Ilkley Quarry

Stood in cool Hank Marvins
of coarse-grained millstone grit,
striated like chocolate limes.
This is where Zardoz goes to sleep.

A theatre for sheep
and pigeons,
up in the gods
doing Frankie Howerd impressions.

Powdered lemonade sunlight,
slowly filtering through mists
like wisps of cotton wool.

Behold the Cow and Calf:
studies in sturdy bovine permanence,
with the names of some young knaves
(envious of such immortality)
scrawled large and small
upon their stone faces.

Mason, you are famous.
Don't answer calls, I would advise,
from numbers you don't recognise.

I walk on, in heather-mixture,
pocket full of Yorkshire Mixture;
walking down avenues of trees.

I wish I knew the names of trees.

B.R. 15/12/2016

The Calf boulder of "Cow and Calf" fame, Ilkley Moor. Photo by B.R.