Cardiff

Made my way to Cardiff
on a Sunday afternoon
Six hours on a railway train
views from hotel room
The city streets below me
Welsh and English on the signs
Old and new in contrast
amongst the ancient lines

Put some music on my i-pod
Slumber called aloud my name
Resistance pretty futile
as tiredness swiftly came
Still there remained a moment
for some thoughts about the day
A few short lines reflecting
some words I had to say

©Jemverse

 

Travelling

Travelling to my office
Every day upon the train
I get to see the Sussex hills
and smile at them again
Their undulating rise and fall
The many fields of green
Quite the best view, I would say
That I have ever seen

But there again, on other side
I can see the sea
Out there, shining in the sun
and beckoning to me
Its glistening waters rise and fall
The waves upon the shore
Another best view I have seen
How could I want for more?

©Jemverse

[A-Z April – day 20 – #T]

Battersea Skyline

Battersea’s being eaten
But it will arise again
Scaffolding surrounds it now
As viewed here from the train

London’s famous landmark
Changing into something new
It’s famous four tall chimneys
rebuilt to keep the view

The originals are too brittle
To stand the test of time
So they’re being eaten and rebuilt afresh
For the London high skyline

A sign says ‘Spot the Difference’
It would be nice if that was so
For those chimneys have been landmarks
From a long, long time ago

©Jemverse

Inside the Grade II listing building shell of the old Battersea power station in London, a new high-rise housing development is being built. Problem is that as the concrete in the chimneys is too brittle, each is being ‘munched’ using a special demolition tool and then immediately rebuilt with stronger stuff. The sign says ‘Spot the Difference’ for a reason – as apparently you won’t be able to. 2016 will tell though as by then, all four will have been replaced.