Carriage Ride

© 1988 Steve Macdonald

Move, carriage, light
Past tall streetlamps, bright
No moon be seen;
Red taillights dimly gleam

The clatter of hoof on cobblestone
The rider’s path be not known
The soft kiss of whip and rein
While passing gutters filled with rain

Tall stovepipe hat
Thick folds of cape, black
Dark, misty night
Creatures avoid the light

A snort and steam from foaming lip
Strains to avoid a lick of the whip
He huddles away from the wet
Hurrying for someone future met.

Instrumental

The clatter of hoof on cobblestone
The rider’s path be not known
A snort and steam from foaming lip
Strains to avoid a lick of the whip

Move, carriage, light
Past tall streetlamps, bright
Fog rises, grey
All sight fades away


This song attempts to capture a singe moment in time; in London, late 19th century. Time is transitional; we are always moving from one moment to the next; and most time spans do not hold their own resolutions.