The Mouth of Hell

metal towers and smoke- 
stacks    omphalos semi- 
circular balls storage 
tanks      cylinders 
Jacob's ladder 
eternal flame chimney 
steel turrets 
fretwork interlacing 
steel

smell      sulphur 
acid air 
black rain 
unnatural clouds 
breathing metallic 
grey grit on skin 
unnatural heat as you 
near the flame tower 
water greasy shiny 
purple and blue- 
green swirls
limp weeds brown grass 
rust        disused trucks

rubble 
gleaming spurs
	walkways
          tin hats 
emptiness 
bank balance
	mounts
telephone line to the 
past to soft hands 
soft voice the
       fires of home 
thick curved chimneys 
narrow ones 
tall         white

grey blocks of buildings 
symmetrical windows 
yellow foam 
	scum

blue hull of a ship docked
ropes
chains
boxes like pills
all the ills

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