Epistle to a Goods Shed

~ epistle to a goods shed ~

I would notice you barely in passing

you were merely a shell from the past

you stood empty like mills but now you are filled

with an energy longing to last

you were built and designed in those pioneer times

by Isambard Kingdom Brunel

you are one of a kind and you serve to remind

of the skills he had mastered so well

and it’s said you’re the final survivor

of a goods shed in fine Cotswold stone

but you stood for so long like an ancient old song

graffiti’d neglected alone

your style it is Gothic and Tudor

and your roof is all slated from Wales

but it keeps out the rain and the sound of the trains

as they rumble along on the rails

where eight ancient arches adorn you

as you sit by this old railway line

this beautiful structure is breathing again

and may well be the last of its kind

and now I look round this old corner of  town

and thanks to endeavour and pleas

it’s no longer a home for the homeless

and no more is it down on its knees

yes I’ve seen it host poets and comics

I’ve seen it host many a band

I’ve got lost in its maze and seen crazy golf days

and watched stuff that I don’t understand

and I’ve seen it transformed over Christmas

to resemble some magical fair

and I’m sure even Brunel would have to admit

it’s a place with a great atmosphere

and I still always glance as I’m passing

it’s no longer just some old eyesore

may it always survive to enrich all our lives

and bring joy to this town ever more

c.Crispin Thomas