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Jack McBride
Jack McBride was born in Belfast and has spent all his life in Northern Ireland, except for a year at Newcastle University. He is married with two sons and lives and works as a civil engineer in County Down.
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Metropolitan Commuting by Jack McBride |
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 8.00 am British Summer Time: Amersham to Finchley Road
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Betjeman’s England rolls past the windows.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Autumn’s blood orange confetti on trees.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Graveyards are tended beside old allotments.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý People are planted beside old sweet peas.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 8.46 am Eastern Daylight Time: Boston to Manhattan
Ìý Ìý Ìý An arrow from the bow of Paris to Achilles’ heel, a silver scudding bolt
Ìý ÌýÌý
Ìýthat penetrates
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýand plugs. Brimstone, fire, gold and crimson, billow belching flame.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý A silver scudding bolt from out of a clear blue sky. ÌýÌýÌý
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 8.00 pm British Summer Time: Finchley Road to Amersham
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Now the sun’s set and the Empire’s long gone
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý but ripples from bow waves are still lapping shores.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý The Mandalay Road’s now in Myanmar
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý and Betjeman’s England is England no more.
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