Wilderspool Causeway

Drink was flowing by the River Ember
under placid skies above Island Barn Reservoir
where The Bell was surrounded by Alsatians
scattered on burnt grass in black and umber,
fresh from the water to kettle their masters.

North of the Esher Sewage Treatment Works
in sterile upmarket bars away from Imber Court,
where the only reason to live is just beyond Seething Wells
to the east, the Met Police gathered on San Miguel
to march through Molesey with tazers and tannoys

beyond Queen Elizabeth Storage, escorting themselves
to a local derby at Walton & Hersham, keeping the frisks
in-house, removing each others’ bottle tops
for water filled by Our Lady of Lourdes.

Will we be stranded at Walton-on-Thames
by the Engine River’s low diesel water course,
or cross ourselves over to D’Oyly Carte Island
to revise some police standards in cooling air,

wafting minor chords into barbecue smoke
or Stadbury fires off Weybridge Landing.

In our absence of geography and support,
no-one knows we’re here, or likes us – we don’t care –
wasting our resources in the shade of diseased willow
in among the backwaters, under a sun flare.

We could go home or follow the Godalming navigation
all the way down to the boarding kennels
of Peper Harrow in drifting daylight
over Hurtmore and Shackleford, or arrive
at an obscure part of inland Hampshire – Frith End
or Wrecclesham, wait at Birdworld and hitchhike
up the A31 and A3 to cross the Orbital for home.

The Met Police have neither a geographical base nor supporters (well only very, very few), yet manage to compete consistently at a high level. They have a local derby with Walton and Hersham, but I wondered what this would be like, considering the lack of fans. It may be a rare occasion whereby police effectively escort themselves, their own hardcore ‘firm’ from Thames Ditton through Molesey to Walton-on-Thames, aided by Alsatians and police vans. Then afterwards, how would they relax? I pictured them gathering on a Thames island for a singsong, and maybe following the Godalming navigation down to an obscure part of Hampshire…police officers need a relaxing day off before crossing back over the M25.