Hi everyone. Another varied and enjoyable meeting with lots of excellent poetry and great readings. As usual, the conversations explored many aspects of poetry and our reactions to it. I found it exceptionally lively today and I'm sure you did too. Ralph and Jane were unable to come along but we welcomed two new members, Chis and Vicky.

Here are the poems we chose.

I read Coal Picking, Broomhill by Ian McMillan

Irene read The Distance by Eleanor Farjeon

Nancy read This Is The Server by Felix Dennis

Felicity and Chris read I Sit beside The Fire by JRR Tolkien

Lynn read Rain by Don Patterson

Vicky read Diary of a Church Mouse by John Betjeman

Carol read The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear

Dave read Under 14 by Ian McMillan

Margaret read Call Me World by Roger McGough

Sue read FOP (BUT NOT READY TO DROP) by Henry Normal

Catherine read The Laboratory by Robert Browning

As ever my thanks to you all

Our next meeting is on February 18th at 10.30

Ian McMillan's poem is republished in 'COAL Poems Prose Photographs'

published by smith/doorstop

The Poetry Business, Campo House, 54 Campo Lane, S1 2EG

Irene's poem was from She Will Soar, poems by Women; Ed Ana Sampson MacMillans Children's Books

A companion volume She Is Fierce Brave, Bold and Beautiful was also discussed.

Coal Picking, Broomhill

We are bending over
like men after shellfish
We dart like birds
in the hard November sun.
I have left the riddle 
by a frozen puddle
and we are digging

The field is turned over,
riddled, left to freeze;
there is nothing here.
A dozen police vans
rumble down the road
towards Cottonwood.
A man throws his shovel
on the stiff ground,
the harsh wind clutches at us.
we say nothing,

yet still my daughter
insists on waking at four
in clenched blue darkness

and downstairs we build
on the floor before dawn
using bricks, people, books, anything

Ian McMillan
Reproduced by permission of the author