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Tag Archives: Simon Armitage

Curtain, New Jigsaw and A Poem

I’ve made the curtain for the back door today to hang on the new rail put up last week.

We have a new jigsaw, a present from my lovely Mr S’s brother at Christmas. It is a street map of the part of London where they grew up. We’re not sure if it’s going to be very hard as so many pieces look alike or easy because the road names are all so familiar. I’ll let you know.

I love this poem by Simon Armitage, so few words that tell the whole story. It is taken from his collection, ‘Dwell’ inspired by The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

 
 

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Chicken, Bee, Bug Hotel and An Extract

After a fabulous choir session this afternoon, there were many things to make me smile at the garden centre, first a quirky pottery chicken hiding among some plants.

The place was full of bees and I loved this one with its back end so laden with nectar as it gathered more from a rhododendron.

In the middle of the plant area was a splendid bug hotel which reminded me of one of the poems in Simon Armitage’s new book, ‘Dwell’. In Insect Hotel, he imagines the insects writing their comments in the visitors’ book. Here are a few lines. It’s worth finding the whole poem as it will make you too  smile.

 

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Knitting, Narcissi and A Poem

Our niece had a baby recently so I’ve made some Sally-boots for our Grand niece, her big brother having had some a couple of years ago.

Yesterday’s wild wind blew some of our front garden narcissi off their stalks.

The poet laureate, Simon Armitage has written about the Ukraine invasion. The link is an article in The Guardian about him.

 

Resistance
It’s war again: a family
carries its family out of a pranged house
under a burning thatch.

The next scene smacks
of archive newsreel: platforms and trains
(never again, never again),

toddlers passed
over heads and shoulders, lifetimes stowed
in luggage racks.

It’s war again: unmistakable smoke
on the near horizon mistaken
for thick fog. Fingers crossed.

An old blue tractor
tows an armoured tank
into no-man’s land.

It’s the ceasefire hour: godspeed the columns
of winter coats and fur-lined hoods,
the high-wire walk

over buckled bridges
managing cases and bags,
balancing west and east – godspeed.

It’s war again: the woman in black
gives sunflower seeds to the soldier, insists
his marrow will nourish

the national flower. In dreams
let bullets be birds, let cluster bombs
burst into flocks.

False news is news
with the pity
edited out. It’s war again:

an air-raid siren can’t fully mute
the cathedral bells –
let’s call that hope.

Simon Armitage

 

 

 

 

 
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Posted by on March 13, 2022 in craft, nature, Peace, Photography, poetry

 

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National Poetry Day, A Walk, A Poem and Optimism

It’s National Poetry Day today and you can read and hear our Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage’s  new poem written for today, an uplifting one about communication in the time of Covid – Something Clicked

We followed a new walk this morning through woods and lanes, leaves, streams and livestock! Join us along the way. Click on any photo in the gallery for the bigger version. Underneath is another poetry gem for you, reflecting on the changing season. It seemed right for today to go with our walk.  Thanks, Kim.

From ‘Uncovering’ 2013 by Kim Ridgeon

It’s October 1st and here is this month’s help chart from Action for Happiness. Print it out and be optimistic! Optimists have more fun!

There’s the first full moon of this month tonight but, sadly,  it is hiding behind the clouds.

 

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Beach Sign, Bullfinch and A Poem

We need one of these on every beach.

The bird feeder has been busy. Look carefully at the second photo to see the departing Goldfinch.

The following poem, “I am very bothered” by Simon Armitage was one much enjoyed by the teenagers I used to teach. It touched something in them.  I was pleased to hear that he is our new Poet Laureate.

I am very bothered when I think
of the bad things I have done in my life.
Not least that time in the chemistry lab
when I held a pair of scissors by the blades
and played the handles
in the naked lilac flame of the Bunsen burner;
then called your name, and handed them over.

O the unrivalled stench of branded skin
as you slipped your thumb and middle finger in,
then couldn’t shake off the two burning rings. Marked,
the doctor said, for eternity.

Don’t believe me, please, if I say
that was just my butterfingered way, at thirteen,
of asking you if you would marry me.

 
 

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