres and Football if you were in to sport

as visitors came visiting this brand new port

Museum’s taught the tales of the place

and seeing the objects – they thought they were ace

learning about engines, tractors and trains

that went over rails crossing valleys and plains

But still city grows as the minute hand moves

as new companies settle and start a new groove

As water still passes down canal it does go

passengers visit on boats as it flows.