Poems in praise of a beautiful place
During lockdown, husband and wife Cyril and Rosemary Lafferty had plenty of time to admire the ever changing view from their living room in Beasley’s Ait, overlooking the Thames. Neither of them had ever written poetry before, but they challenged themselves and each other to try to capture the beauty of what they were looking at. Here are their two poems and the view that inspired them…..
Our red twigged Acer reflects upon the Thames
And overlooks the heron poised on spindly legs
A plodding, puffing, narrow boat ripples mirrored water
A pair of haughty swans sail serenely past
While flashing Artic Terns arrow into dives
And in a flash without a splash
Take fish and disappear
Eight rhythmic blades leaving matching swirls
My glass of wine is raised in praise
I smile, we nod, exchange a loving look
This is the place to live!
By Cyril Lafferty
And sparks myriad rippling thoughts swirling inside my head
The water with its ever changing moods,
Sometime angry, sometimes gentle, always reflective
Sun skitters on the surface, sparkling, glistening, enticing
Rain beats on the surface, drumming a dance from decades past
And beneath the surface an alien world unfolds unseen
Eels reel, fish swish their tails and tempt the imperious heron and luckless fisherman
Above this underwater planet swans reign supreme over mere ducks and geese
And at the end of the day when sun sets, the Thames lulls a lullaby to sweet sleep
And the promise of a new tomorrow.
By Rosemary Lafferty