british poets

[review] Wisdom of the Woods by Rachel Piercey and Freya Hartas

~ jama ~ 20 Comments

Basil and Cornelius are beary excited about a new children’s poetry book written by UK poet and editor Rachel Piercey. Wisdom of the Woods: 40 Poems to Treasure (Magic Cat Publishing, 2024), is part of the wildly popular Brown Bear Wood series illustrated by Freya Hartas, which includes board books, coloring books, and interactive search-and-find adventure stories written in verse (which we featured here and here).

Readers who enjoy a poetic blend of nature and science will revel in these lyrical gems, as they immerse us in the wonder, joy and magic of Brown Bear Wood. How delightful to spend more time with our friend Bear and his many forest companions — above, below, and on the ground!

This book is actually a special gift to Bear from his Papa:

Dearest Bear,

The time has come, my little cub,
to pass into your paws
the Wisdom of the Woods --
a book of Nature's ancient laws.

It's been with us for many years,
passed down from bear to bear.
And now it's yours to read and use,
to think about and share.

The poems you will find inside
explore our woodland home,
the tiny daily miracles
occurring as we roam,

and how the plants and creatures
work in harmony, to grow.
So turn the page -- you're ready, Bear.
These things are yours to know . . . 

Love, Papa Bear

The winsome rhyming poems are presented in eight sections, taking us from dawn to dusk:

  • Beginnings
  • At Home in the Woodland
  • Among the Trees
  • Woodland Weather
  • Mighty Minibeasts
  • Look Closer
  • So Many Seeds
  • Goodnight, Woodland

Piercey effortlessly incorporates lots of interesting facts in her fun-to-read-aloud verses, everything from seed dispersion and pollination, to metamorphosis and migration, to condensation and photosynthesis. Readers will learn how the natural order of things works, especially with regard to the symbiosis of plants and animals, all the while charmed by lovable Bear and the fascinating creatures who share his cozy woodland habitat.

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licking my chops, kissing my fingertips

~ jama ~ 22 Comments

“There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

“Breakfast with Humpty Dumpty” by Michael Cheval.
COME EAT WITH ME AND BE MY LOVE
by Cathy Bryant

Come eat with me and be my love
and we will buy some plus size pants
and gorge on sweet syruped kisses
down supermarket food aisles dance
until thrown off the premises,
my fine eclair, my lemon puff.

Come eat with me and lose your scales
and gain lasagne, served with wine,
and ripe persimmons, plums and pears
my fragrant fruit, oh lover mine,
and we will laugh at diet cares
and low-fat bread that swiftly stales.

Come eat with me and roll on cake
and find crumbs in each other's hair
and nibble on as far as we can
until, replete, we lie quite bare
on our smooth bed of marzipan,
my love who dares to shake and bake.

Come eat with me and feel our flesh
as soft as custard, warm as toast
as comforting as treacle tart
as healthy as a hot nut roast,
my love, who nestles in my heart
- no sell-by date. Forever fresh.

~ from Savor: Poems for the Tongue, edited by Brennan Breeland and Stan Galloway (Friendly City Books 2024).
“Candlelight Dinner” by Raija Nokkala.

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wendy cope’s orange: this juice is worth the squeeze

~ jama ~ 28 Comments

Here’s an appeeling little poem to cheer you up. 🙂

“Orange” by Lu-Yong.
THE ORANGE
by Wendy Cope

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I got a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.

~ from The Orange and other poems (Faber, 2023)

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“Hedonist’s List of Desert Island Essentials” by Vivien Steels

~ jama ~ 34 Comments
“Hawaii Retreat with Palm Trees, Sunset” via Beyond Dream Art.

It’s always fun to play with the “stranded on a desert island” trope: what item, other than food and water, would you take/most like to have with you?

Before the age of laptops and smart phones, people cited favorite books, or maybe a diary or radio. It’s quite a challenge to figure out exactly what physical possession you just couldn’t live without.

But what if the opposite were true: that you could be on that island with anything your heart desires (no limit with regard to quantity or practicality)? Say the word, and it’s yours.

British poet and artist Vivien Steels has come up with quite a provocative scenario.

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“Hot Chocolate” by Brett Humphries (oil on board, 2020).
HEDONIST'S LIST OF DESERT ISLAND ESENTIALS
by Vivien Steels

Blue iceberg from Arctic shores
melting into cool, mountain streams.
Chocolate Emporium effusing cocoa --
door always open, shelves always filled.
Cooking pot permanently flame-hot
to bubble water within its depths for
Chinese Jasmine-scented tea,
fragrance rising in coils of steam.
Tent, the size of small bungalow,
with bathroom 'en suite' included.
Bombay Curry House,
waiters and cooks ever-ready
to conjure spiced masterpieces
served on white plates.
Library, walls resplendent with books,
superb poetry section --
no overdue charges.
Softest duvet fattened with duck down,
hammock fittings to lasso two palm trees
under indigo sky christened with stars.

~ This poem first appeared in 21st Century Poetry (October 2001).
“Significance” by Elena Tuncer (oil on canvas).

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cultivating ideas with a blue spade

~ jama ~ 22 Comments

“The best place to find God is in a garden. You can dig for him there.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

“Out of the Mist” by Wayne Millett

All Aboard!

Let’s take a little trip.

“Blue Garden” by Abid Khan
THE BLUE GARDEN
by Helen Dunmore

'Doesn't it look peaceful?' someone said
as our train halted on the embankment
and there was nothing to do but stare
at the blue garden.

Blue roses slowly opened,
blue apples glistened
beneath the spreading peacock of leaves.

The fountain spat jets of pure Prussian
the decking was made with fingers of midnight
the grass was as blue as Kentucky.

Even the children playing
in their ultramarine paddling pool
were touched by a cobalt Midas

who had changed their skin
from the warm colours of earth
to the azure of heaven.  

'Don't they look happy?' someone said,
as the train manager apologised
for the inconvenience caused to our journey,

and yes, they looked happy.
Didn't we wish we were in the blue garden
soaked in the spray of the hose-snake,

didn't we wish we could dig in the indigo earth
for sky-coloured potatoes.
didn't we wish our journey was over

and we were free to race down the embankment
and be caught up in the blue, like those children
who shrank to dots of cerulean
as our train got going.

~ from Glad of These Times (Bloodaxe, 2014)
“Dreampath” by Violeta Lopiz

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