Spontaneous Poetry written at Barewall on World Poetry Day

Barewall welcomed The Goldenhill Writers on World Poetry Day 2019.

They were almost the Golden Girls twice yet for a singular male who clearly enjoyed the company of females.

Their day was made up of observing artworks, selecting a particular piece and thereby sharing their reactions to it with a fellow poetic pal. This gave plenty of activity in the gallery, followed by a quiet industrious hum.  I discovered them bent over eagerly writing their poems about their selected work. They were kept in time form by a very disciplined and well humoured Mary Bennett, who asked them to each read aloud their efforts which was commented on by the group, often with a sharpe wit - clearly the group knew each other very well and have great fun.

It appears they meet regularly at various venues around the area, and I can recommend a visit from them to any of the Stoke on Trent cultural venues should be encouraged. I felt very honoured to have them on such an important date in the calendar.

Here are some of the poems which were written on the day, Thurs 21 Mar 2019, aka #WORLDPOETRYDAY:

 True Grit, a poem by Sarah Aktar inspired by a painting by Geoffrey Wynne RI. 

True Grit  

 

Braces holding trousers, on the working man.

Flat caps, straight or jaunty, finish off the look.

Sunday morning, pals together

Time to chat, swap stories.

Cabbages are sprouting, pigeons missing, Vale victorious.

 

Wives are busy laundering, cooking Sunday roast.

Children playing happily, this is time for US.

Sun is shining, bees are buzzing,

Rows of beans need hoeing.

Glass of home brew fortifies us all.

 

Work will come on Monday, six a.m. at pithead.

Down below, toil for hours, stop for snappin’, start again.

Hours later, daylight beckons.

Wash the dust and grime away.

That’s tomorrow, this is OUR day..

 

Sidney, Percy, Stanley, Jim

Cyril, Bill and Arthur too.

 

Inspired by the painting True Grit by Geoffrey Wynne