Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is the great survivor – the real deal in an age of passing music stars. Often incomprehensible, often mumbling, often surreal, he has carved his own legend.
Thanks
Slow slips the sun
Slow Slips - a rhyme with sound and music. Life becomes time, and new lives replace old lives. But relax: it isn't posh poetry. By John Pritchard.
I smelt you in the air tonight
The devastating loss of a loved one. But relax: it isn't posh poetry. By John Pritchard.
Sapper Smith is Resting Now
The story of a (fictitious) British soldier killed in Afghanistan – a total of 453 were killed during the 13 years of official conflict (2001-2014. It highlights the sacrifices made, the fighting skills of the Afghans, and the inability of foreigners to conquer Afghanistan. Hopefully this is done in a way that does not disrespect any of the participants. The words are set against a blues soundtrack.
Her Beauty Surrounds Us
The joy of believing – and letting those beliefs surround us with warmth and light. It may be unscientific and trite, but why not?
Sweet lady of the Silent Night
Another over-sentimental piece – the warmth of mother’s love. Caring and tender; helping us sleep safe at night. The rhyme equivalent of comfort food…..
Sweet Wondrous Youth
An over-the-top declaration of love from an older man to his younger companion. In a nineteenth century style. Oscar Wilde is the inspiration. He was arrested at the Cadogan Hotel in 1895 (in room no. 118). He was found guilty of ‘committing acts of gross indecency with other male persons’, and served two years hard labour.
Butterfly Beauty
A butterfly lives for only two months. So it is a case of transient beauty. But all human beauty is similarly transient and ephemeral (although it may last for years, not two months). Hence ‘all beauty is briefly bright – a trick of nature’s light’.
Just For You
A love poem – but not one from a man or woman. From the ultimate best friend. Yes, it’s over-sentimental – but who cares?
Quiet Flows my Blood Tonight
I like the mystery of the opening line (‘Quiet flows my blood tonight’). But it is a story of undergoing major surgery 10 years ago, and being alive because of the blood donor – and medics in the NHS - who made that surgery possible. So it is a celebration of 10 borrowed, special, years. And the choice of Puccini as the accompanying music is super-corny….
That God-damned Spot
Children are sometimes told that if they have a spot on the tongue it is because they have a told a lie. That is why small lumps on the tongue are often called ‘lie-bumps’. So this is the tale of a husband who puts that childhood knowledge to use.
The Golden Hour
The Golden Hour is the hour before and after dusk (and also before and after dawn), when the light is soft and tinged with colour. It is when the daytime animals settle down – and when nocturnal animals begin to hunt. It is a time of peace, transition, and soft, magical, light.
You Can Eat All Day In Heaven
Over-eating is todays curse – for many Westerners it is the ‘new smoking’. But what if you do eat all day in heaven? Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Or not?