Pause for poetry:
Michael Hawkes /18

Life In The City

A poem by Michael Hawkes

After many years lived in one grey city
Ones eyes turn to the scudding clouds.
One watches them with a certain envy,
After indoor days avoiding crowds.

After years spent trudging the concrete canyons
One searches for a verdant square;
Enduring the gout and flaming bunions,
One aches for green-ness anywhere.

After dodging the darts of glass reflections,
Passing windows self consciously,
One remembers prior predilections
For open space and vacancy.

After the gutters, grills and the grated drains,
The fag butts and pop canned trashy corners
One pines for the forests and open plains
And territories without borders.

23/03/20 – Hawkes

Feature image: Jason Thibault via StockPholio.net

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