On a Journey Between Manchester and Oldham

ON A JOURNEY BETWEEN MANCHESTER AND OLDHAM

Rain beating down
on flag-stoned paths,
the bus trundling on
past row upon row
of all-the-same houses.
In these houses,
back to back standing,
working men have lived
with their families.
They still do.
Some are living more in the corner pub -
home just the place
where they go to sleep
and to beat the wife - .
Daughters dream only of the time
when they can marry out
to chic suburbia -
a modern council housing estate,
one of tomorrow's slums -.
One of the streets is called
- Evening Street -
There was never morning here,
where it always rains,
though the streets are not always wet.
Nearby is Rose Hill,
a reminder of when
flowers bloomed
even here,
but that was long ago.

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Oldham, 1st September 1968

Publications

1974 North (UK)
1990 Poetry Peddler (USA)

Note: It all looks very different now - see Streetview -



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Bridlington 1968

BRIDLINGTON 1968

There's a cold wind
racing along the prom
Few folk venture on to Bridlington beach
when the cold wind blows
A fortnight from now,
when the sun blazes down,
the beach will be overcrowded
There'll be Joe with his kids, from Castleford,
Aunt Emma from Heckmondwike,
and a Sunday-school trip from Liversedge,
totally obscuring the sand
whereon someone has scrawled
with pebble, stick, something sharp,
- Home Rule For Yorkshire -

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Ackworth, 1st August 1968

Publications

1970 YORKSHIRE POETS '71 (Sheffield, Grove Publications)
1973 ENVIRONMENT (Thames Ditton, Ember Press)
1973 Platform (UK)
1974 North (UK)
1980 THE RAINBOW AND OTHER POEMS (Heckmondwyke, Fighting Cock Press)

A Statement

STATEMENT

To be what we are not
or not to be
that which we are
To be proud of our failure
making nought of our success
To tear with the blunt end
of a scalpel
and meanwhile cut our finger
To howl in horror of the little pinprick
yet bear a crushed foot
as if twere nought
To make brass
and then spend more
on shifting the muck
It's these belie
yet in confusion compound
the Yorkshireman

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Ackworth, 1st July 1967

Publications

1974 North (UK)
1980 THE RAINBOW AND OTHER POEMS (Heckmondwyke, Fighting Cock Press)