City On A River

I see the rubble alongside the river and shout

"It's time we started looking again!"

We seen it before, except then it was standing

Seen the demolition, hand in hand

We watch the cars zoom past

Seems like nothing's ever gonna last

Is this change? Or merely destruction?

Wait a few months and here's the construction

Of another supermarket, as shops close down

Redundancy money like a dressing gown - like a dressing gown

Barely hiding the naked fear

Of being recognised - "I used to work here"

Staring at the rubble was bad enough

So we look to the river instead

Comparison, no! It couldn't be so!

This one flows and the other is dead

Comparison, no! It couldn't be so!

Comparison, no! It wouldn't be so!

But the swans have gone with the current - moved on

And the trees have rotted away

The bridge that joined workers and nature

Now a viewpoint to view the decay

We walk round the city a few times more

And the repetition makes us numb

Built on a river that keeps the score

Of replaceable scenery - What was won

Is lost - And the cost is rising

Pride in the city and its horizons

Killed by the slow destruction

Of places to live - Now the only function

That reaps rewards is profit

And the making of it

Can't afford to look after the poor

If they really want more - we've got it

The price is lifelong dedication

To the status quo of this consumer nation

Offer no alternative, don't talk back

Work for twenty years then get the sack

Or not! How much have you got?

What kind of strength can take you

The length of the ladder?

Can you reach the top? Is it madder

Or saner to stay off the rungs

And start complaining?

About the endless waste, the draining

Off of human inspiration

Where people and labour

And buildings and nature are wasted

Got a taste of it

Stood by the rubble, by the river, on a bridge