Today's poet

[freckle]

The Tebay race is on the day that Gummers How is on in the evening. So you could come and spectate and have a wander round the Howgills then if you have time.

It is a beautiful spot.

That sounds like a great idea i'll see what's possible nearer the time Harry :-)

[freckle]

Just heard this on the radio. I really enjoyed this one:

As a child,
who may I say,
in all humility,
was something of a prodigy,
I learned an interesting fact.


Bumblebees can’t fly.


It’s just a bit of maths and physics
those tiny wings
simply can’t sustain
those bulbous bodies aloft.


Poor bumblebees fly on in ignorant bliss.


As a child,
who may I say,
with some remorse,
was something of a didact,
I took upon myself the task
of informing said bumblebees
of the error of their ways.


Creeping quietly up behind
I whispered facts and figures
and watched them plummet.


My mother,
caring soul,
but not wishing to inhibit
my enquiring
if somewhat callous mind,
(considering perhaps
a career as a teacher
or a preacher)
instead put up tiny signs
about the flowers
which simply said


“Dear bumblebees,
just jump and pray”

This is so sweet and funny ...nice one :-)

[freckle]

The great Sunday night sock hunt has begun here, lets hope the sock monster hasn't eaten too many this week! Anyway just enough time to post this lovely poem which I found in "Here to Eternity" An anthology of poetry by Andrew Motion (a book lent to me by HHH)...so thanks Harry!

I think there is something really enigmatic about it and I love the tone and imagery in the final verse.

The Stepping Stones
W S Graham

I have my yellow boots on to walk
Across the shires where I hide
Away from my true people and all
I can't put easily into my life.

So you will see I am stepping on
The stones between the runnels getting
Nowhere nowhere. It is almost
Embarassing to be alive alone.

Take my hand and pull me over from
From the last stone on to the moss and
The three celandines. Now my dear
Let us go home across the shires.



http://www.freedom-in-education.co.u.../celandine.jpg

[Harry H Howgill]

That is fabulous. I love that.

Just heard this on the radio. I really enjoyed this one:

As a child,
who may I say,
in all humility,
was something of a prodigy,
I learned an interesting fact.


Bumblebees can’t fly.


It’s just a bit of maths and physics
those tiny wings
simply can’t sustain
those bulbous bodies aloft.


Poor bumblebees fly on in ignorant bliss.


As a child,
who may I say,
with some remorse,
was something of a didact,
I took upon myself the task
of informing said bumblebees
of the error of their ways.


Creeping quietly up behind
I whispered facts and figures
and watched them plummet.


My mother,
caring soul,
but not wishing to inhibit
my enquiring
if somewhat callous mind,
(considering perhaps
a career as a teacher
or a preacher)
instead put up tiny signs
about the flowers
which simply said


“Dear bumblebees,
just jump and pray”

[Harry H Howgill]

That sounds like a great idea i'll see what's possible nearer the time Harry :-)

I am taking the rowing seriously mind you, despite planning to race Tebay too. ;-)

[N-dubya]

Hello all
cheers for setting up the simon thread frecks, clarified a lot of e mails i received cheers fro clarifying that other thing HHH. Here's one I wrote in retrospect of something that happened about 16-17 years ago.


I have seen the Rings of Saturn
from the window of a train, cue ball
sized limestone chippings, patternless
to the human eye - and brain.
Beige, off white and tonal greys.
I wonder: now, if there had been time
to count them on the idled carriage
in the countryside. Slowly with no intent
of haste the train pulls away; as it should
At first they blurred and then they fuzzed,
then a wobbling image like a child learning
to ride a bike...
Perfect stripes were rushing past,
leaving lingering trails like those
which hang in the night when you write
words with a sparkler.
For me, one less mystery and
the universe is a bit less darker.
You don't have to consider gravity
or account for the affects of space/time
curavature you can see the universe
from the comfort of British Rail furniture.

[Old Whippet]

Heard this on the radio earlier - didn't realise that John Cooper Clarke's classic was a remake...


Bloody Orkney
Anonymous
This bloody town's a bloody cuss
No bloody trains, no bloody bus,
And no one cares for bloody us
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody roads are bloody bad,
The bloody folks are bloody mad,
They'd make the brightest bloody sad,
In bloody Orkney.

All bloody clouds, and bloody rains,
No bloody kerbs, no bloody drains,
The Council's got no bloody brains,
In bloody Orkney.

Everything's so bloody dear,
A bloody bob, for bloody beer,
And is it good? - no bloody fear,
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody 'flicks' are bloody old,
The bloody seats are bloody cold,
You can't get in for bloody gold
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody dances make you smile,
The bloody band is bloody vile,
It only cramps your bloody style,
In bloody Orkney.

No bloody sport, no bloody games,
No bloody fun, the bloody dames
Won't even give their bloody names
In bloody Orkney.

Best bloody place is bloody bed,
With bloody ice on bloody head,
You might as well be bloody dead,
In bloody Orkney

Now...Here's Johnny!
the ****ing cops are ****ing keen
to ****ing keep it ****ing clean
the ****ing chief's a ****ing swine
who ****ing draws a ****ing line
at ****ing fun and ****ing games
the ****ing kids he ****ing blames
are nowehere to be ****ing found
anywhere in chicken town

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the ****ing scene is ****ing sad
the ****ing news is ****ing bad
the ****ing weed is ****ing turf
the ****ing speed is ****ing surf
the ****ing folks are ****ing daft
don't make me ****ing laugh
it ****ing hurts to look around
everywhere in chicken town

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the ****ing train is ****ing late
you ****ing wait you ****ing wait
you're ****ing lost and ****ing found
stuck in ****ing chicken town
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the ****ing view is ****ing vile
for ****ing miles and ****ing miles
the ****ing babies ****ing cry
the ****ing flowers ****ing die
the ****ing food is ****ing muck
the ****ing drains are ****ing ****ed
the colour scheme is ****ing brown
everywhere in chicken town

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the ****ing pubs are ****ing dull
the ****ing clubs are ****ing full
of ****ing girls and ****ing guys
with ****ing murder in their eyes
a ****ing bloke is ****ing stabbed
waiting for a ****ing cab
you ****ing stay at ****ing home
the ****ing neighbors ****ing moan
keep the ****ing racket down
this is ****ing chicken town

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the ****ing train is ****ing late
you ****ing wait you ****ing wait
you're ****ing lost and ****ing found
stuck in ****ing chicken town

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the ****ing pies are ****ing old
the ****ing chips are ****ing cold
the ****ing beer is ****ing flat
the ****ing flats have ****ing rats
the ****ing clocks are ****ing wrong
the ****ing days are ****ing long
it ****ing gets you ****ing down
evidently chicken town

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8waBTSkPxA
I love them both!

[Harry H Howgill]

So that pre dates ChickenTown does it? Interesting stuff.

I was once in the north of Scotland listening to the local radio where someone was complaining on air about the pronunciation of the word Orkney in the media. They were comparing the local pronunciation with the recieved BBC version and I for one was struggling to tell the difference between the two. This guy as getting more and more irate, and saying through gritted teeth over and over again: "No! It is pronounced ORKNEY, not ORKNEY.

Heard this on the radio earlier - didn't realise that John Cooper Clarke's classic was a remake...


Bloody Orkney
Anonymous
This bloody town's a bloody cuss
No bloody trains, no bloody bus,
And no one cares for bloody us
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody roads are bloody bad,
The bloody folks are bloody mad,
They'd make the brightest bloody sad,
In bloody Orkney.

All bloody clouds, and bloody rains,
No bloody kerbs, no bloody drains,
The Council's got no bloody brains,
In bloody Orkney.

Everything's so bloody dear,
A bloody bob, for bloody beer,
And is it good? - no bloody fear,
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody 'flicks' are bloody old,
The bloody seats are bloody cold,
You can't get in for bloody gold
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody dances make you smile,
The bloody band is bloody vile,
It only cramps your bloody style,
In bloody Orkney.

No bloody sport, no bloody games,
No bloody fun, the bloody dames
Won't even give their bloody names
In bloody Orkney.

Best bloody place is bloody bed,
With bloody ice on bloody head,
You might as well be bloody dead,
In bloody Orkney

Now...Here's Johnny!
the ****ing cops are ****ing keen
to ****ing keep it ****ing clean
the ****ing chief's a ****ing swine
who ****ing draws a ****ing line
at ****ing fun and ****ing games
the ****ing kids he ****ing blames
are nowehere to be ****ing found
anywhere in chicken town

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the ****ing scene is ****ing sad
the ****ing news is ****ing bad
the ****ing weed is ****ing turf
the ****ing speed is ****ing surf
the ****ing folks are ****ing daft
don't make me ****ing laugh
it ****ing hurts to look around
everywhere in chicken town

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the ****ing train is ****ing late
you ****ing wait you ****ing wait
you're ****ing lost and ****ing found
stuck in ****ing chicken town
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the ****ing view is ****ing vile
for ****ing miles and ****ing miles
the ****ing babies ****ing cry
the ****ing flowers ****ing die
the ****ing food is ****ing muck
the ****ing drains are ****ing ****ed
the colour scheme is ****ing brown
everywhere in chicken town

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the ****ing pubs are ****ing dull
the ****ing clubs are ****ing full
of ****ing girls and ****ing guys
with ****ing murder in their eyes
a ****ing bloke is ****ing stabbed
waiting for a ****ing cab
you ****ing stay at ****ing home
the ****ing neighbors ****ing moan
keep the ****ing racket down
this is ****ing chicken town

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the ****ing train is ****ing late
you ****ing wait you ****ing wait
you're ****ing lost and ****ing found
stuck in ****ing chicken town

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the ****ing pies are ****ing old
the ****ing chips are ****ing cold
the ****ing beer is ****ing flat
the ****ing flats have ****ing rats
the ****ing clocks are ****ing wrong
the ****ing days are ****ing long
it ****ing gets you ****ing down
evidently chicken town


I love them both!

[Old Whippet]

So that pre dates ChickenTown does it? Interesting stuff.

I was once in the north of Scotland listening to the local radio where someone was complaining on air about the pronunciation of the word Orkney in the media. They were comparing the local pronunciation with the recieved BBC version and I for one was struggling to tell the difference between the two. This guy as getting more and more irate, and saying through gritted teeth over and over again: "No! It is pronounced ORKNEY, not ORKNEY.

Aye - apparently it was a crap place to be billeted in the days of national service!

[Harry H Howgill]

Aye - apparently it was a crap place to be billeted in the days of national service!

I thought you were old, but not THAT old!