.
We take the ferry across
as sunlight bounces off the Tyne
looking back we see modern shapes
soften edges of decay
~ old docks resuscitated
once bursting with
fish boats and ship building
.
Toward the river-mouth
we see lifeboats suspended
on cradles ready to go save
mariners in any tide or storm
small fishing fleets anchor
close to shore
and in North Shields
a harbour continues to
offer shelter and home
to trawlers, drifters
inshore seine-netters
.
Corten steel sculptures
narrate the history
of these wharfs
~ a herring girl
holding the catch aloft
her knitting at her side
~ a fisherman at Fiddler’s Green
waiting for the souls of those
lost or wandering
he gazes out to sea in all weathers
growing a coat of rust
built of rain and tears
.
Then back again past
the nets and cable drums
the crab traps and the
fishing floats, the smell
of diesel in the air
and fish and chip
shops getting ready
for the evening rush
.
Aboard the ferry
bound for South Shields
as the vessel comes about
we notice the iconic
Herd Groyne Lighthouse
straddling the far distance
no longer needed for
it’s warning signals but
much loved as a sign
of welcome home
.
By Carys Owen
.
Written for a poetry prompt from dVerse Poetics: ‘City Love’.
Compared to my rural home on Vancouver Island,
North and South Shields in UK felt like cities to me.
.
Carys Owen Poetry 
Love a town so close to the city with every business connected to what the sea may bring.
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Sounds like paradise. With fish and chips.😋
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Thanks. Yes, fish and chips make many things better 😉
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Sounds perfectly gloomy, a living buoy in the sea; my only problem would be food because I do not favor the taste of sea creatures.
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a herring girl
holding the catch aloft
her knitting at her side… ✌🏼🫶🏼
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Thanks Rob. The herring girls were very hardy!
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Carys,
Those Corten steel sculptures and sensory details immerse me in the atmosphere, while the mention of the Herd Groyne Lighthouse as a symbol of welcome home adds a poignant touch. Thank you for sharing this evocative piece.
~David
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you are long way from home and in the heart of the North – you describe so well the fishing side of Tyneside that once was – frozen into sculptures!
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Thanks Laura. I grew up in East Yorkshire so I relate closely to the changing times along the coast.
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Hi David, thanks for your thoughtful comments. My poem is based on several trips I made from South Shields to North Shields last autumn.
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A very evocative poem, Carys, and a sensory delight! I can see it clearly through your words.
Thanks a lot for joining in with this lovely write.
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Thanks for your kind words. It was a delight to write this poem.
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What a brilliant write, the imagery teeming with the life of Shields and evoking the landscapes of the sea through the eyes of the people who inhabit them. Beautifully done, Carys.
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Thanks for your thoughtful words…I think it’s a kind of poetryscape- my image of day spent wandering this place.
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Sorry so late….I love riding a ferry. Your first four lines in the 2nd stanza really struck home. Lines to read and repeat. The whole is a lovely portrait of the sea and fishing piers.
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Thanks so much Yvonne. It’s so interesting to know how my words land with others. I’m glad they mean something to you too.
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