Creative Words @ the Haven, Six Poets and A Green Thought

We focused on two poems by the wonderful Brian Patten this week - A Blade of Grass and Garden Lore.

His website gives samples of his poems and is well worth exploring:  www.brianpatten.co.uk

The theme of jewels cropped up again in Garden Lore which mentions the birthstone for each month of the year.  Maybe I should get some ...

Here is the opening stanza of the first poem -

A BLADE OF GRASS

Brian Patten   b. 1946

You ask for a poem.

I offer you a blade of grass.

You say it is not good enough.

You ask for a poem.

Here are some of the responses:  

Inspired by “A blade of Grass” by Brian Patten

 Green Poem

Dorothy Greenhalgh

They say that this is a poem that’s green

But I have seen them when

They are pale and dying

They are not at their best

But then, when green,

They are trying to live -

And I feel that they are trying

To stay with the rest.

A Gift of Nature - A Smile

Helen Crook

Alchemy of passion, genetics and love,

A connection made and united in a moment.

The lips that kissed then, murmur quietly now

Given without consequence; it is transferred.

Encouraging the expression not altered by time,

The infant smile, pure and unprejudiced. 

The Lawn’s Lament

Sue Davies

Oh no, here he comes again,

Why me?

Wouldn’t you have thought

He could find somewhere else to wee.

I am becoming shrivelled and brown

and there is nothing I can do.

My brothers and sisters around me

all feel the same way too.

Oh Ted, I know that

is your name;

for she calls you and asks if

you want to play a game.

Please leave me alone

and let me be,

Why, oh why, don’t you go

and find a tree.

Inspired by “Garden Lore” - Brian Patten
It starts:

Who will take care of this garden, who will nurture it?

'I will,' said January.

'I will anchor it to the earth with snowdrops.

I will give it my stone, the garnet.'

Twelve

Hilary Robinson

For Twinks who likes rhyme and rhythm

January

Game foxhounds sing in the short afternoons

Ice on black puddles crack loud with horse hooves.

Cold owls shriek too-whit too-whit too-whoo

Frogs sleep tightly under the frozen pool.

February

Green leaves uncurl in the dark roots of trees,

Snowdrops and primroses feel at their ease

Shrug their shoulders and begin to awake.

Ducks fly plaintively over murky lakes.

March

Rabbits and squirrels rush fast out in the sun

Hares spring up boldly and look for sex fun,

Boxing games, fists up, romps on the good earth -

Who’ll give up, belly flop and run off first?

April

Badgers climb out of their yuck winter's lair

Cuckoos torment and hide in thin air.

Scuttling hedgehogs dive wild across roads,

Fools beckon in shadows to crying toads.

May

Wifely, “Cast not a clout till May is out.”

Thrushes, sparrows, chaffinches, blackbirds shout,

“Our nests are built and our eggs are all laid.”

 But the cuckoo has come and made his raid.

June

Columbines dance to a slow fairy tune,

Roses smell so sweet in their fullest bloom

Longest day elderflowers shake in fear

Is it down, down, down the rest of the year?

July

Buzzards mew piercing the deep, deep blue sky

Ripe berries make chutney, jelly and pie,

Apples stored lovingly, hay in the lofts

Golden Rod, Poppies red, silky and soft.

August

Midges bite hard and horse flies are crazy,

Sun burns the skin and we all feel lazy.

Corn fields grow quickly and ripen daily

Wheat turns golden and then whitens palely

September

The big red moon wanes and harvests are done

Days grow shorter and weaker grows the sun.

Twittering swallows come and fly away

Swifts disappear, gone in a day.

October

The hunter moon looms and the winds grow chill

Grey shadows spread over the purple hill.

Cubbing begins and the horses grow fit

Wood is collected and fires are lit.

November

Fireworks bang, crash and light up the sky

Catherine wheels spinning and rockets fly high.

Frost etches glass panes and whitens brown grass,

Wild geese scream and excitedly pass.

December

Wrens and robins look wistful but still sing,

Carols are chanted and church bells we ring.

Christmas stars gleam in the wintry night

Mistletoe, holly, ivy, love and light.

Garden Magic

Hazel Pope

An hour a day at least

To keep the weeds at bay

And increase the production line by sowing seeds

Against the day when frost and rain

Change ephemeral summer veg

To sprouts and sprouting broccoli and kale.

So this is supposed to be a daily drudge.

Which I enjoy.  It's thinking time,

Observing time. I tidy edges with a spade,

Turn up a gem.  A shard of something made

So many years ago.  A blue chinese person with a fan.

Behind, a  bridge. A token tree- the pottery curves

A broad segment.  I try to imagine

A jug, a bowl, quite large.

This shard, a gem.