Melancholy Autumn

¦¦¦¦ melancholy Autumn comes ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ whispering to me,
Like the sound of ¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦¦ the sea.

Then ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ a rocky island
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦ churchyard ¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦
And the ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ click ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ turned to waves
And the rumble of the railway
Is ¦¦¦ thunder ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ plunging
Into caves

There's a storm ¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ over Kenton,
¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ a line of harbour lights ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ rounding ¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ a ¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ sunset fire
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦ boats ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦ stream along the skyline
In a race ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
With the gale?


(Blackout of Harrow-on-the-Hill by John Betjeman)
Copyright © | Year Posted 2026

Poem

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