Artist

Alexander Averin

Thursday 7 October 2010

National Poetry Day







I have to post a poem today don't I?  It's National Poetry Day so I thought I would show you the second prize in the Mslexia competition,  (the first prize-winner is in yesterday's post).  This one  is also a wonderful poem and was written by Stephanie Norgate.



The Table


It was the round world of tea.
It had a pedestal foot of mock walnut.
It had been pulled under the bramley
on the lawn which became lawnless
where cow parsley and dock held
the grasses in their sway. It was
a plate of drips from the apple twigs.
Like Hardy’s clocks and carpets and chairs,
it was out on the lawn all day and then for years.
It was a flat world of peeling veneer
near the safe hedge of elders and elms.
It offered nasturtium salads and peppery remarks,
flawed like the internal specking
of the Bramleys, with their sepia stains.
Among the campions and apple blossom,
it glowered and mouldered and glowed,
a greening pool in a green light suspended
among nettles, its circle just visible
shadowed by the pink gold towers of dock.
When we slapped down cards, the green world
trembled and wobbled on its carved stem.
I want to lean my head on the ribboning surface,
and ask, Grandad what do you hear?
I want to unfreeze his ear from the trench
and see him listen again to the shelling of beans,
the downy shucks’ light fall on the table.
I want the people back who stood between me
and death with their unlocked doors.
Table, float them back to me
up the slope from the stream, through
the hogweed, past the bare bean poles,
till they’re back under the bramley with you.
Let your curved drawer stick as it used to,
the handle gripped in their tired hands,
then wrenched open and free.


Stephanie Norgate



Poetry
Alphonse Mucha 1860-1939

7 comments:

Irene said...

That convinces me all the more that I'm not a poet.

Toni aka irishlas said...

What a lovely poem.
I'm with Nora, I'm not a poet, but, I do love to read it. I truly wish I could recite it, too. Can't do that either!

Love the header!

Posie said...

What beautiful words Cait, a very earthy, comforting poem. I love Beryl Cook's paintings, so full of character.

ds said...

Lovely poem. Thank you for sharing (could see the whole scene, laid out).

CAMILLA said...

This is such a wonderful poem Cait, just adore the descriptive words. Thank you for sharing.

xx

Susan Moorhead said...

I am trying to remember what I was doing on the 7th rather than remembering it was NPDay...if my head wasn't on my neck...

Susan Moorhead said...

Oh, yes, and GORGEOUS poem.