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Thursday 21 February 2013

NED


This poem is from "A Belfast Kid" available in paperback from all major online booksellers.....

We would go to the old man,
children in awe, to ask him questions
and off he'd go with a story,
true or false, we didn't care.

He had his way with words,
inflections and drama,
whispers and facial expressions,
measured blinks, scary stare.

The bottom step was our place,
where five or six kids sat,
he perched on the top step,
smelly pipe and floppy hat.

Stories of childhood, of school, of war,
told by the man we knew as Ned,
but reality hit us hard one summer,
when we heard our storyteller was dead. 

We would go to the steps, children in grief,
and picture the man alert but frail,
he left us suddenly but he left us a gift
a love of language, a love of a tale.

Wednesday 20 February 2013

MANTEL PIECE

Hilary Mantel,
the novelist
has the nation's plebs
feeling pissed.

She had a pop
at the Duchess of Cambridge
at which the picky Press
took muchess of umbrage.

She analysed Kate
from head to toe,
not very flattering,
so what do you know?

The Hilary Hooters,
cheered the diatribe,
and jumped to defend
their precious scribe.

And what does 
the Duchess make of it? 
I reckon she couldn't 
give a 

Monday 18 February 2013

RICHARD BRIERS

You were George Starling in Marriage Lines,
The narrating voice of Roobarb,
You were Tom Good in The Good Life,
And Fiver in Watership Down.

In Ever Decreasing Circles
you were Martin Bryce and then,
several years later as Hector
it was Monarch of the Glen.

You gave us comedy, you gave us drama,
you were always a joy to acclaim,
in radio, TV and theatre
you were always on top of your game.

But alas we hear of your passing,
and sad though it is, this is true,
you were the best of the best Richard Briers,
we salute you in a final adieu.