15.02 to London Victoria
by Meerabai Kings
Four empty-ish carriages
I wonder what business everybody else has
en route to London
on a Tuesday afternoon in November
My favourite stretch is coming up
Acre upon acre of smooth green
the river lazily cutting through pasture
A postcard from England
Flocks of woolly cartoon sheep
perfect, friendly-looking oaks
The same trees my grandmother gazed upon
on her way to London
She wouldn’t make it onto a train now
The distant Jack-and-the-Beanstalk-castle
How many poems have been written in this valley?
How many more will be written
from the 15:02 to London Victoria?
An egret stoops herself beside the river
My mother would scold me if I hunched so
My phone lights up
speak of the devil
hi mum
I’m on the train
Victoria
Just gone by the castle
Tomorrow
Hello- can you hear me?