June 11, 2005

  • As last time, I’ll blog then read your blogs inbetween rests, Terry.


    I am not sure why I am writing a lot of Sophie poems, wrote another one since the below, maybe it’s because being ill, I dream back to my own childhood. I know one thing, Freud would have a field day with me!


    ________


    “Return To The Park”



    Sitting in the park with Elgar,

    Stone-skipping on the lake.

    I love it when it is warm,

    When the sun is out

    And I have time

    To do nothing much more

    Than drink water and laze.



    Elgar is now twelve, but says

    He doesn’t want to leave childhood,

    He had seen too much of grown-up life.



    Thinking of my dad, I agree.

    I wish this could go on forever,

    No more cares but a money-spider

    Climbing up my arm.



    Elgar makes me laugh,

    Black, with it, and so on,

    He has started talking like

    The Famous Five children.

    “Gosh!” he says “what a spiffing day!”

    People stare at him as he shouts

    “Jolly fine weather my good man!”

    I, of course, get the giggles.



    Yes, the sun on our skin,

    Picnic at our side,

    It’s lovely to be with a male

    I can really trust,

    Not like my dad.



    —

    (Note: I mentioned Elgar to a supply teacher and she said “he’s a great English composer!” and could not understand why some of us laughed.)



    —

    Sophie Lucy Morgan (aged 10)

     

    _____

     


    The crane pulled up

    The leylandii tree

    That was as big as a Leyland truck,

    Will I miss the beast?

    Will I “dog & duck”!



    It took over the pub garden

    And darkened all my rooms,

    And killed any flowers nearby

    That I tried to bloom.



    I’m glad the thing is gone

    I bet my customers will be too,

    “Good riddence giant leylandii tree

    I never loved you!”



    You were planted by my Uncle Jack.

    Though God knows why.

    I’ll place a rose garden there instead,

    And there I’ll sit on my nights off

    Drinking beer till I die.



    —

    Tiffy Witherington.

    ———-

     

    I have been told the leylandii is rare in America, here is a link  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/61679.stm

     

Comments (40)

  • Sophie, so alive and happy! Tiffy sounds kind of dour, but then we all have days like that! Wonderful writing, you sound as if you feel better?! lovely!!

  • Excellent poems by Sophi and Tiffy, both fine additions to your collection of writings.  I did follow the link about the Leylandii tree and it amazes me the people who put up pages and then don’t check them out to see if they work correctly.  The idiot put a link and it takes you to a photo and nothing else but the page is filled with text you can’t see unless highlighted.  I saved it all as it was fascinating and seems there are quite a few of the tree in the US, propogated and used as Christmas Trees.  They propogate from rooted cuttings only, I find that to be amazing.

    Fascinating poems and good educational stuff about the tree.

    As always, me

  • Hahah, I can’t imagine what Freud would say about you. He could probably fill a book.

    I like the Sophie poems. I need no explanation as to why you are writing so many.

  • I like the profile pic.   Not only are those trees new to me, I’ve never heard of a “money-spider”.  I love that.  It rolls off the tongue just right and conjures up all kinds of lively images in my brain. 

  • I agree with Maureen—really like the new profile pic!  And I’ve never heard of a money spider either.  Do you have any idea why it is called that??  I DO see how Sophie and I differ—I would have jumped up screaming if a found a spider on me.  Have always hated them.  But snakes don’t really bother me. 

  • These poems never cease to amaze me.  And I wonder to myself….”how does he do it?”

  • i was wondering what one of those trees looked like but the images didn’t work on the link you provided. i guess i’ll have to use my imagination… which wants to come up with something like a cross between the willow tree and one of those awful spiders you listed.

  • My two favorite pseudo-poets.  Wonderful!

  • New subjects for me too.  Thank you so very much for your kind comment on my site.  Knight and I thank you.  I pray you will be able to recover from your problems {}

  • Ah, Terry, I think if I could conjure up the images and put them into poems, I might find serenity. It is so difficult to have these things slashing thru your thoughts and finding no outlet for them. Perhaps someday I will find the courage to try to put it to paper. In the meantime, I vicariously enjoy putting myself in your poems.

    I thought of Elgar the composer and giggled when the ps was added!

  • I’ve seen your comments on a lot of my friends sites and just decided to drop by. You have picked some really great poetry to post…sometimes educational, sometimes visual, but always thought provoking…I love them all! Hope you don’t mind if I keep checking in.

    Sounds like your health has really got you down. If there is one thing I have learned on Xanga, it is that there are a LOT of really caring people out there. I hope all the healing energy they are all sending your way helps. Take care of yourself and get well soon.

  • Are Sophie and Tiffy carrying you through a twin-set of alternate realities?

  • Elgar! <333
    Wonderful as usual, sirrrr! *nods*
    I mean… …. you know what I mean!
    I hope you feel better soon. *hugs*

  • As always an awesome blog. I hope you enjoyed your rest, too!

  • I understand why you created Sophie and Tiffy, I think. Sophie is sweet and Tiffy is bitter. Men have a way of turning the sweet bitter and sometimes, when they are at their best, they make the bitter sweet. You are a masterful poet.

  • Is Elgar supposed to be an imaginary friend?

  • Typo in the second stanza “Ho”… it didn’t ruin it for me though, like you said my typo did for you. You’re just a hard-ass

  • Oh , I love the Sophie poems and all your thoughts . I like the name Sophie too .
    Ill be by here often to read your thoughts that say so much so well . Lovely poetry !

    Thank’s so much for your comment’s. You are so so right about illness . And it’s hard sometimes to keep your faith . I am very sorry for your loss , this I truly mean . I hope you are feeling better by the way . I am listening to Lou Reed , love him . Sweet Jane is playing . I have never seen or heard of the tree and the darned sites pics did not work . We have some spiders here we call monkey spiders . My first with money spiders . Thanks for a nice read and blessings to you .

    Peace and Love :)

  • Freud could have a field day with just about anybody’s psyche! That’s why he became so famous!! Love the poems. HA HA 
    ~Thoughts through the looking glass~
    Hope you are having a great day!
    Karolyn   @-}-}- 

  • Thanks for the typo point out! Damn, I checked it several times!

  • I wanna drink beer till I die…and reading your works….by the rose garden… now that would be heavenly

    haha! The last 3 lines of “Return to the park” is awesome…. a round of applause, LordP….

    Hope all’s well and fine with you, take care and rest well my dear.

    —-<—-(@

    Elle.

  • Came by through another site; Love Sophie. Sorry to read that all is not well with your health. Glad to hear that your health won’t effect your summer plans.

    Thanks for sharing your creative works!

  • The poems are absolutley fabulous!!!  Keep up the great work and have a super Sunday!!! 

  • lovily poems terry, the last one is very topical especially si nce now councils have powers over the would be giant tree growers who can be forced to cut back their leylandi – wonder if they have a special gang.. for that kind of work :) ))

  • so sorry you have been ill, hope all is getting better, love your poem,

    freud huh? well now, bet he’d be stumped

    love and prayers

    betty

  • I wonder if the leyland’s trees are so bad don’t warn us.
    They ere fast growing,and then? who cut them down? kill the threes.
    SOphie is a very good writer, you shoukd keep using her.

  • indeed Freud would have a field day with you. I would hope you do find the weekend restful…

  • It’s a shame that such a nice looking tree should be causing so many problems.

    Again, most wonderful poems by Sophie and Tiffy.

    Canon Fire was inspired by a piano version of Pachebel’s Canon in D. The musician recorded it, then edited in a U2 fadeout for the song With or Without You. Some days I can’t get enough of that piece of music editing.

    Jim

  • I couldn’t pick up the image from your link but elsewhere it seems to be a cypress. It grows in California as it was imported. I saw another picture where bunches are made into hedges. Funny, there’s a controversy going on in some parts of Los Angeles about allowing hedges beyond a certain height. It seems some people feel it’s their right to be able to peer into other people’s backyards. Anyway, thanks for the trip to the park and tell Tiffy that she might choose a less thorny plant in case she staggers when she drinks. I don’t know the famous five children nor what a dog and duck mean.

  • Freud would have a ball with many of us, I think.

    It’s always good to read your work.

  • I think one is introspective when ill or old. I know I am .I wish I was back in the good old days ,because when i was in them. I didn’t realize that they were. So you being ill are doing that so Sophie appeals to when you were happy I usually write something miserable when i don’t like the now. Cheers Marj

  • Ah, yes–classical. There are times for that.

  • Tiffy Witherington is one hell of a woman.

    I dont know how many times must I tell you youre such an amazing writer. I am at lost for words. Your talent in writing is so ceaseless, your ideas pour like heavy rain.

    oooh im being jealous again.

    How do you develop such a mind?

  • Ah, I’ve missed Tiffy.  Not that I don’t love Sophie just as much.

  • EEEPPP! “Money” spider or no, it would not  be crawling on my arm for long…lol!
    I suppose people here feel about Joshua trees and junipers the way folks do about the leylandii tree three.

    Hope your feeling better soon.

  • Good stuff as usual. Something to read with a nice glass of iced tea. sorry, I just really want tea.

  • I’ve found myslef writing from a more nieve and innocent point of veiw at times…it’s almost freeing, remebering what it is to be a child.

    Anywho, thanks for the comment:)

    -Jos-

  • :)  

  • I love Sophie’s poems…so ripe with golden innocence…..

    Hope you’re feeling better!

    Oh and Freud would’ve delighted in dissecting my mind! lol

    RYC: I agree with you about global warming creating havoc with our weather…and I think that it’s very impressive that you have a degree in science. When I was in school, science wasn’t one of my best subjects. lol

    @)—->—–

  • Dear Terry,

    Especially since you are ill, the Sophie poems are filled with a nostalgic and yet pragmatic look at childhood, seen through her eyes and filtered through your sensibilities.

    Children are such innocents, and are not privy to the pain and experience of life, so reading her words from you brings an added dimension to the thoughts.

    Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool

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