Yesterday & Today: 7th March

Something of a varied day yesterday, the highlight probably being the evening’s North Yorkshire Stanza meeting which to my mind was one of our best for a while, with a collection of stand-out poems. My Villanelle, “The Schooner”, went down particularly well – mainly because they’re so hard to write! I think you get kudos just for getting to the end in one piece…!

The Schooner

when through the fog the spectral ship appeared
silent before us on the running tide
torn sails spoke of the stormy seas she’d steered

on deck those ghostly pallid faces peered
as we fell mesmerised and open-eyed
when through the fog the spectral ship appeared

legend said this old schooner should be feared
and though such myths and legends often lied
torn sails spoke of the stormy seas she’d steered

as yellowed and gently swaying lamps neared
our shouts rippled out from the harbour-side
when through the fog the spectral ship appeared

on point the splintered figurehead now reared
her cannon-blasted features gaping wide
torn sails spoke of the stormy seas she’d steered

then rumour spread of how she had careered
through our scattered foes on the running tide
when through the fog the spectral ship appeared
torn sails spoke of the stormy seas she’d steered

In addition to that, I managed a full read-through of Crash, plus some work on both Tilt and “C”, and bits and pieces relating to tomorrow’s Ripon Writers’ Group and the retreat starting Saturday at which I’m mentoring.

Today is ‘social Tuesday’ of course, so a morning’s residence in the library followed by ‘Write-on Ripon’ after lunch. Then, because I’m mentoring for a fair chunk of next week, I’m also chairing the (virtual) Derby Stanza this evening (a week early). These are always really entertaining!

So what will I be up to in the library and when back in my study? To various degrees: Tilt, “C”, working on material for the retreat starting Saturday, and polishing my piece for tomorrow’s ‘Ripon Writers’ Group’ which is an exercise entitled “One Poem to the Tune of Another” – in my case this has involved taking a John Betjeman poem (“The Cottage Hospital”) and ‘reimagining’ it in the style of either Dylan Thomas or WH Auden. At the moment both doors are open…

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