24 Minutes

I was born 24 minutes away by train,

As a child I watched Crossroads.

The Villa were champions of European football,

Industry declined as free trade arrived.

Time passed on by and the child, well he grew,

Still the train took 24 minutes.

Governments came and Governments went,

Overlooked every time, investment elsewhere.

My heritage, my home, tied up in the landscape,

Like the jungle of concrete and a quarter of jewels.

The metro did come, still 24 minutes away,

The child had now grown; into an adult.

Employment arrived under the tower of BT,

From the streets to the city.

With a spring in his step,

When his shift finished, still 24 minutes away.

The man now matured, content and now married,

Looking around, at the places he coveted.

He sees problems for sure; but a certain kind of romance,

In Europe's youngest city, still 24 minutes away.