Hiraeth: the meaning…..

Its not just longing
Its belonging
Its beckoning
Calling
Rejoicing
Singing
From and in and to the hills
And Vales
And Wales.

Its Knowing
In the heart land
Be coming home
Wanting
Yearning
Burning
From and in and to.

Its memory
Fading
And awake
Remembering
The small and tiny
Pebbles on a beach
A summer peach
And speech
The preach of pulpit
From and in and to.

The beauty of a Blue
A mist
A time
Our time
The chime of Llandaff bells
Falling fading
River wading
Waters cascading
The drizzle of a drizsling
Singing gently gently
From and in and to.

The dark deep
Of a Forest sweep
The hollow steep
The hollow weep
Of gathering night
A last  ing sight
Before the flight
To sleep
From and in and to……

Vern September song 2018

Meet the Poets: Susan Wallace.

                                                   Susan Wallace

Susan enjoyed poetry at school but then got distracted by other things for about fifty years.

During these decades she has taught and researched in the UK and overseas; published more than a dozen works of non-fiction; edited Oxford’s Dictionary of Education; and is currently Emeritus Professor of Education at Nottingham Trent University.

She admires particularly the work of Larkin, Betjeman and U.A. Fanthorpe. 

Her own poetry, which  has been published in a number of journals and anthologies, has been described as  ‘neatly faceted and rich in slant rhyme.’

St Mary Magdalene Church, Lincoln, UK.

English: St Mary Magdalene. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The event at St Mary Magdalene Church  by Pimento Poets accompanied by the Hungate Singers on Sunday 2nd November, was a considerable success.

A 'full house' were treated to some beautiful singing and poetry all commemorating the First World War.

Meet the Poets: Vernon Goddard

                                                                 

                                                                    Vernon Goddard


Vernon is Welsh, married, a grandfather and currently living in Nocton. His poetry is mainly about childhood, places he has lived, people he has met. His current themes are around memory, relationships, family and the passing of time.

He has worked in education as Teacher, Lecturer, Principal of Cowbridge Community College and Director of Dyffryn Conference Centre and Botanical Gardens. Towards the end of his career he joined Lloyds Bank as Senior Manager, Operations, running its Management Centre in Surrey. At the time of the merger with TSB he ran all their Training establishments at Kingswood, Solihull, Telford and Guildford. At the time of retirement, on Millenium night, he project managed the Year 2000 operation for the Bank.

His favourite poets are John Clare, T.S.Eliot, Dylan Thomas, John Betjeman, and Ted Hughes.

The Pimento group of poets has been an ideal  platform for developing and expanding his work and the further understanding of the nature and purposes of the written word.

Meet the Poets: The Pimento Poets….at the Drill Hall, Lincoln - 25th October, 2014.

Paul , Sue, Nic, Vernon, Susan, John and Maureen......performing for Pimento poets....at the Drill hall as part of the Sound Festival, Lincoln.....

This Sunday: 2nd November at St Mary Magdalene Church starting at 3.00 pm…...

SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER,  3.00 - 5.00pm                                                         

(including interval with tea & cake)

‘Long Time Passing’ – A Century of Wars

PIMENTO POETS with HUNGATE SINGERS

At  ST MARY MAGDALENE CHURCH, BAILGATE,  LINCOLN  LN1 3AR

(on the corner of Castle Square, near the Tourist Information Centre) 

An afternoon of Poetry & Song including popular songs from WW1 & WW2, folk songs and original poetry from Pimento Poets’ new book, ‘Long Time Passing’.

No need to book, just come along!   Retiring Collection.

Meet the Poets: Maureen Sutton.

Meet the Poets: Maureen Sutton.


Maureen has been organising poetry and folk events for many years in the Lincoln area and is a founding member and leading light in the Pimento poets group.


She is well known as a public speaker, folksinger and broadcaster.

Maureen has had numerous poems published in local and East Midlands poetry magazines. She has also had three books published on Lincolnshire folklore: We didn't know Owt was short-listed for both first and second edition for the Catherine Briggs Memorial Prize. Another of her books is A Lincolnshire Calendar. For many years she has been published in Lincolnshire Life Magazine.

She has contributed to our last two anthologies: Voices from the Deep and Long Time Passing, a century of Wars.

Pimento Poets perform at the Drill Hall Lincoln: SATURDAY 25th October, 2014

SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER,  10.30 - 12noon

LINCOLN DRILL HALL, Freeschool Lane, LINCOLN,  LN2 1EY

part of SONOPHILIA sound festival

Readings from ‘Long Time Passing’, plus Amie Slavin’s sound installation, ‘Other Ranks’, marking Remembrance Month in this First World War Centenary year.

www.sonophilia.co.uk 

Tel. Lincoln Drill Hall,  01522  873894 

An opportunity to hear the latest poertry from Pimento poets. Members will read from their latest publication: "Long Time Passing".

Selections from Paul Mein, Maureen Sutton, Nic Lance, Vernon Goddard, Susan Flower, John Malvert and Susan Wallace with an opportunity to question the poets about their work.

Long Time Passing - a century of wars.

World War I Daily Mail Official War Photograph, Series 21, No. 165, titled "The last state of Morval". The obverse carries the following information: "Passed by Censor" and "The Germans had turned this village into a veritable fortress. Our victorious soldiers found it in this terrible condition." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

'Long Time Passing - a century of wars',  is a collection of poetry by members of the Pimento Poets in Lincoln.

It is edited by Nic Lance and Susan Wallace and contains poetry by Maureen Sutton, Susan Flower, Susan Harr, Colin Mason, Paul Mein, Nic Lance, Gerry Miller, Celia McCulloch, John Malvert, Vernon Goddard and Susan Wallace.

Pimento Poets will be performing some of this work during Autumn at various venues around Lincolnshire. Please see a previous posting for details. You are welcome to join us in our commemoration of the First World war.

Copies of the book are available to purchase at the Pimento Tearooms, 26-27 Steep Hill, Lincoln LN2 1LU

Pimento Poets' Events : Autumn 2014

PIMENTO POETS' EVENTS     AUTUMN 2014

WEDNESDAY 15 OCTOBER,  2.00 - 4.00pm

‘War Stories...’

SPILSBY THEATRE, Lincolnshire, as part of WOLDS WORDS FESTIVAL

Church Street, Spilsby  PE23 5DY

In E. Lincolnshire, between Horncastle & Skegness

Pimento Poets perform poignant war stories from their latest book ‘Long Time Passing’, reflecting on 100 years of wars since 1914 – from the Munitionettes on the Home Front to WW1 trenches, from D-Day to drones.  This dramatic story-telling begins with a previously unpublished first-hand account of WW1 which takes place just 22 days after the start of the war on the western front.  More stories gradually unfold and transport you...

Tickets online from www.woldswords.org.uk  via Event Brite and your tickets will be emailed to you.  

or  Tel.  07917 758008   (Mon- Friday, 9am to 5pm)

SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER,  10.30 - 12noon

LINCOLN DRILL HALL, Freeschool Lane, LINCOLN,  LN2 1EY

part of SONOPHILIA sound festival

Readings from ‘Long Time Passing’, plus Amie Slavin’s sound installation, ‘Other Ranks’, marking Remembrance Month in this First World War Centenary year.

www.sonophilia.co.uk 

Tel. Lincoln Drill Hall,  01522  873894 

SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER,  3.00 - 5.00pm                                                         

(including interval with tea & cake)

‘Long Time Passing’ – A Century of Wars

PIMENTO POETS with HUNGATE SINGERS

At  ST MARY MAGDALENE CHURCH, BAILGATE,  LINCOLN  LN1 3AR

(on the corner of Castle Square, near the Tourist Information Centre) 

An afternoon of Poetry & Song including popular songs from WW1 & WW2, folk songs and original poetry from Pimento Poets’ new book, ‘Long Time Passing’.

No need to book, just come along!   Retiring Collection.

My poem for submission to the new anthology of poetry to be published in 2014 as a commemoration to the first world war.

Grantchester Meadows - Autumn (Photo credit: hchalkley)

Some Hand: Extracts from a one act play.

Opening scene: On shaking hands with a Cambridge undergraduate at Grantchester in the glorious early Spring of 1916, before he goes to the Somme, as an officer and a gentleman.

In the dappled orchard of Grantchester we meet.

He, a student of merit, an athlete.

We meet, we greet.

We shake hands for the first and last time.

This is the hand of the Elite.

He has not worked below his feet,

In mine, nor steel.

Fingers are long,

Elegant strong.

Slim but not thin,

Meant for the Boardroom.

Academic hand,

Aristocratic hand,

Young lover’s hand.

Man’s veins down the middle

Branching into light blue rivulets.

Blue-blood hands.

Skin light and Bright

Coloured sun-brown

Not grasping, but open honest.

Athletic hand,

Keen hand,

Fast-moving hand,

Muscled and clean.

This is the hand that could feed a family.

Could rule a nation. Destined for things great.

This is a hand that has touched and loved.

This is a hand of a gentle man.

These are just the hands we need to make war.

Below the Autumn-laden apple trees we laugh,

Hand round the scones and tea.

The blueskygoldsun dips and fades.

And on the air, I hear the rain.

Vernon Goddard Revised December 2013.

Some Land: Extracts from the front of stage: July, 1916.

Another scene, another place, another time. On 1st July, 1916, 100,000 Allied troops advanced from the trenches of the Somme anticipating an easy and quick break-through of the enemy lines. This was not to be. Over the course of the next few months, and, by the end of the battle, a million and a quarter men had perished.

Picardy: ancient orchard, fringed with charlock,

Scabious and cornflower under heavy skies.

Sancta terra, sacred land;

Sangua terra, bloody land.

Now my land,

My place, my bunker as cold as any pit.

Noisy in the fireworks.

My gun, my bayonet, steel-hard,

Clean, bright and lightly oiled.

My bloodied hand, deep-red.

My men, my few men left, so few now.

We shake each others hands or nod.

Seven thirty.

And the barrage

Stops.

My breathing, coming hard.

And in the air, I feel the rain.

Head wet, hair wet like Brylcream,

Kit wet, boots ready to parade.

Lips dry.

My whistle in my mouth.

And with one soft peeeeeep,

We're up,

Over and out.

We greet and meet the terrible rain,

The leaden drizzle.

Some fall, I fall.

Just like the rain,

On Byron's pool.

Sancta terra, Sangua terra.

Vernon Goddard Revised December 2013.

Copyright David Vernon Goddard.