This is the Annual Review

submitted to the General Meeting;

of all we eagerly found new

(that now against our wills is fleeting)

cream clotted of each poet’s fleeting

digested with the jam and scone

in pastures sweet with hoggets bleating

to oaten reed of shepherd swain

both roundelay adieu and greeting

 

Sing, Muse, of high points and one low one

saved by J. Page and converted                                                             Jeremy Page, Ed. The Frogmore Press,

into a triumph our own shepherd won                                                    may the blessings of Phoebus Apollo

(whose shearing has old Samson worsted)                                               weave about your brow.

bays for Bob, hair shirts of worsted

for those (yours truly once again)

who skill or muse last year deserted

who’ll scan ‘The Folio’ in vain,

whose bragging rights aren’t there asserted.

 

Is poem or the poet prize

(inventive as Scherazade)

for two were wed though at what price

only a northern lad can hazard;

wedded bliss meets many a hazard

(epithalamia can bless)

carollings may stumble, halt as scazonards ,                                                                      look it up

but cleave the twain as grafted boughs

will love ensconced in each dear mazard.

 

Penelope, wise and gracious,

of our competition arbiter

handed the prizes of her choice

to songsters of the sweetest twitter;

news sent as characters of Twitter

circled the globe from peaks to sloughs

tasty to some to others bitter,

victory’s willow on the frail crafts’ prows

of those the Muses were th’inspiriter.

 

Bless us, we heard 12 poets this year,

starting with a sole American,                                                                      Marriane Barouch

one in a castle garden near,                                                                           Sissinghurst James Fenton

two with names and interests Russian;                                                        Sasha Dugdale.

(Michael with tapes of samizdat russian)                                                     Michael Pushkin

three of our own, to us most dear,                                                                Clive, Gemma, Sarah W.      

five more:-  a Geordie, an American,                                                           Robyn Bolam, Martha Kapos

Cambridge Kate, Myra the ‘wonder’                                                            Kate Rhodes, Myra Schneider

Shuttle q.v  (and in the dusk James Fenton).                                                                      

                                                                                                                        

 

 

 

 

 

Hostess, the kindest Sarah S.

at homed us for our Christmas party;

Petrucci, Mario, no less                                                                                     Saturday workshop

workshopped us thorough problems clarty;

Writers Week walkers breeks were clarty

so I’m told, I can only guess;

at monthly workshops laughter’s hearty

as poets each encourage to success,

spicing what’s bland, smoothing what’s warty.

 

That’s it, except for thanks to you

members and guests, no one excepted

all serve, Miltonic, just bum on pew

listening, delighting in the unexpected;

the committee works , that’s expected

and many helpers help us through

(Chris with each script that she inspected)

(Oli without whom naught here to view)

thank you, thank you, for all you do.

May’t please you, this report’s accepted?