More than Writers

 My lovely mother in law died recently. In response to that, and short of the usual family coming together in the current circumstances, I wrote a poem called Lockdown Funeral Blues. In times of acute pain, writing poetry becomes my ‘go to’. A month after my mum died, I wrote this:   THE DAY BEFORE MOTHERS’ DAY Today was hard. Eyes assaulted by bouquet displays, Banner announcements, chocolates, cakes, And menu ideas. Who knew Walking into a supermarket Would be like Walking into an ambush Of everyone else’s impending celebration? Momentarily I clutched the wall, As if punched in the sternum, Chest tight, fighting for breath, The claustrophobic cacophony Obliterating my ability To choose a curry for tonight’s dinner. I turned and forced myself To concentrate on an Easter display instead But the unsaid noise was deafening. I had to escape From all this anticipation and appreciation, My own love overspilling With no one to receiv...

I’ve been listening to Andy Serkis’s #Hobbitathon, a live stream charity reading of the The Hobbit https://www.gofundme.com/f/thehobbitathoncovid19appeal . He’s spontaneously inventing accents and voices and song tunes. It’s unrehearsed and unedited, with the actor stumbling over sentences and sometimes losing his place. It’s no audiobook but it’s glorious. There’s something so magical about having a story read to you, isn’t there? I think back to primary school, sat on the floor in the corner of the classroom for Little Grey Rabbit or Charlie and The Great Glass Elevator - favourites for both children and teachers. How I loved to read to my own children. I can still quote the rhyming books – Hairy McClary, My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes, and of course Dr Seuss. Visiting Seuss Landing at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, my boys were unimpressed by the novelty of a green eggs and ham roll as they were so used to ours! I look back and wonder if these books seeded my younge...