Last Train

Nostalgia


The caravan was dusty and Mum
scoured all the plates before we ate.
I longed to sprawl in nearby dunes, sheltered
from the wind, then paddle in the surf.

Merging with drizzle we braved
the fairground, hunched in raincoats.
Our King Charlie dog kept dry, goggle eyes
peering out of Mum’s large shopping bag.

A treat was eating at the Lobster Pot Cafe,
with fishing net decor. Our window seats
overlooked boats undulating in the harbour;
plates piled with vinegar doused plaice and chips

Slumped in lumpy beds, gas lights flickering
we listened to the hired radio, cheering
when Lonnie Donegan and his Skiffle Group sang –
Last train to San Fernando, last train to San Fernando

Clowning, Dad joined in with falsetto voice –
If you miss this one, you’ll never get another one
Bee-dee-bee-dee-boom-boom to San Fernando.
We laughed, gasping into our pillows.

Today those familiar strains blast out
from You-tube. Forty years later they divorced.
Now both have travelled on in separate seats,
aboard their last train.

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stormwolf

awwwww lovely!!! you captured the time perfectly. This was heart-warming to read and brought back a memory or two for me also.
So sad they divorced after all that time. My parents stayed together but mum is in no hurry to see dad on the other side. lol She had enough of him in this life. 🙁
Music can bring us right back to a time in an instant can’t it? Same as scents.
Enjoyed reading this very much.
Alison x

pronto

Reading this brought back memories for me. It’s a pity my mother never divorced my father though. Enjoyed your poem immensely.

leila

A really enjoyable well written poem…Leila

mitch

Could be the Lobster Pot in Anglesey, Bernary, Bognor Regis, Portland, Mudeford, Swanage – it matters not as it captures that childhood time well! Mitch

This is the second poem of yours I’ve read that contains the verb “to undulate”. I still don’t understand what it means. You must have a special affection for that word…

Still a lovely poem though, capturing the feeling of a seaside town in a bygone time.