Daye 95 / Frostiana

this is a history of
the river in
it's frozen state

the frost fayre lasted for seven days
all were there

a belle vue elephant was led across the river below
jackson's bridge
the skies became slate grey
people looked up
and dragged at the dread distant moon with animal paws
the king and queen appeared
in a puff of smoke
which coiled around them
like a serpent
in the cold air
they smiled and waved
and blew kisses to the crowds
the queen bought a souvenir bed
king-sized of course
constructed on the river
and made of ice and glass
and signed by the artist
mk weirdstone
skeleton dogs roamed the edges of the fayre
digging up old bones and dead exotic plants
pulling up the greens
feeding on the mountainous heap of carcasses
deer, birds, fowl and fishes
which had perished during the cold spell
the stink from the heap and from the stalls
and from the smoke and from the crowds
was unbelievable
I could hardly breathe


2

it had snowed briefly again in the night
and there is a hoarfrost forming
on what's left of the vegetation
there are beggars
and lovers
everywhere this morning
the beggars know
and the lovers know
that the world may never be as cold again
the ice on the river is fifteen inches thick
and i see there are drill holes all along the icy thoroughfare
riders on horseback clomp clomp clomp backwards and forwards
carrying carts full of food and drink and goods
and bales of coloured cloth
and trinkets and other junk
but my boys will not walk on the ice today
because there is dogshit and horseshit everywhere
and yesterday an old couple fell through a hole in the ice
that had been left unattended
for a moment
and had partly frozen over
the couple were swept away by the currents
they were still holding hands
when their bodies came to rest
a few hundred yards away
under a much thinner glassy layer of ice
now some creep
has erected a large marquee
over that part of the river
and is charging £15 a head
to look at the dead couple
hand in hand
under the clear ice

3

by three o'clock this afternoon
the ice had disappeared