Poem dedicated to Andrew Motion
Posted: May 15, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Poem 2 CommentsThis poem was written ages ago, 9/6/99 in fact. I was listening to Andrew Motion being interviewed (on BBC4 Today programme if my memory serves me well) just after he had become the then new Poet Laureate, wherein he bemoaned the lack of time.
I heard him read a couple of years ago, and am particularly fond of his collection, ‘Public Property’ .
Poet in motion.
Such a commotion,
the very notion,
“no time to smell the roses”
says Mr Motion…….
We are most fraught,
at the very thought ;
what?!
“no time to stop and stare”,
it’s enough to make any literary critic
lose their equilibrium,
if not their hair.
We need our Laureate
to contemplate
and ruminate,
to lyricise,
to amble
to dawdle,
and to gently criticise.
To set the world to verse,
with time allowed for reflection,
for meditation upon our mutual direction……
So please Mr Poet Laureate,
no rush,
but lots of shush,
indeed, more hush,
for, as one supposes,
the job of poet
can only be,
to take time to smell the roses.
I do hope Andrew Motion gets to read this!
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Good poem, Marc. I must admit I’ve only read a few of his poems – but the anthology he edited: “Here to Eternity”, is wonderful!
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