Mile End
When trudging through exit after emergency exit
through carriage after dirty empty carriage
through the litter and white light of a whole tube train
through the black of the earth in the black of a tunnel
hundreds of metres under the city of London
wondering what changed world awaits you at the platform
wondering what war has started, which lives lost,
where the blood is spilt, what buildings are gone,
what poisons swim in the air, what will the survivors do
how will the survivors be different, how will you -
and then find the platform functioning as normal
(it was just a problem with the signals)
then it is time for a quick confession:
you were not afraid. Just curious.
through carriage after dirty empty carriage
through the litter and white light of a whole tube train
through the black of the earth in the black of a tunnel
hundreds of metres under the city of London
wondering what changed world awaits you at the platform
wondering what war has started, which lives lost,
where the blood is spilt, what buildings are gone,
what poisons swim in the air, what will the survivors do
how will the survivors be different, how will you -
and then find the platform functioning as normal
(it was just a problem with the signals)
then it is time for a quick confession:
you were not afraid. Just curious.
posted by Tom Chivers at 4:31 PM
12 Comments:
exciting, isn't it? The anticipation.
Like walking down thw street and seeing a man get out of his car and thinking, for just one second: HE HAS A GUN, he's going to hold that woman hostage, then I'm going to have to step in, catapulting myself over the bonnet... and it never does happen, which I fairly disappointing really.
*is
Cheer up kid, for Scotsmen like me the tube is an adventure ride like no other.
An adventure ride that costs eight quid, admittedly, and I don't remember any water flumes.
would you be curious about a fire bombing? incidentally, it still is on my semi-wish list.
* boudica * we should move to Baghdad together. We'd *love* it!
* rodent * - that was the thing. The idea wasn't depressing. Just interesting.
* {i} * - hell yeah. One particular place. You know which. Now, let's focus our brain beams...
knots stopped me from getting here.
i should walk without my blindfold. excuses excuses..
but i'm here now. i think.
very poignant. as a person who's lived in areas of terror I know how this one feels. i've used Mile End numerous times too, having friends there and this was wonderfully vivid.
Well hello then! * misti *
Glad you liked it * ruksak * - didn't know you knew London.
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"then it is time for a quick confession:
you were not afraid. Just curious."
or maybe even... hopeful... trembling in excited anticipation?
I recognise I am missing something here. (There's an awful semi-fluttering feeling of such.)
Curious about what, would you say?
I like your rhythm in this, it does trundle rather convincingly.
Curious about the possibility of a desolated civilisation...
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