Talking About Poetry The Page Turners article in last month\u2019s What\u2019s On got me running, well ambling I don\u2019t run anywhere these days, to my bookshelf and a half of 1960\u2019s \/early 1970\u2019s poetry. I was mad keen on poetry at the time with my favourites being The Mersey Poets \u2013 Adrian Henri, Roger McGough and Brian Patten – with Patten being my Number 1. I still have their signed copy of the Mersey Sound <\/em>issued in 1967. In fact, in yet another recent clear out I came across my massive size poster of Patten\u2019s poem Spring Song<\/em>. I don\u2019t know what to do with the poster but I can\u2019t let it go. My wife Jude has refused for it to go on display. The poem begins \u201cI thought the tree was rather ordinary until yesterday when seven girls in orange swimwear climbed into its branches.\u201d You get the idea. He did write some children\u2019s poetry books too. Here is his opener from Gargling with Jelly <\/em>called Squeezes <\/em><\/p>\n We love to squeeze bananas.<\/em><\/p>\n We love to squeeze ripe plums.<\/em><\/p>\n And when they are feeling sad.<\/em><\/p>\n We love to squeeze our mums.<\/em><\/p>\n It was all groovy and fab in those days with people walking round with flowers in their hair (although not in my village) and as Scott McKenzie and the Flowerpot Men told us going to San Francisco. I did go to Carnaby Street once though! I couldn\u2019t afford any of the clothes so I caught the 60\u2019s vibe by buying a collection of poems called Its World that Makes the Love Go Round. <\/em>Yes, I have got the title right! How about this one from the collection by Alec Cornwell called Sociological Study 1: After Russell <\/em><\/p>\n God came down to Trafalgar Square<\/em><\/p>\n Preached Peace to the multitude gathered there<\/em><\/p>\n While quoting his sermon on the mountain<\/em><\/p>\n Four cops kicked him into the fountain<\/em><\/p>\n Saying, as they ducked his head:<\/em><\/p>\n \u2018This guy\u2019s a medieval beatnik red!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n Alongside Patten my second fave was Rod McKuen. I have 7 books of his. Here is a 1960\u2019s title of one of his books Listen to the Warm<\/em>. Now there\u2019s a 60\u2019s title if ever there was one. His book opens with \u2018If you cry when we leave Paris I\u2019ll buy you a teddy bear all soft and gold.\u2019 That got me thinking I could probably do as good as that so when I left home in 1969 to live in Germany and Spain I took with me an A4 empty book which stated on the front \u2018Supplied for the Public Service\u2019 below the Queens crown. (I had been an uncivil civil servant!) Two years later I had written over 150 poems. Do you want to read one? Come on you know you do! It\u2019s entitled A Very Simple Request During a Norwegian Prayer Meeting. <\/em><\/p>\n See that squirrel on the tree<\/em><\/p>\n Happy Happy as can be<\/em><\/p>\n See that squirrel on the tree<\/em><\/p>\n Make it, Make it, Make it me!<\/em><\/p>\n If you have you any idea what it is about let me<\/em><\/p>\n know. On second thoughts maybe Rod had something I didn\u2019t have. I have bought a couple of his LP\u2019s at car boots in the past. Let\u2019s put it this way his singing is an acquired taste and proved to be a taste I didn\u2019t wish to acquire. I had thought of compiling a book called 60\u2019s c**p poetry but realised mine were too bad to go in it!<\/p>\n I have to admit to readers in contrast to the above I also loved John Betjeman. It\u2019s not a guilty pleasure because I enjoy reading his poems and I am confessing that fact to What\u2019s On readers. I know lots of people made fun of him but in my eyes he could do no wrong. I love his poem Death of King George V <\/em>set to music by Jim Parker. Brilliant!<\/p>\n As my eyes glanced along our shelves I counted 7 books of Leonard Cohen\u2019s poems. Now we were, and are, big fans of Leonard. I digress here a bit but I never thought I would see him in concert but he came to the CIA in 2008. What me in tears never! Two hours plus of heaven. It\u2019s time to get our Songs of Leonard Cohen LP out again. Sing along everyone \u201cSuzanne takes you down to her place in the river\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n I will call a halt to my meanderings and wanderings through our poetry shelf- and a half. I can hear the What\u2019s On editors saying bring it to a swift conclusion Nige you have waffled on much too long. Before I sign off though I ought to say if there is a popular ground swell of positive comment (i.e. one person) I may do a follow up with meanderings through some of our 1960\u2019s vinyl albums.<\/p>\n So I will finish by sharing with you my favourite poem of all time. Spoiler alert. It\u2019s a bit heavy but I think appropriate for these uncertain times. The poem is by Steve Turner and it is called History Lesson. <\/em><\/p>\n History repeats itself.<\/em><\/p>\n Has to.<\/em><\/p>\n Nobody listens.<\/em><\/p>\n As the Wenvoe Page Turners said give poetry – and peace – a chance!<\/p>\n Nige Billingham<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Talking About Poetry The Page Turners article in last month\u2019s What\u2019s On got me running, well ambling I don\u2019t run anywhere these days, to my bookshelf and a half of 1960\u2019s \/early 1970\u2019s poetry. I was mad keen on poetry at the time with my favourites being The Mersey Poets \u2013 Adrian Henri, Roger McGough and Brian Patten – with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[334,421],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6cWjO-3ZR","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15284,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=15284","url_meta":{"origin":15367,"position":0},"title":"Read Any Poetry Lately","author":"Alan Williams","date":"11th March 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Read Any Poetry Lately? Have you read any poetry lately? Maybe not, as most people\u2019s memories of poetry feature sitting in a boring English lesson, analysing verses and rhythms and learning lines to quote in an upcoming exam. So, when the Page Turners elected to read some poetry for the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Items for March 2025"","block_context":{"text":"New Items for March 2025","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=420"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10254,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=10254","url_meta":{"origin":15367,"position":1},"title":"Sleepwalk on the Severn\/The House of Trelawney","author":"Alan Williams","date":"17th September 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"OFF THE SHELF Several members were away in July and so we discussed two books at our August Meeting. Sleepwalk on the Severn by Alice Oswald Oswald is a contemporary award-winning poet, and this was our first venture into poetry. The slim volume is one long poem set at night\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Off The Shelf"","block_context":{"text":"Off The Shelf","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=347"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3743,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=3743","url_meta":{"origin":15367,"position":2},"title":"Christmas Cards","author":"Alan Williams","date":"27th September 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 We are making the final selection of images for the Christmas Cards to sell this year! We\u2019re grateful to Roy Carr for his offer to supply the pictures from his extensive collection. The cards should be on sale in mid-October in packs of ten and priced at about \u00a33.50;\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wenvoe Community Hub"","block_context":{"text":"Wenvoe Community Hub","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13038,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=13038","url_meta":{"origin":15367,"position":3},"title":"Bring and Buy Sale!","author":"Alan Williams","date":"14th March 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"WOMEN\u2019S INSTITUTE January and February Meetings of Wenoe W.I. Wenvoe WI began the New Year in what has become something of a tradition for our members at our January gathering\u2013 a Bring and Buy Sale! This was an event, whereby members brought their unwanted Christmas presents, or any reputable items\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Womens Institute"","block_context":{"text":"Womens Institute","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=37"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6801,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=6801","url_meta":{"origin":15367,"position":4},"title":"John Sheen Talk","author":"Alan Williams","date":"10th December 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"It was a pleasure to welcome John Sheen for his third and final talk. This talk was entitled \u2018Christmas Crackers\u2019 and was divided into twelve separate items representing the twelve days of Christmas. We enjoyed a selection of poems, prose, a joke, a mini quiz and a very funny recipe\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Tuesday Group"","block_context":{"text":"Tuesday Group","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=43"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5441,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=5441","url_meta":{"origin":15367,"position":5},"title":"Behind-The-Scenes of the RNLI","author":"Alan Williams","date":"6th January 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 The story in last months WWO about our local lifeboat crews and stations was just to whet your appetites about the local RNLI. Most of you will have viewed BBC2\u2019s programme \u201cSaving Lives At Sea\u201d about the day-to-day work of the RNLI but I thought it\u2019d be a bit\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Interest Articles"","block_context":{"text":"General Interest Articles","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=334"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15367"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15367"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15367\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15368,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15367\/revisions\/15368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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