An Ode to a Seaside Town - a poem by Rowan McCabe

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This poem is part of a selection of local poems written by poet Rowan McCabe as part of his residency at The Word, National Centre for the Written Word.

Rowan McCabe was Poet in Residence at The Word from February – May 2019. During this time, he explored what South Shields means to local people by visiting local landmarks and areas, speaking with the public and recording his own experiences.

Using words from the Word Bank of Lost Dialects, Rowan has created seven poems about his experiences.

THE POEM:

An Ode to a Seaside Town

Hello and welcome to South Shields,
where skies are filled with seagulls squeals,
where market traders flog their wares
and kids play dodgems at the fair.
Where mouth of Tyne meets open sea,
where Souter Lighthouse guards the quay,
where dogs gan akka on the sands
past happy couples holding hands.

I was born in this seaside town
and I've heard people put it down,
they snide and turn their noses up,
point to shops that have been shut.
But I have travelled far and wide
and my heart still swells with pride
when I come back to this fair place
to feel the sea breeze on my face.

Sandhaven beach is paradise,
its golden sands stretch past the eye;
Minchella's ice cream can't be beat,
their coffee matches Italy's.
The Great North Runners triumph here,
The Steamboat pub does proper beer,
there's Colman's famous fish and chips,
The Word, the parks, an endless list.

I won't deny that times are hard,
the cuts were deep, I've seen the scars,
there's many battles left to fight,
injustices we need to right.
But from Roman forts to smoke and pits
the people here have strength and grit
and one they can always boast
is the sunrise dawning on the coast.