Hail historic Howden
huddled in the sun.
Hail the mighty Minster: audaciously lasting and large.
Hail its saints Peter and Paul guarding the West Wall
Hail John of Howden, each subsequent cleric’s local exemplar.
Hail the wood carver Mousy Thomson, and the thirty little mice he crafted into the Minster’s beams.
Hail the cheese shop of Howden
and its pavement patrons supping morning coffee;
Hail the sleepy craft shops, the well stocked sweet shops,
the high-priced hairdressers and fussy boutiques of this holy town.
Hail the Co-op serving all
and the Press Association offices
bringing the world to Howden and Howden to the world.
Hail the workers of Howden Dyke and Kilpin Pike
– the smartly-dressed Renault mechanics sitting against a wall;
– the staff of the massive Ebuyers shed;
– the dockers, truckers and sewage workers on this wide twist of the River Ouse.
Hail the magnificent M62
as it crosses the Ouse in high style;
Hail the traffic above;
Hail the herons, swans and sheep beneath.
Hail Booth (whoever he was) and his ferry
Hail Boothferry and its Bridge
Hail the restless spirits which live directly beneath the M62 Ouse Bridge
Unsighted but booming, creaking, groaning
Endlessly aching
In the empty concrete vault
Above ploughed fields.
[Hear the Ouse Bridge ghosts here – mp3]