economics class private education ends fees don't cover costs
~
n.b. St John’s RC College, Southsea, “Permanently closed“. So much for educating the boys of the Portsmouth diocese.
Buildings established to ensure one group of children got a decent education in a densely populated port, now vacant, after it went private and educated fee-payers’ children from around the world.
Meanwhile, the need for school buildings and sports facilities in the cityremains high, but these falling into disrepair.
Here we go, here we go, here we go1 Danny’s at the wheel2 We’re here, we’re there… 3
Is this a library? 4 My garden shed is bigger than this It’s got a door and a window My garden shed it bigger than this 5
We forgot that you were here 6 It’s nice to know you’re here… 7 You must have come in a taxi 8
You don’t know what you’re doing 9
He fell over 10 You’re going home in a Pompey ambulance 11 It’s a miracle! It’s a miracle! 12
Is there a fire drill? 13 We can see you sneaking out 14 You’ll never make the station 15
Taxi for Carter 16 Bye-bye, bye-bye 18
Who ate all the pies? 19 You...! 20
n.b. NaPoWriMo April 2022 Day Thirty prompt: Lines from other poets. Well artistic licence applied here – feeling de-mob happy, tbh!
Sources: 1. Crewe Alexandra, Gresty Road, 2022 2. Fratton Park, 1980s 3. Various 4. Sheffield Wednesday, Hillsborough, 2022 5. Shrewsbury Town, The New Meadow, 2018 6. Plymouth Argyle, Fratton Park, 2016 7. Luton Town, Fratton Park, 2017 8. Accrington Stanley, Fratton Park, 2015 9. Cheltenham Town, Whaddon Road, 2022 10. Wycombe Wanderers, (Too many times to mention). 11. S*********n, Fratton Park, 1984 12. Most match days. 13. Tottenham Hotspurs, Wembley, 2010 14. Peterborough United, London Road, 2018 15. Brighton & Hove Albion, Fratton Park, 1976 16. Sunderland AFC, Roker Park, 1995 18. Tottenham Hotspurs, Wembley, 2010 19. S*********n, St Mary’s, 201020. For Graham Poll, Referee playing as the 12th man for Arsenal in his last match at Fratton Park, April 2007.
Late evening, I walk past the guildhall pride of place epitomised in stone Victoria's solid figure set glum-faced stares unseeing across the city square Did imperial majesty not make you happy, ma'am?
Ahead a space, where a big block stood reduced to its foundations with civic care floor-by-floor removed kitchens, bathrooms, lounges down-to-earth homes now grounded
This rebuilt city shifts again from its 1940s shattered remains to quick-fix accommodation to divided houses with doorbells arrayed too many people in too little space
Concrete defences fight off the rapacious sea While two hundred thousand people relax By turning up the television volume To hide a woman's screams On screen that's entertainment as for her, reality bites
I hesitate and turn Which street? Which low-rise? I cannot locate the source of pain Someone surely must be closer Police already called to intervene
I walk on clinging to my timely rediscovered belief in love-thy-neighbour myths of Blitz-spirit community the local friendly British Bobby under mocking seagull cries
~
n.b. NaPoWriMo 2022 Day Twelve prompt; something small. Here the possible odds of somebody doing the right thing in time.
Voyage des Mots 