Today's poet

[Old Whippet]

Just came across this - as part of daughter No. 3's GCSE English Lit studies. Wish we had stuff like this in 1979

John Agard - Half Caste

Excuse me
standing on one leg
I’m half-caste.

Explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when Picasso
mix red an green
is a half-caste canvas?
explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when light an shadow
mix in de sky
is a half-caste weather?
well in dat case
england weather
nearly always half-caste
in fact some o dem cloud
half-caste till dem overcast
so spiteful dem don’t want de sun pass
ah rass?
explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean tchaikovsky
sit down at dah piano
an mix a black key
wid a white key
is a half-caste symphony?

Explain yuself
wha yu mean
Ah listening to yu wid de keen
half of mih ear
Ah looking at yu wid de keen
half of mih eye
an when I’m introduced to yu
I’m sure you’ll understand
why I offer yu half-a-hand
an when I sleep at night
I close half-a-eye
consequently when I dream
I dream half-a-dream
an when moon begin to glow
I half-caste human being
cast half-a-shadow
but yu must come back tomorrow
wid de whole of yu eye
an de whole of yu ear
an de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yu
de other half
of my story.


Better still - listen to the man himself do the honours....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eJSEfA63_k

[Harry H Howgill]

Just came across this - as part of daughter No. 3's GCSE English Lit studies. Wish we had stuff like this in 1979

John Agard - Half Caste

Excuse me
standing on one leg
I’m half-caste.

Explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when Picasso
mix red an green
is a half-caste canvas?
explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when light an shadow
mix in de sky
is a half-caste weather?
well in dat case
england weather
nearly always half-caste
in fact some o dem cloud
half-caste till dem overcast
so spiteful dem don’t want de sun pass
ah rass?
explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean tchaikovsky
sit down at dah piano
an mix a black key
wid a white key
is a half-caste symphony?

Explain yuself
wha yu mean
Ah listening to yu wid de keen
half of mih ear
Ah looking at yu wid de keen
half of mih eye
an when I’m introduced to yu
I’m sure you’ll understand
why I offer yu half-a-hand
an when I sleep at night
I close half-a-eye
consequently when I dream
I dream half-a-dream
an when moon begin to glow
I half-caste human being
cast half-a-shadow
but yu must come back tomorrow
wid de whole of yu eye
an de whole of yu ear
an de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yu
de other half
of my story.


Better still - listen to the man himself do the honours....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eJSEfA63_k

That is brilliant. I'd be interested to hear what the piece of work she had to do about it.

[Old Whippet]

That is brilliant. I'd be interested to hear what the piece of work she had to do about it.

I'd be interested too!!! Getting details from a teenage daughter about school work is like getting blood from a stone! It's on the current curiculum amongst a few other modern poets.
Turns out Daughter No2 is familiar with Simon Armitage and has seen him and is quite pleased at the idea of her PA being possibly used for the man himself!
I do know that in recent years, the poets have appeared together at Newcastle City Hall as they tour the land performing to school students. Armitage, C A Duffy, John Cooper Clarke and many others mentioned in despatches. Whilst I think a lot of what they curently learn is shallow exam orientated stuff, the English Lit seems more engaging than in my day and all the better for it.

[Stef F]

Love is:

The indescribable
Knowledge
that is totally
Unconditional

To put it in words I'm
Incapable
to capture the feeling is
Impossible

It is a thing that I
Treasure
hold in my soul and
Nurture

Now that I've found it I
Cherish
And know that it's mine
Forever

[Old Whippet]

Love is:

The indescribable
Knowledge
that is totally
Unconditional

To put it in words I'm
Incapable
to capture the feeling is
Impossible

It is a thing that I
Treasure
hold in my soul and
Nurture

Now that I've found it I
Cherish
And know that it's mine
Forever

I do like the shape of this Stef. Seems like you'll float around the next race on some kind of fluffy cloud! Good to see you content.

[Stef F]

I do like the shape of this Stef. Seems like you'll float around the next race on some kind of fluffy cloud! Good to see you content.

Thanks OW

A fluffy cloud....must give this a try - no races planned until the Saunders in July

I hope he isn't stuck in China

[Old Whippet]

Thanks OW

A fluffy cloud....must give this a try - no races planned until the Saunders in July

I hope he isn't stuck in China

Probably tunnelling home as we speak.


Defying hell, high
water and volcanic dust
Haiku star returns

[Stef F]

Probably tunnelling home as we speak.


Defying hell, high
water and volcanic dust
Haiku star returns

Thank you

[Harry H Howgill]

I'd be interested too!!! Getting details from a teenage daughter about school work is like getting blood from a stone! It's on the current curiculum amongst a few other modern poets.
Turns out Daughter No2 is familiar with Simon Armitage and has seen him and is quite pleased at the idea of her PA being possibly used for the man himself!
I do know that in recent years, the poets have appeared together at Newcastle City Hall as they tour the land performing to school students. Armitage, C A Duffy, John Cooper Clarke and many others mentioned in despatches. Whilst I think a lot of what they curently learn is shallow exam orientated stuff, the English Lit seems more engaging than in my day and all the better for it.

It does sound more interesting than what we had to do at GCSE. I wasn't inspired towards any literature or poetry by it at all.

[freckle]

Just came across this - as part of daughter No. 3's GCSE English Lit studies. Wish we had stuff like this in 1979

John Agard - Half Caste

Excuse me
standing on one leg
I’m half-caste.

Explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when Picasso
mix red an green
is a half-caste canvas?
explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when light an shadow
mix in de sky
is a half-caste weather?
well in dat case
england weather
nearly always half-caste
in fact some o dem cloud
half-caste till dem overcast
so spiteful dem don’t want de sun pass
ah rass?
explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean tchaikovsky
sit down at dah piano
an mix a black key
wid a white key
is a half-caste symphony?

Explain yuself
wha yu mean
Ah listening to yu wid de keen
half of mih ear
Ah looking at yu wid de keen
half of mih eye
an when I’m introduced to yu
I’m sure you’ll understand
why I offer yu half-a-hand
an when I sleep at night
I close half-a-eye
consequently when I dream
I dream half-a-dream
an when moon begin to glow
I half-caste human being
cast half-a-shadow
but yu must come back tomorrow
wid de whole of yu eye
an de whole of yu ear
an de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yu
de other half
of my story.


Better still - listen to the man himself do the honours....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eJSEfA63_k

i really like this...elegant