Tuesday, 20 May 2025

ORAL HERITAGE... (My poem about Bruges, visited in 2014...)

 Oral Heritage…

(Visiting Bruges in 2014…)



Cyclists on bone-shakers

Swerved and glided

A slalom course

Across cobbles,

Where an old fellow dismounted

And resounding tinny bells rang out

‘It’s A Long Way To Tipperary’,

Whilst he loitered in thrall, seemingly displaced…


Horse’s hoof on stone 

Scraped and skittered,

Its carriage braked 

On cobbles,

Where an ignorant driver shouted

His irritation, as the poignant bells rang out

Their reminder of less comfortable days,

For Bruges’ strategic history is with awe forever laced…


Pete Ray



Oral history, with hooves upon cobbles, carriage wheels rattling upon the uneven surface, bicycles sidling between hapless tourists and busy locals, plus the rather remarkable bells, which offered a topical WW1 rendition of ‘It’s A Long Way To Tipperary’.



Bruges is of course famous for its lace…






And I might change my name by deed poll to 

Soep van de Dag…


Soup of the day… 


I like that.




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