Half Stolen Buildings

In her regulation daytime armour

cracking with coarse whispers

and yesterdays broken promise,

the young girl pushes

a vape shadowed carrier

past boarded up pub windows.


Her world is the High Street

where each day

a bitter grey tide

shambles downhill

toward abandoned blue churches

and disappearing city light.


And it is here

plastic shoes will slap

into one off needles

that litter fishless gutters

and where, even on dry days

the pavement is damp.


From City Trilogy ( Part 1 ), 2020

Steve Coel


Stryd Fawr / Stryd Uchel ( 2021 )

Steve Coel