Night And Day I Have No Peace Poem by Gert Strydom

Deep in the night
I hear the monster
rumbling along the railway track
and it whistles so shrill
that it is forced into my brain
and I am immediately waken
from my sleep.

A smaller monster swishes
past down in the street
and roars as if it’s somewhere
on a racing track

and on the main road, further away
something pulling a heavy load hoots
before thundering on into the night

and at times people drive
into the lamppost
where the road turns away
with one hell of a bang

and a little later
sirens cry past
to try and rescue
someone somewhere.

Early in the morning rubbish bins are collected
with a thing that growls and whines
and smashes with iron jaws

before the postman
and later the man from the pharmacy
drives past on scooters
and gets every dog in the neighbourhood barking

and night and day
I have no peace
as long as I am living in the city
and things are driving
to and thro the whole time.