Poetry - November 2019

Magnificent Milan

It was the first time I'd flown to Northern Italy
Heading for the fashionista central of Milan
A city where two football teams share a ground
And a place where it's passion is grand
From the square that houses he Duomo
To the shopping galleries, arches all around
It exudes class and style and structure
And an expensive taste - not cheap per pound
The castle with its round towers
Somehow seems so grand and well designed
The trams are old and yet so beautiful
The bad traffic of cars is very much maligned
Yet in all the contrasts that the city has
It just felt like a beautiful place to be
With its contintental more relaxed culture
It made me feel welcome and in harmony
I want to go back with my love
And show her all the places that I had found
So that she can experience the buzz of Milan
Where the sense of occasion is still very sound.

(Really enjoyed the trip to Milan - granted I was there for a Manchester City game too, but the city itself really was lovely.)

Awayday Against Atalanta

Making my way to the San Siro
A place I've dreamt of going since little
To see Manchester City playing there
Is really the stuff of dreams for me
Granted it's not AC or Inter
But Atalanta are using the ground here
Whilst their home is being modernised
Which meant I could see City play
As darkness descended in the night sky
So did the long walk around the car parks
And endless checks by the security staff
Before being allowed through into the entrance
Up all of the spiral ramps, all seventeen
With my seat right near the very top
A very long way down to the pitch below
But I could see what would happen at least
City took the lead early on and that was good
But the penalty miss did change the game
It was a case of calamitous goalkeeping
That resulted in Kyle Walker playing in net
He was able to keep a clean sheet as we hung on
A draw at least was a decent result
Being kept in for forty five minutes wasn't fun
But I got back to my hotel okay safe and sound
It was an experience to do a European game
And one I fancy doing more of if I can
But so glad that I managed to do this one
And head out all the way to Milan.

(A memorable trip really, and one I can look back on in years to come and say "I did that".)

Malpensa Express

Arriving at Milan Malpensa
Terminal 2 looks not the best
But there's a nice covered walkway
To the train station looking West
It's a nice building all told
With ticket machines a plenty
Selling the tickets to the centre of Milan
And the next train leaves at 12:20
It's a sort of express train really
As it stops at places along the way
Before making its way into Milan
And either going to Centrale or the other way
Towards Cadorna and for the Metro
But whichever way you go
It's certainly a comfortable ride all told
And much less to worry about traffic flow
There's a real sense of belonging
As you arrive in the centre of Milan
Refreshed after the trip through countryside
And ready for the central station, so grand.

(Always good when public transport works and works well - the Malpensa Express from Milan Malpensa airport to the centre of Milan being a case in point.)

Oxford Circus, 5.30

There's a place that isn't the best
That's reserved for a Monday to Friday, see
Where everyone seems to converge
And where underground it's always busy
It's the merging of three lines together
As commuters seek to head home
And it's always extremely busy indeed
No matter which entrance you roam
The platforms always seem so crowded
As the train arrives speeding in
It makes me wonder just how safe it all is
Packed like sardines in a massive tin
It's just not the place to be at all
So I avoid it as much as I possibly can
Taking alternative and less packed ways home
Means that I don't face angry commuter man.

(Trust me: just avoid, if you can, Oxford Circus tube station a lot of the time, but from 5.30 every night till around 7, it's just unbearable.)

Cuddly Cat Haiku

Mummy, tickle me
Says Brian as he lies down
Spread on the sofa.

(My, Brian the cat knows when he wants a tickle on his tummy, that is for sure.)