Friday 14 February 2014

Daffodils and a death


Last week it was snowdrops - today it's daffodils in flower despite the dreadful winds and teeming rain. A Welshman through and through, my father was always very upset if we didn't have daffodils out in the garden by Dewi Sant (St. David's Day, March 1st); well, ours aren't that far advanced as yet but seeing a whole clump of them in full bloom in a border in Shurdington this morning just made my day.

But yesterday I heard the news of the death of another Welshman, Nigel Jenkins, the acclaimed poet, author and academic who I was privileged to be tutored by on a course at Ty Newydd eighteen months ago. Quite apart from his literary talents - and his wonderful voice (listen to his reading of his poem "Creation" on You Tube!) - he was a lovely, funny, generous person. On our course he led a walk up Tre'r Ceiri, the Iron Age hill fort at the top of the Llyn Peninsula; the weather was typical of  North Wales in August with bursts of rain and mist swirling all around us, but it was the most incredibly atmospheric walk you could imagine. I shall always remember him sitting on his haunches as he ate his picnic, back to what remained of the wall of a 2000 year old homestead, admonishing us to look at and to really feel our surroundings - it engendered some very powerful writing. Thank you for all your encouragement, Nigel, may you rest in peace.

Monday 10 February 2014

In haste

Far from being a "filler", my poems on postcards project appears to make up the bulk of my writing at present! Just now, for me, is one of those times when life bites your bum and nothing constructive gets done.  The harder I try to fit everything into my day, the more spills over into tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow ..... so a few lines or a mini-saga are about the limit writing-wise.

St. Therese of Lisieux




 
A caged bird, cloistered
with your flock of sisters,
your only flight path
soaring plainsong
on a vapour trail of incense.

France and florists I can understand - 
but the patron saint
of aviators? 


(Copyright Gill Garrett 2014)