Mechanical Cell
Why are there roadworks here too?
Why is every light red?
Will they keep me waiting til I’m dead,
Laid to rest in this unending queue?
Why is this van in the way?
I need to get to the shop!
Why did this driver just stop
In this single-lane exit today?
Of course, sometimes I cause the chaos,
Sometimes the problem is me,
In the wrong place on the roundabout.
Every driver has their day off
From driving responsibly
When their mind’s in the trees
And they wish they could be
Not within the car, but without.
About Mechanical Cell
Written in response to Dr Jonathan Skinner's request for poems about urban environments, this poem chronicles the poet's irritation at the apparently omnipresent roadworks surrounding Royal Leamington Spa, obstructing their daily commute to university campus. Other annoyances on the roads are also included, as well as the poet's own occasional poor driving.
Recorded on
DATE
Read by
Vance Hatton