Title: 21st Century Auden. Post by: JayMac on July 01, 2011, 19:42:10 Thanks to the Fact Compiler over at the Railway Eye (http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2011/06/poetry-korner-night-mail-updated.html) blog for this updated version of WH Auden's 'Night Mail':
This is the Voyager crossing the Border Standing room only, unless you pre order Seating for the rich, corridors for the poor The shop has sold out, the buffet no more Revving up Beattock, claiming to be green The wires above her, no pan to be seen Birds turn their heads, as she approaches Stare from the bushes, at her paltry 5 coaches Cars in the fast lane can^t keep pace Have comfortable seats and a lot more grace Thro^ heather and weather but not fallen leaves With approval ratings that no-one believes Shoveling carbon over her shoulder Nox, particulates, benzene, sulphur Her weight fatigues the railway line She^s ten minutes late but that^s on time In the farm she passes no one wakes All long gone to euro milk lakes Dawn freshens but the toilet^s full Snarling toward the urban sprawl Scotland, independent nation Soon an end to this vibration Past rough estates and fast food chains Dodging the stones from those with no brains Call centres, offices, low cost homes Tattooed teenagers with tweeting phones Once steel and coal and engineering Graffiti, flats and multi screening Trainspotting here is not what it seems But fuels the crime to pay for dreams In the dark glens beside pale green sea lochs Men read their e-mails Updated by Trailer Second. ;D Title: Re: 21st Century Auden. Post by: Chris from Nailsea on July 01, 2011, 20:30:14 There are elements of pure poetry in that - particularly the first verse ... ;D
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