The first things I ever wrote (apart from the dramatic opening and only line of my first ever story, written when I was about five, “Gauds take him away!“) were poems. Much of my junior school poetry was on the Rupert Bear model of rhyming couplets, but as I read more I wrote with more variation. I did read a lot of poetry when I was young – I had and still have my mum’s school poetry book which contained all the classics, and I was much taken with ‘Sohrab and Rustum’ by Matthew Arnold. I have just had a look at it, and wonder how a junior school child could not only have read it many times, but thought it was her favourite poem!
I continued writing through my teenage years and although still very conventional and conservative, I guess, I did begin to experiment slightly. Part of that was due to the different poets I read in English lessons, including Rupert Brooke, considered a local poet even though of course he was only at University in Cambridge, and was actually from Rugby. The greater part was the Liverpool poets because I was fortunate enough to live through the Beatles era, the Fab Four and their contemporaries – and from them discovered the Liverpool poets – Adrian Henry, Roger McGough and Brian Pattern amongst others. However, much as i love poetry, I am no poet and many of the things I wrote although not cringe-worthy, have very little merit.
Occasionally since then, I have occasionally written verse, but nothing I would want to share with anyone else, however… However, for our next writing group get-together, our challenge is to write a poem. Ever since it was decided, last time we met a month ago, it has been on my mind and I’ve been pondering on various ideas. As I was driving home this morning, after a disappointing attempt to buy something to wear at an event we are attending, a couple of ideas suddenly gelled. From the swirl of thoughts and words came a few lines and I tried desperately to hold onto them and drive safely. I was going to pass the station, so pulled into the carpark, took out my phone and jotted down my thoughts.
Phew! I have something to work on, I might get something written by Wednesday, and then will be the terrifying ordeal of sharing it with my friends!
Lois Elsden 