The Flame Still Burns

from Northern Sketches by Gary Bunting

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lyrics

The Flame Still Burns

It rained all day
That drizzle
That misty drizzle like a pencil sketch in a soggy doggy eared pad
We donned extra layers, buttons fastened, collars up
We sat in creaking chairs, had afternoon tea in China cups
Visited antique shops, seen Clarice Cliff teapots
And rockabilly dresses covered in polka dots
We sheltered by the Minster
Reminded me of a photograph
Taken on 35mm by my dad
The last snap on the roll
But it didn’t quite fit, the photo distorted at the edge
Red and fiery, aflame
Later, the Minster was struck by a bolt of lightning
Caught alight
Saved by the firefighters
But, ravaged in parts
Blackened and collapsing
The camera never lies

We walked on the city walls
The ancient stones that surround this place
Thought we could get of at an appropriate point
But there was no exit
So we walked and walked and walked
We walked forever around this city
Smeared with Starbucks and McDonald’s
Medieval stone and neon slogans side by side
Viking footprints and electric blue
Ancient carvings and gaudy pink
Reflected on the pavements
Mirrored in the rainwater
Projected on the city walls
The layers of time, connected
The old and the new
Our past and present
You can dampen the fire
But the flame still burns

credits

from Northern Sketches, released October 22, 2021

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Hello America Stereo Cassette

A new record label releasing audio recordings of writers' work. Poems backed by noise. Novels as audio books. Stories on cassettes. Curated by Adam Gnade. Currently accepting submissions.