This March we’ve got hardly any snow – just a dusting of dry powdery flakes. A few years ago, it was a very different story and we were without power for three days …
This poem was published on Poetry Scotland’s Open Mouse
No Power (With apologies to Henry Reed)
Today is the second day of spring.
We have snow. Tomorrow morning
we will have more snow. We have to
think about living without power.
The sun shines on glistening snow drifts
and today is the second day of spring.
It’s called spring, yet we are cold,
the bird bath is frozen, the snow falls.
Warmth we have not yet received.
They call it the second day of spring.
The roads are quiet, no cars pass,
no tractors pass, peace reigns.
Today is the third day of spring.
Work clearing the path makes
us warm. A shower would be nice,
but a shower needs power,
which in our case we have not got.
Snow sculptures line the lanes.
Yet today is the third day of spring.
‘And today we have the naming of parts…. ‘ O level and A level English Lit, recognised the pattern even though I couldn’t have placed the poet’s name otherwise. Although after having done it twice over I probably ought to!
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Yes – a great poem which was often quoted – these are the first few lines…
Today we have naming of parts. Yesterday,
We had daily cleaning. And tomorrow morning,
We shall have what to do after firing. But today,
Today we have naming of parts. Japonica
Glistens likecoral in all the neighbouring gardens,
And today we have naming of parts.
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