Funeral

FUNERAL

He would have been buried
two days ago
but Christmas intervened
I watched them bury him
in the New Cemetery
on the village outskirts
He booked his spot there
when it was opened twenty years ago
For twelve years
his has been the only empty grave
He helped to lay the track
of the railway line
that ran behind the graveyard
The line of the track
makes a good footpath
The embankment is fine for viewing
his funeral from
He used to play dominoes
in the Boot each Saturday night
I took his place
the day he died
We won every game we played

© Gerald England

Composed: Ackworth, 30th December 1973

Publications

1976 MEETINGS AT THE MOOR'S EDGE (West Kirkby, Headland)
1988 Waterways (USA)
1993 Pomes (UK)
2004 Curlew (UK)

The Questioner

THE QUESTIONER

He questioned all the time,
sought the source of sustenance
It was not that he had none,
although he had none
They could have driven him away
but they did not,
because of his questioning,
because they were willing to be generous
They all answered him
- if you are short of food,
take, share ours -
It was not that they had it to spare
It was not that they were being generous
It was rather they wished
to fill his mouth with food
to put a stop to his questioning

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Sheffield, 12th December 1973

Publications

1976 MEETINGS AT THE MOOR'S EDGE (West Kirkby, Headland)
1988 Gypsy (West Germany)
1992 Attitude Problem (USA)
1998 Ygdrasil (Internet)

******

CEL CARE INTREABA

A intrebat mereu,
a cautat sursa sustinerii
Nu ca n-ar fi avut niciuna,
desi nu avea vreuna
L-ar fi putut alunga
dar n-au facut-o,
datorita intrebarilor lui,
pentru ca vroiau sa fie generosi
I-au raspuns cu totii-
-daca duci lipsa de mancare,
vino, ia dintr-a noastra!
Nu ca ar fi avut prea mult
Nu ca ar fi fost generosi
Ci mai degraba pentru ca vroiau
Sa-i umple gura cu mancare
Ca sa-i intrerupa intrebarile.

GERALD ENGLAND

Romanian translations by Octavian Blaga and Florentin Smarandache

Publication

2000 The Fifth Season (Romania)

The Unresting

THE UNRESTING

And it was his grief that kept him travelling
There were resting places -
some that he could still direct himself to
He enumerated them on the fingers of his hands
but they all lay now beyond his reach
He had run out of fuel
He had lost the will to restart the journey
Besides it wasn't the time of the year for travelling
It also wasn't the time of the year for sorrow
He could move
only within himself
and dying in isolation
he lived

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Sheffield, 2nd December 1973

Publications

1988 Waterways (USA)
1989 The Affiliate (Canada)
1992 STEALING KISSES (Hyde, New Hope International)

*****
A PERTUBACAO

E foi sua tristeza que o manteve viajando
E hava lugares para descansar
para alguns dos quais ele ainda podia ir.
Ele os contava nos dedos de suas maos
mas eles estavam todos fora de seu alcance agora.
Ele perdei suas energias
e seu desejo de sair.
Alen de tudo ainda nao era tempo de viajar este ano.
Ele podia mover-se apenas dentro de si mesmo
e morrendo isoladamente
ele viveu.

Translated by TERESINKA PEREIRA.

Publication

1986 International Poetry (USA)

Leaving

LEAVING

There was nothing dramatic about your leaving.
As two strangers in a museum
we viewed more the objects of our own past
than those relics cased behind glass.
You poured the words from your soul
but kept back your heart -
I put my hand into yours,
offering the nothing I had to offer.
A child, staring at us,
found this live picture more interesting
than the works of art his parents persued.
Staring back into his puzzled, questioning eyes,
I tried to pass their warmth, but you
were unaware of any eyes except your own.
You will carry a part of me with you when you leave.
It will remain with you a long time.
The hardest part of leaving
is the waiting.

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Sheffield, 1st December 1973

Publications

1990 Aireings (UK)
1992 STEALING KISSES (Hyde, New Hope International)

Father to his Chance-child

FATHER TO HIS CHANCE-CHILD

Ther's sum at say at what Ah did wer wrang
an it's nobbut reight Ah sud hev to pay
But them at talk knaw onny haiff a tale
an Ah doesn't allus knaw what to say

Ah luved thi mam, thowt she luved me
Luv tak its course, sin we boath wer free
- oppen air fahn, i a wood o pine
wi scarcelins a thowt at two maks three

We'd med plans to be wed e'en afooire we knew
but summat happened, though Ah canh tell what,
cos t' thowts o a woman ther's no man kens
- said she luvved me ne mooire an that wer that

Wimmin soa offen change ther tune
an soa Ah thowt at she'd wed me still
As tha knaws to thi cost Ah wer wrang
She tuk her hooik, said she'd hed her fill

Dunna thi fret, doy, thi daddy luvs thee
i spahte o all o things at folks mahte say
though Ah can do ne mooir ner pay me due
fer yer mam she hes to hev her awn way

They'll call thee a name at Ah hate
but thi mam an thee 'll someha fend,
soa tak ne notice an laugh it aff
fer Ah knaw tha'll grow up strait i t' end

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Sheffield, 12th November 1973

Publication

1983 Orbis (UK)

Freedom

FREEDOM

She kept a bird in a gilded cage
He sang so lovely a joy to hear
And she loved her bird in the gilded cage
until people told her it was cruel
to keep a bird in a gilded cage
- Birds like yours need their freedom - they said
- Set it free, let it roam, let it scavenge for food -
So she opened the door of the gilded cage
but the bird stayed inside, sang louder
- See - she said to her taunters - he wants to stay -
- You feed him too well, you are cruel -
When the bird grew hungry he left the cage
found food and then returned to the gilded cage
The bird sang louder, happy inside
She was happy too
since the bird returned always to the gilded cage
It was free to roam and free to return
But the bird will one day not return,
find food in another's cage,
sing for the new provider of his food,
sing louder still though the door be shut.

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Sheffield, 7th November 1973

Publications

1987 Z Miscellaneous (USA)
1991 Lo Straniero (Italy)
1992 STEALING KISSES (Hyde, New Hope International)
1998 Ultimate Ceasefire (Australia)
2008 Ackworth born, gone West (Internet)

The Arrival of the Queen of Sheeba

Image copyright Lambert and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE QUEEN OF SHEEBA

The arrival of the Queen of Sheeba
was a spectacle no more surprising
than the arrival of you
I, all day getting hotter and hotter
you, all day pining, wanting, hoping
It was the summerest of evenings
we walked in the grounds of Southwell Minster
As we entered through a side door
--
"The Arrival of the Queen of Sheeba"
--
assailed our ears,
the organ tuned to the key of the clock's chime
This was our moment of arrival
not that first intimate encounter
three nights previous
that never-completed goodbye kiss
We shan't find again
the refuse-tip entrance, the back-lane alehouse
With Handel's music in our heads
you talked of moving in
of handling our lives afresh
My Queen of Sheeba had arrived

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Sheffield, 1st November 1973

Publication

1992 The People's Poetry (UK)

The Way Ahead

THE WAY AHEAD

(for Vivienne)

For him the dance is done
despite continued clattering of guns
What matters now is not
the point nor mode of death -
only the life that went before

You have to feel your grief
And you have to live beyond
to keep the memory but loose
the sense of loss

Even in your solitary time
you are not alone, my love
He and I and we, we all are one

The mystery will remain unsolved
for we who have yet more to live

All endings are but a passing on

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Sheffield, 22nd October 1973

Publications

1980 THE RAINBOW AND OTHER POEMS (Heckmondwyke, Fighting Cock Press)
1993 East & West Literary Qtly (USA)
1995 Current Accounts (UK)
1998 Ygdrasil (Internet)

[3e]

© Gerald England

Composed: Ackworth, 10th October 1973

Publication

1990 The Yellow Pages (USA)

[3d]

© Gerald England

Composed: Ackworth, 4th October 1973

Publication

2005 World Haiku Review (Internet)

[4k]

© Gerald England

Composed: Ackworth, 25th September 1973

Publications

1976 MEETINGS AT THE MOOR'S EDGE (West Kirkby, Headland)
1981 DADDYCATION (Ashton under Lyne, New Hope International)
1982 Interstate (USA)
1993 FOUR SQUARE REPLAY (Leeds, Krax)

[7e]

© Gerald England

Composed: Sheffield, 20th September 1973

Publications

1976 MEETINGS AT THE MOOR'S EDGE (West Kirkby, Headland)
1985 Printed Matter (Japan)
1986 International Journal on World Peace (USA)
1996 AN IDEA OF BOSNIA (Reading, Autumn House)

[6f]

© Gerald England

Composed: Sheffield, 15th September 1973

Publication

1993 Kangaroo & Beans (USA)

[6e]

© Gerald England

Composed: Bath, 6th September 1973

Publications

1976 MEETINGS AT THE MOOR'S EDGE (West Kirkby, Headland)
1990 The Affiliate (Canada)

[4j]

© Gerald England

Composed: Falmouth, 4th September 1973

Publications

1974 Roots (UK)
1987 Channels (USA)
1992 And What of Tomorrow (UK)
1993 FOUR SQUARE REPLAY (Leeds, Krax)

[8g]

Probus Church
© Copyright Tony Atkin and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

© Gerald England

Composed: Falmouth, 3rd September 1973

Publications

1985 Printed Matter (Japan)
2003 SOUNDING HEAVEN AND EARTH (Norwich, Canterbury Press)

[5i]

© Gerald England

Composed: Scillonian, 1st September 1973

Publications

1974 Roots (UK)
1986 Channels (USA)

[7d]

© Gerald England

Composed: Scillonian, 1st September 1973

Publications

1990 Peace & Freedom (UK)
1998 LIMBO TIME (Hyde, New Hope International)

[4i]

© Gerald England

Composed: Scillonian, 1st September 1973

Publications

1990 Peace & Freedom (UK)
1993 FOUR SQUARE REPLAY (Leeds, Krax)

[4h]

© Gerald England

Composed: Sheffield, 30th August 1973

Publications

1976 MEETINGS AT THE MOOR'S EDGE (West Kirkby, Headland)
1985 Printed Matter (Japan)
1993 FOUR SQUARE REPLAY (Leeds, Krax)