Union Street Reflections Poem by Sheena Blackhall

No 492: William Low, Supermarket
1964. A schoolgirl eats her tea
Cold salad,2 slices of typhoid
A present from Argentina.
A city in quarantine
Global Headlines Shriek
‘People dropping like flies'

Sim the Furrier: 1860-1970s
1966 within the swish portals of George Sim & co.
Mrs Pamela Irvine-Gillespie
Tries on her mink full length coat
With its brown silk lining, set off by her
Musquash stole with satin trim.
Her wifely reward for years of husband tholing
Oh the luxury, a la mode, oh the feel
Of the fur, rippling along her thighs!


No 363: Bruce Miller
1980. A musician's wonderland
All those grand pianos
With their crocodile mouths of ivories flashing white
Like a toothpaste advert.

Here, staff are Jekylls and Hydes
Salesmen by day, transvestite guitarists by dark
Suited at noon, in Basque and suspenders at midnight

Langstane Kirk
1970s. Willie McTavish, builder,
Is exhibiting his shortbread tin variety
Of Scottish Art in the annual Forecourt Art Group Exhibition.

Winds buffet the paintings on their hooks
In the forecourt of the sturdy granite church

Today, the Soul Bar caters for matches
As city twosomes eye each up as partners


Andrew Collie & co Ltd
1962. High class grocer. West end catering
Fancy tongs for handling tasty bakes
Perched like delicate birds on a bird table
To lure in passers-by

The shop front window groans
With balanced tins, rising like circus acrobats
To a pyramid one puff could topple over

Below stairs, the staffroom's cramped,
The seats mismatched and dusty
The one-cake-allowance for tea break
Is stale, rock hard, unlike the
Simpering savouries above,
Oozing with cherries and cream

Union Terrace Toilets
The gentlemen's convenience
Is dominated by glazed green wall tiles
23 stall urinals by Doulton of Lambeth and Paisley,
The ladies, is pink and brown tiled

Only those who have peed in these porcelain pots,
Can compare and lament the coming of vinyl and plastic

Minimalism versus Victoriana
With nothing now to look at but graffiti


No 140: Victoria Restaurant
1966: The bride is hosting her wedding reception
She is stroking her bulbous belly like a meringue
As if afraid it might crumble beneath the touch

In place of the band, a gramophone, blares out Beatles
Disc spins to allow the guests to dance
Like sprinkles on a jelly, wobbling slightly

Her smile is as sunny as a custard slice
The groom's shirt collar strangles him
Like a clootie dumpling restricting circulation
Another couple wed. True love, no dough.


No130: Bedsit above R.S.McColl
2005. A man could hang himself in here
The walls are orange and treacle, a smackhead's choice
The door rings constantly, a tinny torturer
‘Hey pal…Could I jist doss here the night? '
‘I've missed the last bus hame. Ony chance o a kip? '

Cheap rent, a glorious view of city clubbers
The BOOM BOOM BOOM of music, forever pounding
And with the dawn, the seagulls give it welly.


Mither Kirk
Ding dong, the Catholic bell,
Fare you well, my mother,
Bury me in the old churchyard
Beside my oldest brother.

My coffin shall be black,
Six little angels at my back,
Two to preach an two to pray
And two to carry my soul away. (Traditional)

I love this kirkyard. Here, the dead lie still
Out of the traffic stir. Only the trees
Rustle above and wave cool fans of leaves
With golden motes the dancing sunbeams fill
The weathered stones, where sleepers take their ease

This is my city's heart, you'll feel it beat
Where green lung, peace and calm together meet


21st Century: Town House Aberdeen
The great and the good come here. A treat,
Of wine and nibbles… to chat and eat

Tiramisu with Kahlua filling
Amaretto with raspberry jam
Sacher Torte with chocolate coating
Coconut Lime with Malibu Rum
Peanut jelly in Chambord soaking
An appetizer of lemon goat cheese
Frittatas and a nice caprese

Gourmet morsels. Less is more.
Haute Cuisine, at a sky high price
Wave goodbye, on the way back home
Nip into the chipper, is my advice


2016: Archibald Simpsons
Archie's far the toonsfowk gaither
Fur a pint, a dram, a blether,
Boozers sup wi blue tattoos
Couthie, radgy, airin views
On aathin frae the Dons tae weather
Students, hoosewives aathegither
Scaffie, skiffie, toff, big-shot
It's a civic meltin pot!

Lament for the Past
Glory days to pawnbrokers
MacDonalds, beggars' misery
Betting outlets, charity shops
Granite mile…. a pot-pourri
Of change… uncertain foreign markets
Kirks- turned- pubs and poverty.