Welsh writing in English

When I’m old, I’ll say the summer
they built the stadium. And I won’t mean

the council. I’ll be hugging the memory
of how, open to sun and the judgement

of passing eyes, young builders lay: (past tense of to lie down) were lying horizontallylay
golden and melting: 1 making soft or liquid (by heating); 2 (colloquial) becoming emotionally or romantically tender or submissive melting on hot pavements,

the toast: 1 made brown by exposure to heat 2 a very admired or popular persontoast of Cardiff. Each blessed: fortunate, happyblessed lunchtime
Westgate Street, St. John’s, the Hayes

were lined with fit: (slang) extremely good looking, synonymous with ‘hot’ meaning ‘very attractive’fit bodies; forget
the jokes, these jeans were fuzz stretched tight

over unripe peaches. Sex objects,
and happily up for it: (slang) agreeable, readyup for it. When women

sauntered: wandered or strolled at a leisurely pacesauntered by, whistling, they’d bask: 1 lie in comfort, especially in warmth or sunshine; 2 enjoy and take great pleasure inbask
in warm smiles, browning slowly, loving

the light. Sometimes they’d clock: (slang) observe or notice clock men
looking them over: examining someone or somethinglooking them over. It made no odds: didn’t make a significant differencemade no odds;

they never got mad; it was too heady: excitingheady
being young and fancied and in the sun.

They’re gone now, all we have left of them
this vast concrete-and-glass mother-ship

that seems to have landed awkwardly
in our midst. And Westgate’s dark

with November rain, but different, as if
the stones retain heat, secret impressions

of shoulder-blades, shallow cups,
as sand would do. The grey façade: the front of a buildingfaçade

of the empty auction house, three storeys
of boarded windows, doesn’t look sad,

more like it’s closed its eyes, breathing in
the smell of sweat, sunblock, confidence.