Harbour Nights

At dawn the sky brewed dismal grey,

relentless rain moved in to stay,

all day the heavens wept with grief.

From terraced tiers my eyes glance down

through window glass I view this town

by night festooned in fairy lights.

Returning home are fishing boats,

while anchored craft are now afloat,

high tide within old harbour walls.

All Brixham's jewels are on display,

in witching hours a grand array,

this inner basin sparkles bright.

Without a doubt, at dark this place

brings forth a smile upon my face

out come the ghosts of ages past.

Reviews

[Jibey]

Brixham is certainly a busy fishing village - though I guess less busy that it once was. I used to live further east along the Devon coast and the fishing boats were registered in Brixham. I have a feeling that the place probably looks better at night than in the cold light of a grey day - and you capture the magic of the dark hours in this pleasingly reflecting poem.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Jibey. I am very fond of Brixham, but have to agree with you. At night it becomes magical with a great sense of history. I can very easily look out on the harbour at nightfall for hours. Love it at its twinkly best.

Thank you for your visit.
Chris

[andrew mitchell]

You have some lovely places over in the United Kingdom Chris. Out come the ghosts past, indeed they do. Lovely write.

[Chris Shaw]

Brixham is a small fishing town in the west country. I love it there. Thank you for giving this one an airing Andrew.

Chris

[andrew mitchell]

Im a fan of Doc Martin so i just love those coastal towns.

[Chris Shaw]

I am also a fan of Doc Martin which is filmed in Cornwall. Brixham is in Devon, which is the next door county. Very similar though in its coastal outlook and beauty.

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Chris... even our town has a ghostly feel with church steeples and their bells... especially at dawn by the Rappahannock River where George Washington our first President lived as a boy. We walk the streets and take a horse and buggy ride to imagine what life was like more than a hundred years ago. Love the ambience of your poetry. truly, Pat

[Chris Shaw]

Dear Pat, thank you for sharing your history. I would love to take a ride on that horse drawn buggy and see what life was like a hundred years ago by the Rappahannock River. What a wonderful name. It has such a ring to it. Many thank yous for giving this old poem an airing and reminding me of a much loved haunt which is currently on hold. I hope I can visit again later in the year. All good wishes and love.

Chris

[CLR9]

I love the nautical theme here. I live in a place where I can smell the salt in the sea air. i love it. Good work. Please keep writing more.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you for your lovely review. Pleased you enjoyed the read.

Chris

[Fay Slimm]

I was there at Brixham last weekend Chris and your verse captured the whole experience - a place with much interest and still busy with coming and going of visitors - sat on the harbour in warm winter sun and after reading your poem I was there once again. My thanks for this delightful display of its many attractions.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Fay. I hope you enjoyed your visit last week-end. Brixham for me becomes magical at night, but it's pretty swell by day too. Plenty of interesting history.

Chris

[Ted Kniffen]

Beautiful setting Chris, I could picture Brixham quite clearly in your words and the somewhat dismal weather that makes the evening lights more enjoyable. It reminds me of watching a snowfall with the lights of town shining through the flakes.

A good descriptive write.

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks Ted. You are right about the contrast. Grey and dismal by day and twinkly lights at night. Delightful in the dark. Appreciate your visit.

Chris

[Jimmy Yetts]

Starts out a bit bleakly; covers a delightful panoramic view and ends up conveying great charm--including
friendly, vintage apparitions.
An elegant ride, Chris!

[Chris Shaw]

Yes Jimmy. Tried to get some contrast in here. Pleased you picked up on that. Those twinkly lights at night, very mesmerising to look at. Makes the place enchanting. Thank you for your review.

Chris

[Coyote Poetry]

I love the old Port cities. The sound of life, the sea. I enjoyed your thoughts. Made me wish for a long vacation at Monterey. Thank you Chris for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Coyote for such a thoughtful and encouraging review. Know that you are appreciated. All good wishes.

Chris

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome dear Chris.

[emmajoy]

' All Brixham's jewels are on display, ~ in witching hours a grand array, ~ this inner basin sparkles bright.

A gentle, nostalgic yet memorable poem, you've caught the character of Brixham so well. Am inclined to think of most seaside places as beautiful with stars or lights or both hurtling streaks of silver here there and everywhere! Love it.. for some reason your poem makes me think of every day Christmas decorations.

[Chris Shaw]

Hi Em. Yes at night Brixham does look very much like Christmas. Beautiful and sparkly. Thank you so much for your visit. Hope all is good in your world. I have a new grandson, so we are very busy as a family and thankful for our new family addition.

Chris

[emmajoy]

Congratulations by the dozens!! How wonderful to have a new baby in your family... oh my, yes, yes, YES! Hope all's well with mummy, dad and of course, the wee star himself. Smiling for you.

Bro jack and his darling Holly married on Fri so a much needed sweetness for all the Greens.

[Chris Shaw]

Some very welcome news for your family too. Nothing like a good wedding to bring everyone together. Much happiness to the Greens:)

[emmajoy]

It's dribbling in amongst the excess food and fallen petals and.. and.. and.. Smiling ..

[Eilis]

My daughter and I have started taking walks after dark. I was just thinking last night how much more alive to everything around me I feel when walking out at dark. There’s just something about the dark. It makes the senses sharper.

I haven’t an inkling what Brixham is like in real life, but your poem brings a charming harbor village to life for me. I love harbor villages for the way they bring two worlds together. You’ve captured that for me here.

It’s a lovely, vibrant evening moment captured for posterity in verse. Really enjoyed the reading.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Eilis. Brixham by night is magical and I feel sure other places are too. Take away the people when it is late, late, late, add fairy lights and then you have something quite mesmerising. I can sit looking at this view for hours from a window. Never tire of it.

Chris