New Hungerford Bridge, The

What was tense, narrow and dark
stands now as an everyman vision of the future.

The river it spans was once fearsome, tidal,
unpredicatable. Now tamed, it lies flat,
allows two more strips to be laid across its back
and waits still, calm, its banks admired.

On the bridge a tourist stands with his back to Parliament.
Holding their palm sized camera his girlfriend curses the crowds
blocking their created image.

Under them a boat goes by -
its tannoy announcing points of interest
as children struggle with their ice-creams.

At night, on the South Bank looking across,
the new bridge is just one more in a line of lights

and above them the sky is orange.