Frogspawn in the Boating Pond

As tethered pleasure boats bobbed, wrapped
In puddled, sunken tarpaulins
Frogs tested the water again unnoticed
By hurrying walkers behind umbrellas 

Then mornings broke in a sitting haze
We breathed in the tangible air with anticipation 
Boats and walkers were unwrapped
Stirring up the tadpole beds

They flicked and darted about the two-stroke
The rainbow slicks, cigarette butts
As we gulped down the air in chunks
That kept us alive just for now


What is Midcenturyology? It's the mid 20th century way of looking at geography, archaeology and local history. It's AA touring books, Red Guides or Shell archaeology gazetteers. It's Dalesman magazines or exhibitions at the Festival of Britain. You might glance it on an old railway poster or on a postcard. It is art and poetry that celebrates places and the people that made them in the pre computer age that I come from. 


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