Riddian Bridge Poem by ANDREW BLAKEMORE

I stood upon the Riddian Bridge
That arched above the waterway,
And cast its red-bricked shadow
On those murky depths below.

Within the confines of the shade
I saw the fish that slowly swam,
Amongst the submerged weeds that wound
Along the silted bed.

The hawthorn lined the blossomed verge
That hung like freshly fallen snow,
And draped the wild and untamed bank
Beside the water's edge.

Where rapier reeds with emerald blades
Did rise above the lily quilt,
And there the moorhen sheltered
Almost hidden from my view.

Above the silver cotton clouds
Did cross the blue and brightly shone,
And fell in hushed reflections
On the surface of the spring.

I looked across the distant fields
And saw the shoots of corn that stood,
Their waving shafts emerging
From the soil of ruddy-brown.

And as I stood upon the bridge
And leaned against its red-bricked wall,
I listened to the silence there
For all about lay still.