Paul McLoughlin
The Bridge
Two boy-handle a canal gate’s
wooden jib; one, his oilskin
brilliant yellow in the lashing rain,
transfers his weight by leaping
to his other foot;
the second, stiller, drab-green,
moves more deliberately,
as if he knows his craft.
They have no narrow boat,
no fishing rods,
they are playing with water,
with responsibilities, anticipating
slow rides everywhere.
A lorry sweeps across the water
gathering speed towards the motorway,
tyre-smooth, its hum mechanical,
its driver cursing his tachometer
and his luck. If he pushed it now
he’d reach the outskirts just
in time to beat the rush.
He presses on through rain
in shirtsleeves, braced against the spray.
Page(s) 54
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