Marbury



Today  I  took  the  long  narrow  lane
Which  turns  and  winds  to   Marbury.
Found  the  seat  opposite  the Lamb
Turned  right  ,
A  row  of  houses  ,   where   you   lived
Many  years  ago.

..... and  the  fields  are  raw  ,   bleak  ,
frost  is  cold  against  grey  hedges  clipped  back  for  winter
it  is  very  quiet  ,
horses  wear  coats  ,  grey  sky  ,
cattle  in  the  distance  , leaves  gently  fall  from  an  oak  tree.

..... at  this  junction  , in  the  middle  of  nowhere,
I  try  to  remember ,  under  which  tree  we  sat
I  know  we  walked    ,   this  way ,  a  tree  ,
behind  a  hedge   ,  in  a  field  ,
thirty  years  ago  ,
I  don’t  recognise  the  place .

I  turn  the  van  around,
Accelerate  from  the  village,
And  where  the  lane  begins  I  stop ,
Walk  over  ,  and
I  touch  the  bark  of  on  oak  ,     at  the  lane  edge ,
Here  I  say  goodbye  ,
Bury  another  memory,
..........    foot  down,
........... drive  away,
Never  return.

 

 

........

( excerpt ) In the rain. ►

Comments

<Deleted User> (6315)

Mon 18th Mar 2013 13:29

Oh now I think is is great work. :)

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M.C. Newberry

Sat 16th Mar 2013 17:11

A bleak but compelling evocation of why it's so often true that "you can't go back". The hunting habit we have of trying to locate old familiar things is recognisable. I especially liked the opening two lines...and could imagine A.E. Housman leaning over your shoulder.

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