Best Quayside Poems

Rest now
O restless heart
released in ebb   to flow

ride the other side of the king tide rising
buoyant your movement in rise with the waves
Rise! to beyond where breakers break long-suffering shores
pitiless the grind of stones and shells to grounds -
ride the quiet swell to...

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the light breeze
   cooled the morning sun
daytrip Venice
            had begun
vantage views
       from a vaporetto
inch-by-inch
 the skyline began to  grow

St Marks cameinto view
etched   ...

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Stars fall under failing skies...stars fall...stars fall...
And sadly...i start to drive.
Through the unremarkable village with its tall 
Georgian Bay window panes, lightless,
devoid of visages; outwardly staring back at my 
Abject countenance with detached contempt and utter disdains.
Stars fall under failing skies...stars fall...stars fall...
And i start...

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I balance my illicitly obtained bottle of absinthe from a man who knows a man, for an exorbitant amount of Euros, on the worn wooden windowsill of my topmost room at the rundown pension overlooking the harbour. Next to it, I place my well-thumbed copy...

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Late night summons madmen, 
madams, bold streetwalkers,
picking pennies from the gutters
as the merchants close their shutters
and the homeless crouch in doorways
in their rags, against the cold.
Black or white, no compromise,
no colours clothe the empty streets,
as Bobbies tread their lonely beats,
the watchmen rub their crusted eyes
and...

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Nightscapes

...inspired by 'Rhapsody On A Windy Night' 
       by T.S. Eliot


Late night summons
madmen, madams, bold streetwalkers,
picking pennies from the gutters
as the merchants close their shutters
and the homeless crouch in doorways
in their rags, against the cold.
Black or white, no compromise,
no...

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NEWCASTLE  UPON  TYNE,    ENGLAND

Half-Scot,  half-English  and  ill at ease with the past,
Newcastle is sooty black from its coaly drama, 
And  the breathless town was always  in a hurry to grow, 
Narrowly avoiding  destruction of...

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the quay is where he sat.
     deep in thought, he speaks out.
     “my money is my clout.”
he rise and walks.

     the quayside beacons him.
the pelicans he hears.
     he ponders...

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The harbour rests from the rolling waves			
Of a windswept and tempestuous sea			
Beyond the breakwater lay sailors graves		
Where shipwrecks in eternal sleep rest free		
Once lured upon the rocks they didn’t see		
Now ghosts of sailors take their endless rest		
With sirens haunting cries, their bemoaning plea		
Heard in the...

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Built by Harland and Wolff in the shipyards of Belfast
A luxurious gigantic cruise ship that they built to last
She was an Olympic class liner of the White Star Line
No expense was spared in construction she was grand and so fine.

From Southampton to Cherbourg then from...

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Quayside bazaar
Odd artifacts;
Trinkets to go

~~~~~~~~~


Poignant tune
Old memories flood;
Trip to yesterday

~~~~~~~~~


Airport arrival
Homecoming route;
Mid-afternoon buzz

~~~~~~~~~


Laundry lady
Dry cleaning job;
Helpful hints

~~~~~~~~~


Sleepy hangover
My mother's voice;
Dreamy interlude

~~~~~~~~~


Old giant rubber tree
Huge monolith;
Treasured monument

~~~~~~~~~


Abrupt torrential rain
Misty blur ooze;
Traffic congestion

~~~~~~~~~


Newspaper headline
Yangtze River mishap;
Death by drowning

~~~~~~~~~


Mailbox arrivals
Big brown envelope;
Prize-winning certificates

~~~~~~~~


Busy arrival hall
Airport crowds loiter;
Familiar faces

~~~~~~~~~


Fruit...

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Late night summons madmen, 
madams, bold streetwalkers, 
picking pennies from the gutters 
as the merchants close their shutters 
and the homeless crouch in doorways 
in their rags, against the cold. 
Black or white, no compromise, 
no colours clothe the empty streets, 
as Bobbies tread their...

Continue reading...

Late night summons madmen, 
madams, bold streetwalkers, 
picking pennies from the gutters 
as the merchants close their shutters 
and the homeless crouch in doorways 
in their rags, against the cold. 
Black or white, no compromise, 
no colours clothe the empty streets, 
as Bobbies tread their...

Continue reading...

Dark room
No light shines through;
Coldness precipitates

~~~~~~~~~


Post-It note
Message in brief;
Lunch meeting detour

~~~~~~~~~


Birthday party
Another milestone;
Planet earth agrees

~~~~~~~~~


Celebration party
Family banquet;
Feast for fond hearts

~~~~~~~~~


Shopping spree
Goodies galore;
Window shopping

~~~~~~~~~


Busy occupations
Soldier and teacher;
Love affair complete


~~~~~~~~~

Ancient tree
Witness to happenings;
Keeps fond secrets

~~~~~~~~~


Deserted alley
Midnight raindrops;
Black cat rowdy

~~~~~~~~~


Quayside bum boats
Buoyant swaying;
Chilly winds ply

~~~~~~~~~


Library card
Relic of old;
Digital...

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Foreword: Contains excepts from, and additions to, my own three part poem ‘Bone Idol’, which is way too long to submit here.

Skeleton Quay

He lingers on the quayside and heeds the phantom howls
Out on mist shrouded water his hero dog now prowls
While mortal men of flesh...

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