>In Search Of Albion: A Poem by Pete Marshall
>
In Search of Albion
I wandered down a beaten track
That led to paths no longer seen
Where once we walked in years gone by
But covered now by fallen leaves
The ancient paths can still be found
Beneath the concrete thoroughfares
Where rowan grows by roadside cafes
And thrushes sing in Autumn air
The frogs will always find their home
Where once the streams ran wild and free
Beneath this land of brick and steel
Where people fought to own our green
The signs are there on roadside names
That tell of tales from long ago
But life is led at such a pace
The past has gone before we know
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History is all around us but in our fast lives do we ever stop to notice? The UK is steeped in history, our street names, pub signs, the list is endless…..perhaps, just once, we should stop and pause for a few moments and wonder where we are and what it was once like….
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image courtesy creative commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/electropod/
September 21, 2010 at 10:15 pm
>Those last two lines say it all. Where have you gone, Albion?
September 21, 2010 at 10:16 pm
>Wonderful reflective feel…gives me goosebumps.
September 21, 2010 at 10:26 pm
>"The past has gone before we know"-Lovely lines
September 21, 2010 at 10:58 pm
>Really like this one! Message is spot on and the format and cadence pulled me right along. Very cool indeed!
September 21, 2010 at 11:05 pm
>so easy to forget that which we have covered up in progress…tight close too pete. marvelous one shot!
September 22, 2010 at 12:00 am
>great reminder Pete, interesting lines and i like the idea..great one shot poet 😉
September 22, 2010 at 12:14 am
>It is so amazing to me how quickly things change and become history instead of memories.
September 22, 2010 at 12:47 am
>I enjoyed reading this, Pete. I've had wonderful visits to England, Scotland, and Wales, for just the reason you note. One day I hope to get to Ireland.I like that you use a detail like "rowan" instead of a more common descriptor.
September 22, 2010 at 12:50 am
>this was beautifully written. a good reminder to stop and pay attention to my surroundings and those that have been there before me.
September 22, 2010 at 1:05 am
>Enjoyed the structure and subtle shifts in the rhyme, as well as the reminder of historical significance. Cheers, mate. Well done once again!
September 22, 2010 at 1:28 am
>Reading this, I wanted to go back to the past era…ode to un-punctuated verses
September 22, 2010 at 2:24 am
>love the lyrical quality of this poem…history it all around us…just changes its face…ever so often…bkm
September 22, 2010 at 3:29 am
>Good one, Pete. And I wonder if we ever can really find the past.
September 22, 2010 at 3:31 am
>I love when streets and buildings still carry their original names – love to discover the hidden past… Your poem says it so much better, more lyrically…
September 22, 2010 at 3:40 am
>I often think I would liked to have lived in past times. Thanks for taking us back there.
September 22, 2010 at 4:34 am
>As usual bang on write here Pete. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great write. Love and Light, Sender
September 22, 2010 at 6:01 am
>I love trying to pronounce some of those names and picture events that occurred there. Such a rich place of historyPete you are such a great asset to One Shot and an treasure as a friendMoonie
September 22, 2010 at 7:38 am
>I like the whole "the present is not far removed from the ancient theme". Great first two stanzas.
September 22, 2010 at 8:01 am
>What a lovely poem honoring the past. Did it live long enough? Is it appreciated fully? How many lies do our history books contain?In San Francisco, there are still a few red brick walls with faded advertisement signs. I like imagining the streets with cars and fashion from various eras. Oh,and the language; slang then and now…
September 22, 2010 at 8:09 am
>Very vool, came across as quite mystical to me.
September 22, 2010 at 8:25 am
>When I first went to Britain, a man in Scotland asked me what it was like to grow up in a country with no history. I was somewhat taken aback as we have a little history here. But he explained (as surely he didn't need to as I'd come a long way after a long wait to see it) that in Britain real history had been made every 40 feet or so for thousands of years. Everywhere I went people went in to great detail about histories of birds, trees, forests, walks, bridges, walls, gates and battles..In Bath I asked what happened to the hands of the statues and the guide said, "those ruffians came in here with sticks and knocked them off". I was aghast. I said do you know who it was. "Sure we do," she said. "It was Cromwell's men." I nearly fell over. I know it's all changing as it always does but in Europe, I believe, there are many keepers of the stories and the histories and among the best telling those stories is you. As always beautifully written. Gay (@beachanny)
September 22, 2010 at 9:44 am
>The road covered with fallen leaves… Very beautifully written Pete and liked the way you brought out the concrete jungle on top of your memory lane….Beautiful…ॐ नमः शिवायOm Namah ShivayaConnect with me on Twitter @VerseEveryDay
September 22, 2010 at 10:05 am
>Strong poem. You use a nice mix of sentimentality and historicity to evoke such a gentle image. There is a lyrical flow to the poem that makes reading it like listening to an old song from a long ago summer. Really enjoyed this, thanks for posting it.
September 22, 2010 at 12:37 pm
>smart one,lovely flow…I hear your message here.
September 22, 2010 at 12:47 pm
>I wonder if in the future — our concrete steel mess will be turned to rubble and become green again? Loved this poem for the tone it sets, thoughtful reflective, also sorrowful, of what we have buried.Nice one stop, Joanny
September 22, 2010 at 1:08 pm
>i totally agree with you – we should stop far more often. i'm doing sometimes guided tours in basel for visitors of our company – and i LOVE the history – and i love to tell them about the stories of the past and make them see history where everyday life is pulsatinggreat poem pete!
September 22, 2010 at 1:26 pm
>Wonderfully written =D It is time to stop and notice I guess, history are wonderful!=D~ I love them :3
September 22, 2010 at 2:13 pm
>I love those last two lines!
September 22, 2010 at 3:36 pm
>love the poem so much!!!!here's mine/http://scjcircleofthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/08/chase.html
September 22, 2010 at 4:53 pm
>"But life is led at such a paceThe past has gone before we know"Where do you go? How is it we cannot even see our history?Very reflective, very engaging. Great One Shot…and it reminds me of how badly I want to see the Isles one of these days.
September 22, 2010 at 5:06 pm
>I often pass historical markers and wonder if I'll stop one day to learn the story of the place.Nice One Shot, Pete!P.S. – Albion is about 1 ½ hours west of Detroit.
September 22, 2010 at 6:02 pm
>Great message and I love the pace.
September 22, 2010 at 6:14 pm
>each lane a song, each road a story, when we but listen. Thanks for reading and commenting on my poem. Hope your week goes well.
September 22, 2010 at 9:44 pm
>brilliant poem Pete, we all have a past, some things are good, some bad, this was a reflective poem, and as always, well written 🙂
September 22, 2010 at 9:56 pm
>Pete this is beautiful…:-)
September 22, 2010 at 10:11 pm
>I agree with your sentiment. We (generally speaking) have let go of the richness our history has to offer. Our pursuit for technological advancement have overshadowed and smothered the voices of our forefathers. And yes these things improve quality of living. Yet there's still so much to learn from the past. A truly inspiring One Shot. Btw, I looked up Albion and was delighted to see it is the archaic name for England/Great Britain. Which gives your piece even more sincere and profound meaning.
September 22, 2010 at 10:16 pm
>PS: Thank you for your comment. I truly appreciate it. I feel the same when I read your hand.
September 22, 2010 at 10:42 pm
>Your poetry is smooth adn flowing as always. LOVE your distinct style! This is lovely as always, but I must ask what is "rowan"?
September 22, 2010 at 11:24 pm
>Beautifully written, Pete. I lived in Brittany for a while but never made it to the UK, to my regret. It's on my bucket list. My dad flew out of England in WWII. I never knew him as he was KIA when I was 3 months old.
September 23, 2010 at 12:03 am
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September 23, 2010 at 12:40 am
>see.. I've never been to the UK.. it's a dream of mine.. but I can imagine that it is a place of great history and culture
September 23, 2010 at 1:20 am
>Albion calls…Lovely nostalgic piece to Old World England, Pete. And all that has come to pass…
September 23, 2010 at 1:28 am
>The poet doing his jobbravo
September 23, 2010 at 1:33 am
>great poemno one wants to forget the past even me):)(:(
September 23, 2010 at 1:45 am
>I love this, Pete. It instantly remnded me of the old Janis Joplin song, Big Yellow Taxi: "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."When I was in the UK, I could feel the history all around me. Sometimes, I even thought I could hear it.
September 23, 2010 at 2:31 am
>I agree that modern life is way too fast.. perhaps why I opted out 10 years ago and moved to the rural Canadian prairies where the only urgency is getting seeds in the ground in the Spring and the crop harvested in the Fall
September 23, 2010 at 3:47 am
>A stately poem. The end is pitch perfect.
September 23, 2010 at 3:55 am
>Pete, I apologize for being so tardy. I had modem problems that took ages to get sorted out. It's always freaky when you can't get on-line – we just take it for granted, I guess…much like we do the history that does abound around us. This poem was a beautiful reminder to really pay attention to the places we visit every single day. Thank you for that!
September 23, 2010 at 3:23 pm
>Hi anthony…indeed…where has it all gone wrongthanks timoteo…i think its the same in so many countries today, life has changed so much and covered up our past at an alarming ratecheers jagannath..thanks for visiting
September 23, 2010 at 3:25 pm
>thanks steven…and thanks for always being a great supporthi bri…glad you appreciated it partner!!!cheers desert rose…thanks for commenting
September 23, 2010 at 3:27 pm
>hi teressa..that is so, so true..thanks for the commentcheers maureen…yeah i had to drop rowan in..it gave it an almost druidic feelyou are so right caty..even if you have a drink at the pub..look at the pub sign and it will give you a history lesson
September 23, 2010 at 3:29 pm
>thanks adam…and have a safe trip..enjoy yourselfcheers guatami…maybe we all could do with doing that sometime just to shake up our senses a bit…cheers BKM…thanks for the comment and you are so right
September 23, 2010 at 6:39 pm
>thanks glynn…i think it will also be romanticised…and never really knownhi gospelwriter…they are a great marker to times of old…as i mentioned earlier pub signs place names and so forth…cheers pete
September 23, 2010 at 6:42 pm
>cheers kb…wouldnt that be wonderful to have the chance to walk back in time…wowthanks senderup..and as usual thanks for a great supportive commentoh moonies…you so make me blush..cheers pete
September 23, 2010 at 6:42 pm
>cheers kb…wouldnt that be wonderful to have the chance to walk back in time…wowthanks senderup..and as usual thanks for a great supportive commentoh moonies…you so make me blush..cheers pete
September 23, 2010 at 6:46 pm
>cheers steve..thats the point, scrape away the wallpaper and the past is there to be seenthanks belinda…you are so spot on about the lies..we do over romanticise things a bit dont we
September 23, 2010 at 6:50 pm
>thanks tuberider…certain words used were key to that feelhi ya beachanny…oh how i loved your comment…and yes i can so see that happening….cheers for that petecheers shashi…and that is so true…concrete poured on the past as we build build build
September 23, 2010 at 6:52 pm
>hi caribbean…many thanks for that wonderful commentexactly joanny..what have we buried..there is so much still there waiting to be discoveredhi claudia…thats exactly the point..learn about whats around you..be proud and see more into it than just concrete
September 23, 2010 at 6:58 pm
>thanks …i like wonderfully written..cheers RiikaInfinityycheers mama…yes a poignant memorythanks haisleyhi chris…would offer to put you up..but no room in the house with my hoards!! LOL
September 23, 2010 at 7:00 pm
>hi eric…but not the true albion…thanks for the commentcheers monkey manyou are so right john..each step has a story to tell..if only we open our ears and eyes to all thats gone before
September 23, 2010 at 7:02 pm
>cheers william..seem to be reflecting a lot these daysthanks carrie..thats a nice thing to sayhi Collective Epiphanies not only was that a spot on comment..i am glad it inspired you to look up the word albion..yes an old name for these lands
September 23, 2010 at 7:26 pm
>hi suzicate..thanks for the comment and what is rowan..a magical shrub/tree that druids use to make their staffs with…or is even used for dowsing..cheers petehi victoria…oh thanks for sharing that comment..i am so sorry..with regard to brittany..you were as good as much here…brittany is so called as little briton…they are more british than the british now…its where the britons fled to escape the romans…cheers pete
September 23, 2010 at 7:30 pm
>thanks sy..and when you do there is so much to enjoythanks ninotaziz..well saidcheers suz…i like thatthanks alex….
September 23, 2010 at 7:33 pm
>cheers pattiken…yes i know the song…very truehisfirefly..that sounds just devine…you are so blessed and i dont blame you…if only that were possible over herecheers poemblaze..thanks for the comment..stately is a good word to use
September 23, 2010 at 7:35 pm
>hi talon…you are tardy i am only half way through…i loved the way you commented with the modem and the problems we experience today whilst overlooking the past and whats gone before…cheers pete
September 23, 2010 at 7:43 pm
>I love going back to history and it's allures. Great oneshot and sorry i have been busy with work but couldn't miss stopping by yours. See you around Pete, don't make me come hunting 🙂
September 24, 2010 at 1:48 am
>I feel like I was actually walking those "paths no longer seen." Wonderful write!This reminded me of times I've hiked deep in the woods and found old remnants. Always intriguing, quite the mystery.
September 26, 2010 at 1:26 am
>I really love this poem. Sadly, sometimes we don't slow down enough to even notice the signs.
September 28, 2010 at 7:21 am
>Hi!!! I'm too busy… I miss reading…. Great one Pete!!!!!
October 4, 2010 at 4:35 pm
>a very beautiful poem pete.trishahttp://mydomainpvt.wordpress.com