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The Victoria Line

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Originally published: 27th February 2021

Image by gR

This Poem was placed 1st in the "ALL YOURS Feb 28" Poetry Contest sponsored by Brian Strand (Judged 26th March 2021)

The Victoria Line is a London Underground line that runs between Brixton in South London and Walthamstow Central in the North-East of London via The West End.

hanging straps and travel apps. beeping doors and littered floors. rocking cars and metal bars. rattling track and aching back. ticket fare and lack of air. bags on lap and 'mind the gap'. heavy heat now WARREN STREET: Way Out. Places. Platform spaces. Cell Phones. Faces. Adverts every too few paces. Noone cares. Moving stairs. Subway guards. Oyster cards. Helping hands. Busking bands. 'mind the gap' and spirit sap. crowded floors and beeping doors. metal bars and jolt of cars. blank outside and rush hour ride. there and back and rattling track. subway maps and hanging straps. lights and dark and now GREEN PARK: Way Out. Places. Platform spaces. Cell Phones. Faces. Adverts every too few paces. Noone cares. Moving stairs. Subway guards. Oyster cards. Helping hands. Busking bands. Concrete steps to other lands.

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Wendy Watson

Date: 4/22/2023 11:09:00 PM

Such a cleverly composed poem and the rhythmic pulse and rhyme took me along on the journey with you. I once taught music and one of the pupils' projects was to make up a rhythmical composition based only on the names of the tube stations which produced some interesting performances!

Gary Radice
Date: 4/23/2023 2:31:00 AM

Thank you Wendy. I'd forgotten that I'd entered this poem into Brian's contest. :) I could write forever about The Tube. Did you know that St John's Wood is the only tube station that doesn't contain any letters of the word mackerel?...All the others do..well it held true before The Elizabeth line came along..not checked that one out yet! :) I digress. Thank you for your visit, read and lovely comments. Cheers - Gary

Sara Kendrick

Date: 4/22/2023 1:41:00 PM

Congratulations on your winner in Brian's contest. Way to go. Thanks for sharing this one with us. Sara

Gary Radice
Date: 4/23/2023 2:27:00 AM

Thanks Sara! I'll add that The Underground..or the Tube as it's known..IS 'the way to go! when in London! :) Thank you for reading. Cheers - Gary

Sarah Alexandra Morris

Date: 11/3/2021 11:18:00 PM

Love love love this, reminds me of the years I spent on the underground in London, off to or back from work, or maybe late at night after a clubby night. Well done

Gary Radice
Date: 11/4/2021 9:08:00 AM

Hi Sarah! Thanks for your lovely comments. There's something about The Tube that I love..as long as its not rush hour. We only ever use it when spending a few days each week in the city. ..Love the buses too! :) Cheers - Gary

Terry Flood

Date: 3/4/2021 3:01:00 AM

Wow, Gary. A time trip back to my youth. My line was the Piccadilly line and the Victoria line was a strange land you could enter by voyaging to Finsbury Park (or, I think, Kings Cross). Except that - in those days - an Oyster Card would have been something you gave a shellfish on its birthday, this reminds me exactly why I don’t miss London as much as I would have thought I would. Thanks for the memory. Terry

Gary Radice
Date: 3/4/2021 3:36:00 AM

Cheers Terry :) I love the tube and I hate the tube but it conjures up so many visions and snapshots in my mind that I just had to write a poem about it. Pre-Covid we would visit London once a year for a few days and loved it but I'm not sure I'd like to live there. Thanks again Terry. - Gary

Sara Kendrick

Date: 3/1/2021 6:52:00 AM

Very modern descriptions penned in this winner. Congrats. Sara

Gary Radice
Date: 3/1/2021 6:58:00 AM

Thank you Sara. The Tube is a whole world in itself. :) Cheers - Gary

David Kavanagh

Date: 2/28/2021 9:47:00 AM

Heya Gary, was only on the London Underground between terminals at Heathrow, it’s a fantastic piece of engineering, bit like your poem here, all slots into place perfectly, sights and sounds vividly captured, congratulations cheers David

Gary Radice
Date: 2/28/2021 9:50:00 AM

Thanks David. Although it may not come across in this poem, I do love the tube - except at rush hour. The Victoria line is only one of two lines that spends all its time underground. Agreed - fantastic piece of engineering. Cheers - Gary