Fergus Allen
The Iron Room
An iron room like this must have been made
Circa 1900 by workers used
To riveting the hulls of merchant ships.
The thickly painted walls are surely bulkheads
And the half-inch steel door, with its inertia
And screw-down handle the size of a dinner plate,
Is as undomesticated as anything.
But there’s no good reason to feel afraid.
It looks like just the place to store your gold
And other valuables of a personal nature –
A hidey-hole of secret satisfaction.
All the same the complete absence of windows
And adequate seating lowers the spirits.
From the ventilator grille in the ceiling
Issue noises more animal than mineral,
As it might be from creatures in the hold.
Not cosy, then, but seemingly secure,
In spite of the continuous vibration,
Unsteady deck and footsteps overhead.
If there were any openings or portholes
What would you see (if you’d the words to say)?
Maybe this express delivery service
Preserves you like an artificial womb
Until the signal comes to go ashore.
Page(s) 49
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