[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)

[5i]

© Gerald England

Composed: Scillonian, 1st September 1973

Publications

1974 Roots (UK)
1986 Channels (USA)

[8b]

© Gerald England

Composed: Falmouth, 1st June 1973

Publication

1974 Roots (UK)

(6)

first the snow will fall;
the thawing wind will follow;
the weather remains

© Gerald England

Composed: Ackworth 26th December 1969

Publications

1970 MOUSINGS (Sheffield, Headland)
1972 Roots (UK)
1987 Red Pagoda (USA)

*****
yuki furite
soyokaze fukite
jo tenki

Japanese translation by Sakuzo Takada

Publications

1987 Red Pagoda (USA)

(2)

snow on southern slopes -
I, sweating in summer's sun
on the road below

© Gerald England

Composed: Ackworth, 14th December 1969

Publications

1971 OVERGROUND (Pontefract, Whitwood and District Arts Association)
1972 Roots (UK)
1987 Red Pagoda (USA)
1994 Candelabrum (UK)

*****
nan men no
yuki no saka-michi
asebamite

© Gerald England

translation by Sakuzo Takada

Publication

1987 Red Pagoda (USA)

Christmas Present

CHRISTMAS PRESENT

Jesus Christ was God's Christmas present to the world!
Oh yes!
We opened the gift up very carefully
but we saved the wrappings
and threw away
the present!

© Gerald England

Composed: York, 7th July 1969

Publications

1970 MOUSINGS (Sheffield, Headland)
1970 Pontefract & Castleford Express (UK)
1970 Tait's Quarterly (UK)
1972 Roots (UK)
1972 Ludds Mill (UK)
1973 ENVIRONMENT (Thames Ditton, Ember Press)
1973 Purston Parish Magazine (UK)
1985 New Hope International (UK)
1990 Omnific (USA)

*****
WEIHNACHTGESCHENK

jesus christus war gottes weihnachtsgeschenk fur die welt
o ja
wir haben das geschenk sorgfaltig geoffnet
abet wir haben das geschenkpapier aufgehoben
und das geschenk
weggeworfen

gerald england

aus dem englischen ubersetzt von elly grothof-nouwen

Publications

1983 Lyrik-Mappe (Austria)
1985 New Hope International (UK)

*****
PRESENTE DE NATAL

[Portuguese translation by Teresinka Pereira- text not to hand]

Publications

1985 New Hope International (UK)
1986 Literatura Internacional (USA)

The Preacher

THE PREACHER

Christ said,
Preach my message
to the world

Later
the world jeered,
Practice what you preach

I do not practice what I preach
I therefore
do not preach

This brings us back
to the beginning
again

© Gerald England

Composed: Ackworth, 17th July 1968

Publications

1972 Roots (UK)
1998 International Poetry (USA)
1992 STEALING KISSES (Hyde, New Hope International)

Mort de Vagabond, after Legros

Online image available at The Art Institute of Chicago.

"MORT DE VAGABOND",
AFTER LEGROS

(Knoedler Gallery, New York)

The tramp
the tree
these two
both old
both grey
the tree perhaps
         already
         dead
But yet there is
stark beauty
in the tree
There is nothing of beauty
about the tramp
who is not
       yet
       dead
He lies forlorn
and stiff
His bones of legs
lie straight
and arms that are same
lie same
Feet that have touched
the earth
point heavenward
And eyes
that have seen raw life
stare blankly
as of one
who does not fear to die

© Gerald England

Composed: Ackworth, 26th June 1968

Publications

1973 Roots (UK)
1988 Waterways (USA)
1998 LIMBO TIME (Hyde, New Hope International)
1999 Black Creek Review (USA)

Responsibility

RESPONSIBILITY

By the side of the road
on Moor Top Hill
there lies
a dead moggy

It's been there
a week now
It's time
someone shifted it

Me ?
I shan't touch it -
can't stand the things !

© Gerald England

Composed: Ackworth, 13th March 1968

Publications

1968 Breaktrhu (UK)
1970 Pontefract & Castleford Express (UK)
1973 Roots (UK)
1988 Cat's Eye (USA)
1992 STEALING KISSES (Hyde, New Hope International)
1994 The Good Society Review (UK)
1998 Graffito (Canada)

Metaphor of a Snail and an Elephant

METAPHOR OF A SNAIL AND AN ELEPHANT

Have you ever watched a snail
crawl up the back of an elephant ?

She'd asked me how it was going

It was one of those days
when you've worked three times as hard as you usually do
but for all the results
you might have done (perhaps better had you done)
nothing

The snail had almost reached the top
The elephant moved slightly
The snail
        fell
             off

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Glasgow, 1st August 1967

Publications

1968 New Melody (UK)
1971 Platform (UK)
1972 Roots (UK)
1987 Inkshed (UK)
1989 Short Fuse (USA)
1992 STEALING KISSES (Hyde, New Hope International)

Where Are You Going My Little One

WHERE ARE YOU GOING MY LITTLE ONE ?

Stop

Sit down

Think

Do not rush on

Stop

Sit down
quietly
and think

If you have nowhere to go
then please
stay at home
and leave room
for those who know where they are going
to travel there in peace

If you have somewhere to go
then go
and only make diversion
upon a change
of destination

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Ackworth, 1st June 1967

Published

1969 Tait's Quarterly (UK)
1973 Roots (UK)
1994 Thorny Locust (USA)
1998 LIMBO TIME (Hyde, New Hope International)