POETIC or pathetic? We’ve just had Edinburgh’s Autumn Holiday Monday, so what the hell! We have first-timer rhymer in our midst and the man merits a break.
His specific topic is one close to every Edinburgher’s heart. No prizes for guessing it’s the blasted trams. Alastair Mowat, a former director of Scottish & Newcastle in their days of yore at Holyrood, wine connoisseur and celebrated carver of roast beef, hereby gets traumatic things off his chest. He titles it ‘‘Waiting for No-Go’’
I think that I shall never see
A tram proceeding easterly
And as for that I’ll never know
The vehicle on wester flow
Our council and their German friends
Will never ever make amends
Our roads remain ruptured mess
Which brings for all both storm and stress
Diverted buses wend their way
Through streets bizarre, wan and fey
Our bus stops we know not where they are
Routes may take you near or far
We have some rails that near are laid
Twice interred and then re-made
All in all, it’s such a shame
And it seems there’s none to blame
All the bosses flee their stations
Just in time for compensation
Oh the horror, or the pity
That besets our ancient city
Clearly our No-Go rhymer has got his mojo working. You’re a natural poet, Mr Mowat, and it would appear you don’t know it.