Steam.

The steam engines’ mighty roar,
Stealing through the hills and moors,
A symbol of power and industry,
The Victorian dream of efficiency.

Yet now, their reign has come to an end,
Their once-mighty power is on the wane.
The world moves on, the future arrives,
And the steam engine’s legacy remains.

But oh, how it played its part,
The throbbing heart of a grand design,
A time when progress was the theme,
And innovation held the key.

The demise of steam is bittersweet,
A sadness tinged with a hint of awe.
The Victorian dream lives on,
And we’re better for what went before.

Steve Halstead.

COMMUTER.

Oh, no.
Something small and fluffy
Mashed beyond recognition.
Mortality high on this stretch.
Get a move on!
Same old fart in a pork-pie hat
Dragging his fuming crocodile with him,
Belching diesel-scented steam
To hang in the wet air about the junction.
Cold. Autumnal.
Prat in a red XR2 should show about now.
Always hear him about a mile before I see him.
There he goes: two wheels on the pavement,
Burning oil; doubtful MOT;
Insurance. Guiness label on the dash.
Always on the dash.
Where does he think he’s going?
Stupid boy.

Water in the hollow. Gathers there.
Bet it was a pond, with ducks
Once upon a time.

Lights out again. Early morning chicken.
No! Not another. Hedgehog this time.
Never the brain-dead kids from the comp
Who think it’s cool to swagger in the road,
Dawdle, with that air of
‘Touch me, if you dare.’ Little bastards.
Do their parents know; care.
Well, you stupid…….
No wonder the wing’s gone.
Taxis and buses; third party nutters;
The knackered hot hatch that wheezes and sputters;
Little old ladies who cling to the gutters,
Whilst turning right.
Bet you nine-pence the Merc is in the wrong lane.
Told you! Bastard!
“And now the hottest sound around
On both sides of the Atlantic…..”
It must be OK for bread vans to block the road
As long as they are on the pavement,
On double yellow lines,
With hazard warnings blinking in the fog.
And here we are. Bosses son in my space.
And so begins another working day.