City of Poetry

It's quite a steep walk up to the city centre from Sheffield's railway station, but the route is interesting, passing through part of the campus of Sheffield Hallam University. Some of the buildings have artwork and poetry on them, which is rather nice. The Owen Building holds these lines by the former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion; 'What If..?', written in 2007 for a literature festival. 

   "O travellers from                                                                    

     somewhere else to here,                                                          

     Rising from Sheffield Station                                                   

     and Sheaf Square

     To wander through the 

     labyrinths of air,

     Pause now, and let

     the sight of this sheer cliff                                          Your thoughts are like

     Become a priming-place                                            this too: as fixed as words

     which lifts you off                                                       Set down to decorate

     To speculate                                                              a blank facade

     What if..?                                                                   And yet, as words are too, 

     What if..?                                                                   all soon transferred

     What if..?

                                                                                       To greet and understand

     Cloud-shadows drag                                                 what lies ahead - 

     their hands across                                                     The city where your

     the white;                                                                   dreaming is repaid,

     Rain prints the sudden                                              The lives which wait

     darkness of its weight;                                              hidden as yet, unread."

     Sun falls and leaves the 

     bleaching evidence of light.

And this is in the Winter Garden. I couldn't find the author but some sterling detective work by John at the wonderful http://bystargooseandhanglands.blogspot.com/ has identified this as a poem called 'Twinned with Mars' by Roger McGough. Thanks, John.