“… How Empty Are Thy Branches!”

by Paul Tristram / December 22nd, 2024

In the Ticket Area and large Entrance Way
of Neath Train Station, decades ago…
before surveillance cameras let ‘The Man’
watch and monitor our every movement
… they would erect a Christmas Tree.
No-one, including myself, took any notice
… the entire Town being fully decorated.
Until one year, when a gang of us
(all delinquents), speeding on Dexedrine
and drinking from cider flagons,
walked through the doors to catch a train
over to Swansea to scrap and chase girls
… and saw a large group of spectators.
They were all gossiping and pointing
at the quite pathetic looking fir tree…
which, besides a cardboard sign hanging
from its bent top… was completely bare.
It read, and I quote “Sorry about the state
of the tree, the decorations were stolen,
but we absolutely refuse to take it down”
… we laughed, everyone there laughed…
and it even made the Neath Guardian
newspaper the following week,
for the very first time in living memory.
People still talk about it, it’s the only year
that has that privilege… it’s now become
a part of folklore, and is said to represent
the good people of Neath themselves…
who are Notorious for Fight and Defiance.

Paul Tristram is a widely published Welsh writer who deals in the Lowlife, Outsider, and Outlaw genres.  He wrote his first poem as a teenager following his release from the (Infamous) Borstal ‘HMP Portland’, and he has been creating Literary Terrorism ever since.
His novel “Crazy Like Emotion”, collection of shorter fiction “Kicking Back Drunk ‘Round The Candletree Graves”, and full-length poetry collection “The Dark Side Of British Poetry: Book 1 Of Urban, Cinematic, Degeneration” are published by Close To The Bone Publishing and can be purchased here https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/PaulTristram/author/B0CSZCF8NK

Paul Tristram is a widely published Welsh writer who deals in the Lowlife, Outsider, and Outlaw genres.  He wrote his first poem as a teenager following his release from the (Infamous) Borstal ‘HMP Portland’, and he has been creating Literary Terrorism ever since.  His novel ‘Crazy Like Emotion’ is available to purchase right here . Also his collection of shorter fiction Kicking Back Drunk ‘Round The Candletree Graves' is available to purchase at https://bookgoodies.com/a/B0DFMTSR4F Both books are published by Close To The Bone Publishing. Read other articles by Paul, or visit Paul's website.

This article was posted on Sunday, December 22nd, 2024 at 8:00am and is filed under Poetry.