Ashmore Park Writers

Ashmore Park Writers meet on the second Saturday of the month from 2pm - 4pm at Ashmore Park Library. 

Contact Simon Fletcher on (01902) 552061 or email simon.fletcher@dial.pipex.com 

Black Country Favourites

(with apologies to Adrian Mitchell)

Offal; breadcrumbs; pork and herbs,

Shaped, then wrapped in lacy kel.*

Faggots.

I like that stuff.

 

Waxy potatoes, peeled, sliced,

Swirled around the batter bowl.

Orange chips.

I like that stuff.

 

Thick fat gifted by good pigs,

Rendered to a melting crunch.

Leaf scratchings.

I like that stuff.

 

Claire Parr

* Kel is the local word for caul.

Creation (or Excuses)

When God created earth

She was alone, I think -

(Jesus, confused and needy,

Tortured, maimed,

Not yet upon the scene),

All the time in the world, of course,

To suit herself; take hours to choose

Just where to site a sea,

Decide where ice would freeze and deserts burn,

Design the shapes of animals

Of hoof and horn and fang and claw,

Mix colours for the grass and flowers -

Not one distraction from her busy state,

That's why she found it easy to create.

Iris Rhodes

Chernges

The Black Country ay

black naer, all the

fact’ries ‘ave

closed their

gerts.

 

The smoky chimneys

cor add ta the

gloom an’ fog,

them lung

gone.

 

The taerns’ satanic

sky line wiped clane

ov dark soot

from dank

smog.

 

Buildin’s ‘ave bin ‘osed,

naer c’ula’ful

bricks shine in

the sun’s

rays.

 

Cherngin’ aer past grim

‘eritage fa

the newness

ov ta

day.

Madge Gilbey