I fear this place
I fear the grey rain
The grey sky
The ruined grey land
The woods cannot hide
digging, scraping, spewing
sodden unearthed clay
removed, reburied, recast
Looking south,
the city, fog hidden,
rain occluded, it is there.
Better I do not see it,
better remembered.
Steel lined road,
shoddy, spoil pits.
Devon green, Devon grey.
Devon gone
The sacred landscape.
Altered the way,
I’ve always known it.
Bulwarked and forbidden.
Sterile blue pond,
How did this happen,
What forced this rape.
What industry gained, the moors lost
Carve up the ancient monuments
The rows, the standing stones,
sell our heritage for copper.
Then sell our copper for clay.
Spin around now, see what we have,
and what we have not.
I fear this place.
I fear the grey rain,
the grey sky.
The ruined grey land.
Because I love it.
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