It was fantastic to be invited to write a new poem to be included in the 21st birthday celebrations at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on Saturday. Here is my new poem:-
At the Crossroads of the World
The rattle and hum of the tram, the rush of steam, the clop of hooves.
We stand at the crossroads of the world, our voices ring and chime.
Songs of nymphs and shepherds, brass and strings, mingle with concrete, glass and steel.
We stand at the crossroads of the world, our voices ring and chime.
Water laps on our shore, sky etched by vapor trails, arch over our stage.
We stand at the crossroads of the world, our voices ring and chime.
Halls echo with past and future, fanfares blast, bugles blow.
We stand at the crossroads of the world, our voices ring and chime.
Busy bees buzz, work and play, our voices roar and declaim.
We stand at the crossroads of the world, our voices ring and chime.
We are the crucible, the melting pot, the warp and weft, the nexus, the bond.
We stand at the crossroads of the world, our voices ring and chime.
We raise the roof with music, our foundations sturdy, our walls made of sound.