Poems by Anne Knight
Poetry
Daughter comes
changes her work clothes
into day clothes
off we go to Manchester
traffic heavy
now thinning out
quickly we go
no left or right turns
so we go round and round
at last finding a spot to park
daughter pays for ticket
puts the ticket in her window
lock the door, don't forget.
Me with my stick
quite disorientated
we asked the way
to St Peter’s Square
a man says go down there
turn right then left
we walk
it takes some time
finding the library we enter
the loos are a must
down in the basement we go
we'll take the lift
up to the second floor
now to find the door
for Irish poetry
found.
I fold my coat
to make a cushion
the tea my daughter brought me
goes wizzing
ladies help to mop the floor
with paper towels
daughter brings me another cup
four people take it in turns
to say their piece
a woman sits at the back
cannot smile
but looks like stone
man bent over a stick
solemn.
First man introduces himself
says there will be
other people speaking
descendants of Irish
great grandparents
grandparents too
first man goes with a swing
ryhme spoken without a stop
then he talked to us
before another poem
there are four poems
in that way.
First man then introduces next poet
a woman
she is not Irish
but Liverpool accent
her voice tells the poems
in a different way
with her soft low voice
talks about Manchester
telling about home
books of poetry in motion
she introduces the next poet.
A tall man in a black T-shirt
with yellow stripes
my daughter misses him
nature calls
disappointed.
The last man
with a long narrow face
flowing hair
he sang as in a monastery
then he stopped
telling you us about himself
people clapped
when he was introduced
for the people of Irish descent
he seemed special
so he started his poem
gazing into space
talking
but not to the people
the individual
but to no one there
moving his head as he talked
without his action
its body and fingers
point to this and that
as he talks
poetry in motion
to you as an individual
his poetry flowing
quite a lot
he then thanked us
when he stopped
we all clapped loud
the evening over.
Daughter and I went through the library
going down on the lift to ground floor.
We would have liked a coffee, but shut.
So Homeward through the winding streets
to the car and home.
click here to listen to poem