At any one time
some part or other of the North East
is re-inventing itself
regenerating
expanding mental horizons
and revising the urban blueprint
It could be better
if only ‘retail opportunities’
and acres of car sales
weren’t always included
but could be a lot worse:
at present there is still space to live
still time
no rush
no over-crowding
and still air to breathe
Teesside’s industrialisation
arose from man’s exploitation
of its natural resources
and the subsequent creation
of infrastructure
to extract
refine
manufacture
and transport
the resulting products
Necessary urban growth
to accommodate the workforce
paralleled
the industrial
Man’s intervention
seems solid
and irreversible
but obsolescence
and the passing of the years
obliterate
man-made constructions
and Nature’s
often beautiful
regeneration
of the abandoned
blends them back
into the landscape
under layers
of natural decay
For me contentment lies
in knowing
that I can see the horizon
at the far side of the sea
without having to travel
too many miles
And knowing
that when I reach the coast
I can stand in silent
and solitary contemplation,
absorbing
the grey green dampness
of the sea-fret
or the promise
of the early morning sun
while nourishing my soul
