"This River Tame", a Poem by Brendan Hawthorne
Brendan Hawthorne, Poet Laureate of Wednesbury at the time, was commissioned to write a poem as part of a guided walk along the River Tame. The poem written was This River Tame.
The walk began at Perry Bridges (in Perry Barr where the Holbrook comes in) and ended at Salford Junction (in Nechells near where the Hockley Brook comes in), and Brendan chose nine points along the route to read nine different verses and a repeating refrain. Brendan travelled down the river from further upstream, in Wednesbury, to write and recite his poem.
This River Tame
This River Tame
Grey metallic silk artery of revolutionary industries
This River Tame
Bends at will and yet re-formed for greater design
This River Tame
Omnipresent friend silent and sometimes unseen
This River Tame
Seemingly forever rolling the gravel pits of time
[At Perry Bridges …]
tandemspans leap
Built over two hundred years apart
The oldestzig-zag structure
now mirrored byJazz Age update
once ferried packhorsecargo
with lay-by refuge for muscle and cart
allowing ebb and flow commuting
toan ever-changing workplace estate
This River Tame
Grey metallic silk artery of revolutionary industries
This River Tame
Bends at will and yet re-formed for greater design
This River Tame
Omnipresent friend silent and sometimes unseen
This River Tame
Seemingly forever rolling the gravel pits of time
[At Ryknield Street …]
the famed mettle of Roman marches
reinforces an ancient footfall crossing
Here the memory of invasion is legion
and reflects on those gone before
Now an insightful water-meadow fording
giving rest to those whose myriad paths
have traversed these rippling shallows
from its warrened banks to its gentle shore
This River Tame
Grey metallic silk artery of revolutionary industries
This River Tame
Bends at will and yet re-formed for greater design
This River Tame
Omnipresent friend silent and sometimes unseen
This River Tame
Seemingly forever rolling the gravel pits of time
[At Holford Mills …]
Tame water is harnessed
Has driven the mill wheels of centuries
from cleansing wool to finery
shaped, cast and wrought
A darkened meandering river cutting
where blades were sharpened
and gun grey barrels bored
and a twist in the tale is bought
This River Tame
Grey metallic silk artery of revolutionary industries
This River Tame
Bends at will and yet re-formed for greater design
This River Tame
Omnipresent friend silent and sometimes unseen
This River Tame
Seemingly forever rolling the gravel pits of time
[At Willow Grove …]
an echo of a forgotten bridge
weeps the lime green willows low
Bowing sentinels to bygone pathways
and custodians of the lions roar
Waters erode the shifting footprints
of its diverse labouring people
A place where joyous arcs spring
and fountains rainbows soar
This River Tame
Grey metallic silk artery of revolutionary industries
This River Tame
Bends at will and yet re-formed for greater design
This River Tame
Omnipresent friend silent and sometimes unseen
This River Tame
Seemingly forever rolling the gravel pits of time
[At Witton Bridge …]
turquoise waters bled from Kynoch’s copper casings
Outfalls from packing ammunition for sport and war
The elements of alloys and allies drifted unhindered
channeled along these bends of blends to dilution
at an ancient muddy low point intersection
made rank and foul by nature
now passive in looks and demeanor
once crossed by trades of expanding conurbation
This River Tame
Grey metallic silk artery of revolutionary industries
This River Tame
Bends at will and yet re-formed for greater design
This River Tame
Omnipresent friend silent and sometimes unseen
This River Tame
Seemingly forever rolling the gravel pits of time
[At Electric Avenue …]
there’s a street with buzz
where three-phase currents co-exist
along this broad thoroughfare
From nearby,wavelets of river flow
and the spirit-breath of air turbulence
thatswitch to bridge rectification
in bluest tungsten filament light
where energy sparks and lanterns glow
This River Tame
Grey metallic silk artery of revolutionary industries
This River Tame
Bends at will and yet re-formed for greater design
This River Tame
Omnipresent friend silent and sometimes unseen
This River Tame
Seemingly forever rolling the gravel pits of time
[At Salford Park …]
some say this drinking water reservoir
is the oldest in all this land
Hollowed out to slake the thirst of workers
and all its nearby tempered forges
Collecting libation for Birmingham’s
ever-growing unquenched demand
An interchange where sweat dries
anda region’s demand engorges
This River Tame
Grey metallic silk artery of revolutionary industries
This River Tame
Bends at will and yet re-formed for greater design
This River Tame
Omnipresent friend silent and sometimes unseen
This River Tame
Seemingly forever rolling the gravel pits of time
[At Hawthorn Brook …]
the healing nature is of tame confluence and direction
Where mystical scrates are lost to road
and yet remain enigmatic by design
Hosting shelter from search light bombings raids
seeking sight and range on wartime munitions
Their ghosts and stories are still here
in whispers along cuttings and skyways
waiting to be heard before cadence fades
This River Tame
Grey metallic silk artery of revolutionary industries
This River Tame
Bends at will and yet re-formed for greater design
This River Tame
Omnipresent friend silent and sometimes unseen
This River Tame
Seemingly forever rolling the gravel pits of time
[At Hockley Brook …]
along the way from olden Scraford
a trinity of canals link arms unnoticed
Set in the shadows of Bromford ‘duct
where glory days of construction last
a source emerges that once powered Soho
Its fame and fortunes cast at this point
asrail and canal meet river and brook
delivering another layer to cover your past
This River Tame
Grey metallic silk artery of revolutionary industries
This River Tame
Bends at will and yet re-formed for greater design
This River Tame
Omnipresent friend silent and sometimes unseen
This River Tame
Seemingly forever rolling the gravel pits of timeThe poem was commissioned as part of the Heritage Lottery funded project Tame Past Present Future. Copyright Brendan Hawthorne. View his website, here.