NEW MALDEN WRITERS: TO THE LIBRARY

Photograph Phil Hall

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When you come out of New Malden station, turn left and walk along the pavement. Then cross the road at the central reservation carefully. Just beyond the Bingsu Cafe, you’ll see Methodist Church, and there’s a beautiful mosaic outside with a cross in different colours.

Inside, it’s humming. The walkers are there. The ping pong group. They’re selling jam. A large group of ladies, probably retired, is sitting together and chatting. A wooden plaque says King Charles was here. I think it was in 2023. The volunteers are serving coffee and tea, always with a smile and chat.

The Iraqi men sit together around the corner, from the counter, and you can see the High Street from the big glass windows, and watch how large articulated lorries try to navigate and reverse out of the tiny side street.

There’s a bereavement group, there’s a cancer support group. There’s a group that gets together and plays board games, and there’s John sitting in the corner making jokes. Eighty-five, and he looks as if he’s fifty-five. He never put salt in his food or oil or anything sweet, and doesn’t eat anything unhealthy.

Walk through the church. See the stained glass windows and the huge organ at the end. And, there is a woman with blonde ringlets playing the compositions of her husband, a Moldavian composer.

Push through the doors to the kitchen. And there you have the Writers’ Group sitting on comfortable chairs around tables. They greet each other, and are drinking coffee and getting settled down. Joy and Tom bring mints. It’s time to kick off.

We always start with John and Patrick. And that’s what we’re going to do now. Here are two poems on New Malden, God, and libraries.

Phil Hall

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TO THE LIBRARY

Turn right at the top of my road
Opposite church of England’s Church of Christ
The petrol station boarded up, will be
One, two and three bedroom luxury flats.
Carry on towards the railway bridges.
That estate agent once sold Benson and Hedges

There are eleven purveyors of property
Between here and the Fountain roundabout.
And plenty of places to eat, nine Korean,
Two of each Chinese, Indian, Italian
Not to mention McDonald’s and Nando’s
Where everyone goes these days

There are three betting shops, a gambling arcade,
Eight charity shops. A travel agent that used
To be called Dai Yung Travel, they changed
the name to Hana Tour.

By the station, two giant Lego towers
Mostly empty, they are building more
At the other end of the High Street
Flats, some will be ‘affordable’.
Pass the methodist coffee shop and church
They have a colourful congregation

Who on Saturdays sing praises
To jesus by St George’s Square.
The once impressive police station
Is now a weatherspoon’s. Cheap beer.
Two small cop shops built to replace it
Will themselves soon be gone.

Turn right down the Kingston Road
Past the environment Centre
Which was once the public toilets.
On the way you will pass the Aston Clinic,
You can get Osteopathy, Herbal Medicine,
Acupuncture, Nutrition Therapy, Massage and reiki,

Chiropody, Allergy Testing and Nambudripad’s Allergy
Elimination Techniques, Kinisiology, Counselling,
Homeopathy, Reflexology, Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy

When you reach St. Joseph’s Church
Cross the street, you are at the library

The last book I borrowed was The Evolution of God

John Grant

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JOIN THE LIBRARY

Let me see sir
you wish to join the library
you state that your name
is God
also known
as Jehovah, Yahweh
sovereign of the universe
the all powerful
Lord of Lords
and others
but you do not have any
proof of identity?
yes I can see that
you have a halo
and can do miracles
thanks for that
my pain is cured
but no sir, please sir
do not get agitated
And do not threaten
library staff with
those winged heavies
standing outside
and plague and pestilence
showers of frogs fire
brimstone and treacle
they would damage
our book stock
and no sir
the four horsemen
of the Apocalypse
had to fulfil the
same conditions
do you have a
council tax statement
or a driving license
or a passport
and
no sir we
do not have
an original copy
of the Dead Sea Scrolls

but
as it is sadly
closing time sir
could you please come back tomorrow sir?

Patrick McManus

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