Houses held up like puppets. Pylon-wire branches spread out; assuring the land wont drift far out to sea, or melt into the earth with subsidence.
Cotton-wool-candy-floss caught up in cranes, wind-whipped, white-wash, wispy, whippy clouds.
Do you remember when we waited in line for 99s? The sky was busy with boats, the sea so blue. No, I mean... And I had strawberry syrup dripping down my cone and a multi-coloured sticky chin. We watched the boats going out, coming in; then we joined the rest to say goodbyes.
All the hands were wagging; electric flapping. Water splashing up against the dock. The arms propelled the ship. Gemmed fingers dancing farewells; the jangle of bangled wrists; waving in the air, propelling the ship away to retirement paradises, honeymoon bliss, champagne seascapes.
Always in the middle this place, on the edge of a million-gazillion other worlds.
The rumble rattle of engines as I walk along to look out at the reeds; on search for quiet idleness. Leaves rustle, tickled by the breeze. A train passes in-between; on its way, on its way... I sit on a bench nearby and hear a hum of life amongst the hedges.
Then, walk back with orange light bouncing in and out of windows' winking eyes; watching the chalk line, aeroplane trails in the sky cut through the blue.
Written in September 2015 for local SO: to speak festival.