Poetry Drawer: Coming Back From Hope by Ian M Parr

……and Ewan sang, “I found my love
by the gasworks croft,”
and we both knew
salt smoke choke our nostrils,
coke grit between our teeth
and believed
and Ewan sang, “kissed my girl,”
and we both knew
kiss and fondling homeward
down some cobbled alley.
…..and Ewan sang, “I am
a freeman on Sunday,”
and we both raised our eyes to Werneth Low
finding life’s stepping stones to Kinder
via Jacob’s Ladder,
grey Grindsbrook.  
Days on Crowden,
frozen Bleaklow,
bright Mam Tor to Rushop Edge,
beloved Mount Famine,
larks and curlews for companions.  
Begin at whatever place you please.  
But always we come back from Hope.
Wherever we hiked, we always came back
……..from Hope
.”   

“Hope” is in Derbyshire as are most of the places named.

Italics are from the voice of Gladys Axon, wife of John Axon GC and subject of the 1958 radio programme, “The Ballad of John Axon”.

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