Selected poems from "Cheese, Ice, a Knife and Life" 1999
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This first collection,
published in 1999, takes Douglas Adams book "Life the Universe and Everything" as a starting thought to explore
the fundamental emotions and values that characterise human experience. The cheese board being a fine place to contemplate
the meaning of life!
The selection here looks at childhood: "Sleep or Shutdown" (familiar to Mac and
PC users) looks at sleep patterns of children and adults. The "Making of Children" was inspired by the birth of
my first daughter, while "African Dimension" contrasts the indulgence of the rich and lazy against the aspirations
of the poor and hopeful.
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Sleep or Shutdown
Is there anything quite as beautiful as a sleeping child?
It’s not the appearance but the presence of a pure fresh being not quite being there.
Where are you now you once
energetic trainee human?
Away with the fairies, out for an extended recharge. Not in - please leave
a message.
But grown-ups sleep as if they were trying to be in but can’t quite make it.
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Busy with reality, on temporary shutdown. Engaged - phone back later.
And that is the attraction - sleep-charging for action rather than sleep-induced postponing of
inaction.
Is there anything quite as beautiful as sleeping like a child.
[Requested
by Priscilla]
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The Making of Children When I think of you child that I made by procreation, recreation and protection; my joy, my flesh, a piece of my gladness - when I think of you, it is joy, peace and
gladness that I want for you - not the envy noise and madness that clamour from outside. It is for your making that I made you more making than I can ever make for myself: make life, make friends make love, make fun make money, make song make art, make up make believe, make
true make it good, make it through make it, make it new. It is for making, I made you. So my advice to you is to steer clear, step aside, my child and avoid the ‘ready made’: made for you, ‘made in China’, made you do it, made you not, made you angry, made you stray, made
you go, made you stay, made you fat, made you bent, made you straight, made you gay. These ‘mades’
are all unmakings; unoriginal, borrowed or sold. So make it you
business to make it yourself - and don’t be made by someone else. But the real trick is to
make without unmaking someone else - for that is joy, peace and gladness. The other kind leads
to envy, noise and madness. [Read on the occasion Christy's
confirmation, 12th May 2007.]
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African Dimension
Deep from the heart of Africa, from whence once I came - the cradle of evolution and civilisation. Deep from that cradle comes a cry on TV, hungry, wounded or dying from yet another tragedy.
I
flicked the channel finding my refuge behind my democratic screen: film, news, comedy, game-shows (still fearing
that Africa might invade on Europe’s southern shore demand their debts and even ask for more).
I must remember to give a little when the next TV appeal comes around. Congo, Barundi, Ruanda, Sierra Leone,
Mosambique Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan. Too little, too late, still hoping Africa can wait.
Then the
doorbell rang and I switched off the 2D TV to meet a real multi-dimensional human being on my doorstep.
To my surprise it was a six year old African girl. She did not break down the door demand payments
or excise my guilt, but indeed she did invade with singing and dances - her cavalcade. And I gave her what
I owed her - not aid, but a little respect (deep from the heart of Africa).
[Following visit of African Childrens' Choir]
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