Today's poet

[Mossdog]

I've been thinking about the spirit of fell running theme, so I trawled through a thread or two for some inspiration. All I've done is edited some lines slightly and added a couple of my own. By no means a finished piece - haven't really decided what form it might take really - but I thought you might like some of the comments, and even add some too. Take it and run with it.

The Spirit of Fellrunning

Just turning up at a race, paying a few quid, and running
Borrowing a pair of shoes off a stranger to race in
New races starting, old ones dying
Waiting for the hounds to come in before setting off
“Race you to the top of that hill and back lads”
Helping on a Bob Graham leg for someone you don’t know
Just being in the mountains.
It takes me back to beinga boy- just me and my dad
Giving it your all, getting covered in mud
At odds with a risk adverse society
Juniors disappearing, come back at 40
A desire to lose oneself in the hills – whether by design or not
It isn’t all about the racing – the racing has changed, the running hasn’t
Whether the sport grows, withers or dies – that doesn’t matter. All that matters is that the fells will always be there for those who appreciate them
A sense of place, of territory, or the connection between man and the land, the fact that you discover something new about the country, and yourself, each time you run.
Feeling naked amid your surroundings. Free from the world.
I can be on my monday morning meat wagon to Central London, close my eyes and see myself bounding over Green Gable
A tasty post-race, post-bath glass of Laphroig.
The welcoming attitude that all of you show to new members
Running solo in the hills. How can that not be free spirited?
The isolation, the beauty, the slightly bonkersness of it
Sometimes fast, sometimes slow; sometimes alone, sometimes with company.
No barriers for anyone who wants to take the sport up.
The people - competitors, organisers, supporters - are welcoming and friendly

What a brilliant idea HHH - a kind of collage of remarks, comments, thoughts, observations- and it really works. Thanks. Another one for me to print off and pin to my office wall - I think my colleagues are becoming a bit worried by the poems 'decorating' my office likes strings of buddhist prayer flags.

[Harry H Howgill]

What a brilliant idea HHH - a kind of collage of remarks, comments, thoughts, observations- and it really works. Thanks. Another one for me to print off and pin to my office wall - I think my colleagues are becoming a bit worried by the poems 'decorating' my office likes strings of buddhist prayer flags.

Hi Mossdog

We can all add to this further. (For a bigger flag.) Some of the others did last night. I've been thinking about some more additions today. Still not sure about the final format, but Freckle's Prose Poetry might come out top.

• Whatever your job, we are all fellrunners in the hills
• Running past someone in full winter gear: crampons, ice axe, the lot. And I'm wearing shorts!
• No pins, no toilets
• No entry fee and no prizes
• Flagging the course, racing it, then picking up the flags again
• The fast and the slow, everyone cheering on everyone else in a straight up and down race

more later

HHH

[Old Whippet]

through inky darkness
paclite petzl pissing down
ends a crazy day



* other lighting and waterproof products are also available.

[Harry H Howgill]

through inky darkness
paclite petzl pissing down
ends a crazy day




* other lighting and waterproof products are also available.

I'm glad you tried alliteration for petzl rather than rhyme!


Luck! ran dry.
Clear at first, rain later.
Luck ran dry.

[Mossdog]

Inspired by a very, very, wet w/e just over the border. I'm going to have to return to these beauties as they were rather chastely concealing their favours from us. But a magnificent fell running landscape nonetheless.


hail strafed Moffats Hills
pounding footfalls on bronze bent
mist clad trig triumph!

[Old Whippet]

[QUOTE=Harry H Howgill;274430]I'm glad you tried alliteration for petzl rather than rhyme!

Yep, and I certainly don't want to fall flat on my assonance.

I even tried cheating Harry - results below.

Words and phrases that rhyme with pretzel: (9 results)

2 syllables:
detzel, etzel, hetzel, kaetzel, netzel, petzel, stetzel, wetzel, whetzel

looks like I'd need to be more on top of my Hebrew to make this work.

By the way, our instigator Freckle asks me to tell the poetry world that her internet is down tonight.
Looks like we are on our own!

[Harry H Howgill]

[quote=Old Whippet;274440]

I'm glad you tried alliteration for petzl rather than rhyme!

Yep, and I certainly don't want to fall flat on my assonance.

I even tried cheating Harry - results below.

Words and phrases that rhyme with pretzel: (9 results)

2 syllables:
detzel, etzel, hetzel, kaetzel, netzel, petzel, stetzel, wetzel, whetzel

looks like I'd need to be more on top of my Hebrew to make this work.

By the way, our instigator Freckle asks me to tell the poetry world that her internet is down tonight.
Looks like we are on our own!

ha ha ....Cheating? That's not cheating. That's called poetic inspiration.

That looks like tonight's challenge. What the hetzel is a wetzel anyway?

[Harry H Howgill]

ha ha ....Cheating? That's not cheating. That's called poetic inspiration.

That looks like tonight's challenge. What the hetzel is a wetzel anyway?

Quoting oneself is the way to madness, but...

Wetzel grid a direct-reading chart for evaluating physical fitness in terms of body build, developmental level, and basal metabolism.

So now we all know.

[Old Whippet]

[QUOTE=Harry H Howgill;274451]

Quoting oneself is the way to madness, but...

Wetzel grid a direct-reading chart for evaluating physical fitness in terms of body build, developmental level, and basal metabolism.

So now we all know.

just as I thought.

[Harry H Howgill]

With Freckle not here tonight, someone's got to be in charge of posting some e e cummings....

in time of daffodils(who know
the goal of living is to grow)
forgetting why,remember how

in time of lilacs who proclaim
the aim of waking is to dream,
remember so(forgetting seem)

in time of roses(who amaze
our now and here with paradise)
forgetting if,remember yes

in time of all sweet things beyond
whatever mind may comprehend,
remember seek(forgetting find)

and in a mystery to be
(when time from time shall set us free)
forgetting me,remember me