Anwastad Strydoedd
Steve Coel
Dock Museum
Steve Coel
Today
dry docks glisten
with salty channel rain
as woollen old men
sit on one of their
favourite benches.
Each is smiling,
as together they remember
the songs and laughter
from when they were
young, hard welders.
Today
visitors will glance
at walls
of dismal grey photographs.
Some show weary men
and their smiling girlfriends
waving small half empty
beer glasses
in the air.
Others are of
car empty streets
clogged with leather boots
being dragged
to early shifts.
And some
are of small boys playing
scrappy football
with tight balls
of Western and Echo
in muddy parks
bordered with adverts
for cheap beer and bread.
Tomorrow
old men will sit
and see it all again.
The departing visitors
will not see them.
Steve Coel
An 11.59 Publication
