Left To My Own Devizes

The start of the season & another poem from Chris Goldsmith to add to the collection!

Another Cruising season starts
in Newbury, my home town.
Thirty locks upto the summit
Then there's four locks going down

Benham lock, the Butty fits in
Less by judgement, more by luck,
Now we've got an extra crewman
on the fore end sits a duck!

Pushed off line at tail of Copse Lock
Boats conjoined, oh dearie me,
Stem to stern. Just one thing for it
Have to cut the fender free.

Will we ever get to Kintbury?
Wedged in Drewalt's, side by side
Can't go forwards, can't go backwards
'Cos the butty's just too wide

Hungerford, it's Wednesday morn
Saint Georges Day, but no one knows
Early morning trip to florist
Come back sporting a red rose

Many locks 'twixt here an Crofton
Have reduction paddle gear
Sixty turns to raise and lower
you should hear me curse and swear!

Past Wootton Rivers in the rain
Then on to Honey Street
Where Mr Gibson has a dog
That will get underneath my feet.

Friday Lunchtime. Here's Devizes
At the wharf I meet a friend
Move to boats to get a mooring
Then it's Lunch, and Journeys' End.