“A Town Called Yesterday” by Rob MacWolf (read by Crimson Ruari)

Speaker: 00:00:04

listening to The Voice of Dog,

Speaker: 00:00:06

and today’s poem

Speaker: 00:00:07

is by Rob MacWolf,

Speaker: 00:00:08

who thinks cloaks should come back into fashion,

Speaker: 00:00:11

and you can find more of his stories on his SoFurry page

Speaker: 00:00:13

and his bad jokes on Twitter, @GuyWhoWroteThis.

Speaker: 00:00:17

Today’s poem will be read for you by Crimson Ruari,

Speaker: 00:00:20

the Mountain Smith.

Speaker: 00:00:22

Please enjoy “A Town Called Yesterday”,

Speaker: 00:00:27

a poem by Rob MacWolf

Speaker: 00:00:33

It was somewhere in the riverlands I found it by the shore,

Speaker: 00:00:36

A town lit just with christmas lights. I’d swear I’d been before.

Speaker: 00:00:40

The sun was down, the tide was out, the wind was in the west.

Speaker: 00:00:44

And since it looked so peaceful there,

Speaker: 00:00:45

I sat me down to rest.

Speaker: 00:00:49

An old man sat beside me and he spoke up “Hoi there, son.

Speaker: 00:00:52

Of all the places in the world, your way led to this one?

Speaker: 00:00:56

Well son you’re fuckin lucky then, s‘not many find their way, To the town called yesterday.”

Speaker: 00:01:03

Cause in the town called yesterday there’s no rent coming due,

Speaker: 00:01:06

And if you’re feelin hungry there’s a hot meal there for you.

Speaker: 00:01:10

And there’s a place that’s waitin’ there, for you, and one for me

Speaker: 00:01:13

Where sunset sinks into the sunset sea.

Speaker: 00:01:17

He said to me “Come walk the streets a while and take the air.

Speaker: 00:01:21

You’ll find that it’s the sweetest that they’re breathin’ anywhere.

Speaker: 00:01:25

And if you need a place to lay your head, don’t be distressed,

Speaker: 00:01:28

My sofa’s old, but comfortable, if you should need a rest.”

Speaker: 00:01:33

“I hope that you enjoy it.

Speaker: 00:01:35

For you won’t be staying long.

Speaker: 00:01:36

This is the town of yesterday: tomorrow you’ll be gone.

Speaker: 00:01:40

Young folk do sometimes visit, but they don’t know how to stay Within the town of yesterday.”

Speaker: 00:01:48

And in the town of yesterday policemen are unknown,

Speaker: 00:01:51

And who you are and who you love’s no business but your own.

Speaker: 00:01:55

There aint no jails, no student loans. There everybody’s free

Speaker: 00:01:58

As moonlit clouds above the silver sea.

Speaker: 00:02:02

The old man said “You’ll be all right. Your road ahead is long.

Speaker: 00:02:06

There’s many turns you’ve yet to make.

Speaker: 00:02:07

Some of em will be wrong.

Speaker: 00:02:10

And life is gonna change you as it leads you on your way Back to a town called yesterday.”

Speaker: 00:02:17

For in the town of yesterday nobody is bereaved.

Speaker: 00:02:20

Tis there you’re reunited with everyone you’ve grieved.

Speaker: 00:02:23

I hear it’s got another name, but I prefer to say That it’s the town of yesterday.

Speaker: 00:02:29

It’s many a road that’s changed me. It’s many a mile I’ve trod. It’s many a man I’ve met bowed down before the wrath of god.

Speaker: 00:02:36

But I remember christmas lights, that light a seaside town.

Speaker: 00:02:40

So no matter how wrathful, no god could grind me down.

Speaker: 00:02:44

And now I am an old man.

Speaker: 00:02:46

The road I left behind When somewhere in the riverlands a town I chanced to find.

Speaker: 00:02:52

So son you get back on the road, and someday find your way Back here to the town of yesterday.

Speaker: 00:02:58

And life is gonna change you fore you’re ready to return.

Speaker: 00:03:02

But here’s a place prepared for you that you’ve no need to earn.

Speaker: 00:03:06

The road ahead of you is long, so stay the night with me Where stars reflect off of a quiet sea.

Speaker: 00:03:16

This was “A Town Called Yesterday”

Speaker: 00:03:19

by Rob MacWolf,read for you by Crimson Ruari,

Speaker: 00:03:22

the Mountain Smith..

Speaker: 00:03:25

Thank you for listening to The Voice of Dog.