City of Culture.


City of scaffold
and skip-lined streets.
City of con tricks
and contractors, detractors.
City of decorators, heating engineers,
waste solutions, service solutions,
business solutions.
City of red and white and blue van man-
of Echo, Sun and Engerland,
of Border Barrier and bulldozer,
of hard-hat
and hospital face-lift
as an afterthought.
City of car-studded pavement,
Of fat-wheel and fender,
of smoked-glass Cherokee,
Mustang, Warrior, Freelander.
City of school run and Shiatsu,
of double Pitbull owner,
of kids commandeering
from cars, from shopping trolleys.
City of new stars, new bars,
In yer face , can’t be arsed.
City of Mums in wrap-around shades.
mobiles at the ready,
pushing parallel,
double-decker prams.
City of swirling Asda bags,
of shop ‘til you shop ‘til you
shop some more.
　
City of celebration
for the sake of celebration.
City of Culture.