One day I woke up a Poet!

Life never ceases to surprise me!

I attended a wonderful Creative Writing course with the University of Teesside in the Summer.

After attending the beginners last year, I attended the research course.

Andy Willoughby our tutor suggested we looked at art for inspiration for our writing and we all had a go.
It now seems that we are to be part of published anthology of poetry, with a reading soon at MIMA.

Amazing!
So we are to go to the Launch of the project and the book.

AN ANTHOLOGY OF EKPHRASIS

My poem is about a couple of paintings of my home town Middlesbrough by JS Lowry.
Here they are. In one, you can see Lowry walking across the market place with his dog , whereas in the other he is not there.

 

HERE IS THE POEM

HEY LOWRY!

Hey Lowry. Where’s your dog gone?

Has someone nicked it mate?

Old St Hilda’s no longer there

And there’s a padlock on the Sally Army gate!

Hey Lowry, where’s that other bloke gone?

The old town hall’s still there, just!

Remember that old clock and the Tranny?

They’ve just painted over the rust.

Hey Lowry, they’ve flattened Fleetham Street and my old school

Are you still collecting the rent?

Some gadgie has recalled it Gresham

I suppose it was well meant?

Hey Lowry, we’ve got a MIMA, a Tenemos and a bottle now

The General , the Infirmary are all in the past

 No Ayresome park or a Holgate end

No Parkies any more, but I can still run quite fast!

Hey Lowry, there’s No Rag and Bonemen

No refund on the pop bottles, no number 14 bus.

The Poly’s a University

No Hintons and no Pybus Bros

Hey Lowry, old Baker Street’s still there

We’ve got an Orange Pip market now

But the slipper baths and the Gaumont are just a memory

But I’ll never forget them, my childhood will not allow.