Friday, 6 December 2013

Creative Writing: 'Parade' by Alexandra McCauley



Alexandra is a third year studying joint honours in English and Creative Writing at the University of Cumbria. 

The following poem was awarded joint first in the University of Cumbria Andrea Pendlebury poetry prize.

Parade

We hear the ‘duddlum, duddlum’
of the lambeg drum
their arms swinging possessively
all the youngsters love to copy
all ages are marching in the band
keeping flags in their hands
and the stalls full of tack,
shiny plastic toys covered with the union jack
the roads are cordoned off by police
as the crowds flood the street
here they come, right incline
marching without a foot out of line
drunken protestants fight and curse
here for the parade, but no faith to the church
they yip and yo as King Billy arrives on the horse
every year the tradition is enforced
now comes the bowler hats and oranges sashes
loyalist men in black with handlebar tashes
the people line the route that the bands take
Granda taps his foot and to the sound the flutes make
a security announcement is made to the crowd,
there has been a bomb scare, everyone must leave now.

By Alexandra McCauley

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