Adlestrop Remembered

In a well thumbed book of verse,
Bound in midnight leather,
A faded photograph marks the place
You show us through the melted years.
In the whisperings of the pages,
Once more I hear your voice.
How can I ever forget,
Adlestrop.


I have been spending a lot of time with my Dad, who is reaching the end of his days. He is peaceful and comfortable and looked after with love. Which is what we would all wish for.

He can no longer communicate, but speaks to me still through his poetry books, with pages marked by letters, old receipts, bits of cardboard (cut out specially for the purpose), or in this case a photograph.

The photograph was taken in 1985. And he has written the first two verses on the back, maybe he couldn't remember the rest at the time. Later he must have found the poem in one of his favourite books, and put the photograph there to mark it.

The poem itself is a kind of blip, in that it captures a moment of stillness and reflects upon it.

Here it is in full, for those that don't know it ...

Yes, I remember Adlestrop --
The name, because one afternoon
Of heat the express-train drew up there
Unwontedly. It was late June.

The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.
No one left and no one came
On the bare platform. What I saw
Was Adlestrop -- only the name

And willows, willow-herb, and grass,
And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry,
No whit less still and lonely fair
Than the high cloudlets in the sky.

And for that minute a blackbird sang
Close by, and round him, mistier,
Farther and farther, all the birds
Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

Edward Thomas

I may not be very present here on blip for a while. I will try and keep posting, but may not comment or reply, as I fear there is a difficult time ahead. I know all you lovely people will understand.

PS Abandoned haiku form today as needed more syllables...