Raindrops on Craneflies ....*

It's National Poetry Day today and, appropriately (given the heavy downpours we've had today), the theme this year is Water so by way of celebration, here is a Simon Armitage poem:

Rain

Be glad
of these freshwater tears,
each pearled droplet
some salty old sea-bullet
air-lifted out of the waves,
then laundered and sieved,
recast as a soft bead
and returned.
And no matter how much
it strafes or sheets,
it is no mean feat
to catch one raindrop
clean in the mouth,
to take one drop
on the tongue, tasting
cloud-pollen,
grain of the heavens,
raw sky.
Let it teem, up here
where the front of the mind
distils
the brunt of the world.

Simon Armitage


I've been enjoying Simon Armitage's book Walking Home, about his north to south walk down the Pennine Way and this poem is one of several he's written for the Stanza Stones Poetry Trail in his local area. The website is really interesting and the Trail is now definitely on my to do list.

We managed to reach the 13th green this morning on our second golf round of the week before the heavens opened.

In Pointless news (see yesterday's blip) Chris has been stopped several times on the street today to be asked "Was it you I saw on the tele yesterday?" His second appearance is due to be broadcast in about half an hour.

* As Julie Andrews nearly sang!