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Gary Brocks Aug 2018
Goats eat and **** the grass of ramparts,
stupefied cannons sit, garrisoned sentries
primed for nights of buccaneers,
seared by centuries of sun. Down shadowed
cobblestoned tunnels fortified shutters
covet rifle forend and barrel,

wresting rumored slave rebellions
from the locker of history,
while languid waves whisper indifferently
a roll call of human cargo,
chattel displaced, cast to the sea.

Here history sways to sounds
of brown skinned children
at play in breakers,
laughing, shrieking, thrashing,
buoyed by time to this vaulted brick
reverberating chamber,

here a window’s light is cast
beckoning vision past the beach,
to seek the horizon Icarus like,
to fly towards beauty in terror where
an azure sky conjoins a turquoise bay.


Copyright © 2003 Gary Brocks
160707F
Julie Grenness Nov 2015
Life is for the living,
Life is for the loving,
Love is for the giving,
We do live vicariously,
Don't take things too seriously,
Let's make extinction extinct,
How? Let's have a think!
Work and pray for Peace,
For plebs and critters we keep,
Let's preserve more habitats,
For wildlife and people chaps,
Exile brainwashing dictators,
Breed positive motivators,
Redirect capitalism,
Too much conflict over 'isms,
Masks our real problems,
World makes too many munitions,
Create diverse solutions,
Too many mind pollutions,
Let's write some aphorisms,
Life is for the living,
Life is for the loving.
Thoughts about peace on Earth.
Poulton Library and
Adele & I are here to
share with whoever
arrives some thoughts
concerning War and
Literature.  Linda sets
us up with chairs and
table, and first here is
delightful surprise: Pat
who I taught thirty years
ago - there will be no
need for me to dig a
trench and put on a
jacket bullet-proof
with tin hat on my
head - Philip Larkin
Alun Lewis, Sassoon
and Wilfred Owen
give staunch support
to Jon Stallworthy's
World War One tome
Anthem for Doomed
Youth: Twelve Poets
but doomed not us
this century later.


(c) C J Heyworth June 2014
Through an Arts Council Grant organised locally here on The Fylde Coast by Adele Robinson of Lancashire Dead Good Poets, there is a continuing series of events over the Summer labelled Walking on Wyre, Wyre being the River Wyre which bypasses Poulton at Skippool Creek, and joins the Irish Sea at Fleetwood.
Poulton Library invited us to discuss War Poetry in particular with interested locals.
Pat who I used to teach and her husband Stuart were the welcome first arrivals and were soon joined by three additional members of Poulton Writers Group who were very prepared to join in and and make the discussion flow.  A further husband and wife couple joined us after an hour or so and overall the event proved to be a productive and enjoyable get together.
Once like-minded and amiable folks get together the conversation can gel splendidly.

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