Cannon Street Railway Bridge

five rows of pillars

divide the brown Thames,

channel the blue-and-white

back-and-forth boats,

bear the tracks,

the traffic and racket of trains

each pillar is fluted

like Doric chiton -

each thick

as Atlas’ thigh -

each colour-corroded,

banded with the tides’ levels

gulls float past them

(backwards)

unconcerned -

cormorants duck-dive

into the murk between their feet

capitaled by concrete utility,

bracketed by Drake’s Gold Hind

and Southwark’s cheerful filigree,

five rows of pillars

divide the brown Thames